Everyday Ethics

Traveling by air has rapidly transformed from a moderately affordable activity to something that most cannot typically afford.  I am currently attempting to book a trip to Roanoke, Virginia for the Virginia Tech Philosophy Conference.  After much frustration due to not finding a reasonable flight price, I opted to contact a travel agent.  Unbeknownst to me, what I really contacted was a pending ethical dilemma.

I’m not entirely sure what travel agents do that regular people are not equally capable of doing.  My travel agent was somehow able to locate a flight to Roanoke that was far less expensive than those that I could find on even the most affordably priced discount travel websites.  However, my dilemma emerged when the travel agent sent me a tentative itinerary that included the reservation code.  Her quoted price was $420, while the price listed on the reservation said $385.

My dilemma was twofold.  First, if my flight costs $385, does it really make sense for me to pay her $420 just for finding this flight for me?  There seemed to be some questionable ethics on her part, as $35 seems like a lot of money for some online searching that cannot have taken more than half an hour. 

The other side of the dilemma is that since I have the itinerary, including flight numbers and a reservation code, why couldn’t I just book this myself, and cut her fee out of the picture?  The added fact that she was trying to charge me $35 for finding this and booking it made me feel somehow justified in taking the information and running. 

This scenario points to a common challenge in our ethical deliberations.  When we feel that we are being wronged, we often feel justified in committing wrongs in return.  This is a perfectly reasonable psychological response, but it does not make the action that it motivates okay.  We need to be able to feel upset by the wrongdoings of others without that leading to immoral actions on our part. 

Although the exorbitant fee associated with my travel plans upsets me, it would not be right for me to usurp my travel agent’s interests and book the same flight on my own.  The fact remains that she did do some work to make this happen, and by using the information without compensating her, I am essentially stealing.  No one would dispute the wrongness of stealing, and our sense of being victimized does not dramatically change the wrongness of the act.  As the old saying goes, two wrongs don’t make a right.  This situation and many others just like it are no exception.  

About the Author

Elijah Weber is a graduate student at Bowling Green State University. He holds a Master's degree in philosophy from Colorado State University, and Bachelor’s degrees in sociology and philosophy from Chapman Univerity. He currently lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife Laura, his son Brandon, age two and a half, and two cats, both of whom are mentally deranged.