The Aerial Speculation, or How a Gentleman May Pay for a Seat and Yet Remain upon the Pavement

Pray, cast your gaze upon the latest eccentricity of the Ministry of Transport! Mr. Andrey Nikitin, a gentleman of official standing, has seen fit to announce a most whimsical novelty: the legalisation of 'overbooking' upon our aerial vessels. To the uninitiated, this means that a commercialist may sell one ticket to three different persons, praying that at least two of them shall be struck by a sudden fit of indolence and fail to appear at the station.

With a countenance of utmost sincerity, the Minister declares that the 'protection of passenger rights' remains his paramount concern. One cannot help but admire the acrobatic agility of such logic! He asserts that this practice—which resembles nothing so much as the gambles of a street-corner rogue—is designed for the benefit of the traveller himself.

«It is an open secret,» the gentleman proclaims, «that certain passengers, plagued by tardiness or a sudden change of heart, fail to board. Thus, we find vacant chairs!» Indeed, the logic is impeccable: by selling more seats than exist in the physical world, the Ministry intends to ensure that some desperate soul, in dire need of haste, might occupy a vacancy left by a vanished ghost.

At this very moment, the Ministry, in concert with various societies for the protection of consumers, is drafting amendments to the Air Code. They seek to establish 'transparent rules'—which is to say, they wish to codify the art of the swindle so that the merchant may reap his profit without the tedious interference of the law.

One is reminded of a certain confidant from the digital salons of Reddit, a Mr. NewSalamander8910, who recently unveiled the cynical truth regarding the overbooking of hotels. It appears the spirit of the profiteer knows no bounds, whether one seeks a bed for the night or a carriage in the clouds. One expects that soon, a gentleman shall pay a sovereign for a ticket, only to be told that his seat has been sold to a more punctual merchant, leaving him to contemplate the clouds from the comfort of the waiting room.