You can’t buy a ticket on United and then seat selection from Delta.
True. But on the other hand, people have a model of the world which tells them that they shouldn’t expect to be able to buy a ticket on United and seat selection from Delta—a model that they can reasonably be expected to have before comparing prices.
Furthermore, while everything airlines do is ultimately because of how much money they make, people are aware that the money airlines gain by not doing things that way would come from a source other than the consumers paying more.
These factors are why consumers are okay with bundling flight sold by X and seat sold by X.
True. But on the other hand, people have a model of the world which tells them that they shouldn’t expect to be able to buy a ticket on United and seat selection from Delta—a model that they can reasonably be expected to have before comparing prices.
Furthermore, while everything airlines do is ultimately because of how much money they make, people are aware that the money airlines gain by not doing things that way would come from a source other than the consumers paying more.
These factors are why consumers are okay with bundling flight sold by X and seat sold by X.