Ramblings' Journal

'Pay What You Want' airfare? Where's Clark Howard?

German-based Hapag-Lloyd Express has new service in the UK that -- believe it or not -- allows you to pay "what you want" for the fare.

It's a promotional gimmick, of course, but on the three-day Newcastle-Hanover sightseeing run last Sunday, cabin crew came down the aisle, and passengers literally got to pay what they wanted for the flight.

60 passengers took up Hapag-Lloyd on the offer.

The average fare paid by the passengers was £13 (US$ 23) on the run. The highest amount paid was £45 (US$ 80), while another paid only £1 (US$1.80) for the 1600 km (864 miles) roundtrip journey.

I wonder whether consumer guru (and notorious spend-thrift) Clark Howard was the one who paid £1 for his flight.