[Bloat] AQM & Net Neutrality

[Jonathan Morton]

> On 24 May, 2021, at 10:18 pm, Stuart Cheshire via Bloat <bloat at lists.bufferbloat.net> wrote:
> 
> When first class passengers board the plane first, all economy passengers wait a little bit longer as a result.

Technically, they all get to the runway at the same time anyway; the first-class pax just get out of the terminal to sit in their airline seats waiting for longer, while the more congested cattle-class cabin sorts itself out.  If the latter process were optimised better, the first-class passengers might actually end up waiting less, and pretty much everyone would benefit accordingly.

Where first-class passengers *do* have an advantage is in priority lanes at check-in and security.  It means they can turn up at the airport later to catch the same flight, without fear of missing it and without having to spend unnecessary hours in duty-free hell.  They also get posher waiting lounges with "free" food.  It is that sort of atmosphere that Net Neutrality advocates object to in computer networking.

I believe NN advocates will respond positively to concrete signs of improvement in perceived consumer fairness and reduction of costs to consumers.  I also believe that implementing AQM well is a key enabler towards those improvements.  That is probably the right perspective for "selling" AQM to them.

 - Jonathan Morton