Skymall Review

I make a good deal of my annual purchases via the internet and I am always game for searching the internet for a new web site that offers the best prices and shipping deals. Every now and then, however, I stray from my usual low price search and visit web sites that are known for their overpriced, but interesting merchandise. One web site that certainly fits this description is Skymall.com, the on- line store for the infamous airline- promoted merchant.

Web Site Commentary:

Anyone who has flown on a commercial airline is fully aware of the company known as Skymall. Most every airplane seat on every flight has a copy of the latest issue of Skymall, tucked in the pocket behind each seat, between the airplane fact card and the emergency information cards.  

Skymall has made a name for itself as a store that offers unnecessary, overpriced luxury merchandise and I ordinarily don't waste my time with companies such as this. But, as much as I hate to admit it, there is something oddly appealing about Skymall and I have made a few purchases from the Skymall.com web site. It's like anything that you don't really need that is priced higher than it is worth: The higher price and the uniqueness make you desire the products anyway (or at least want to investigate) because you assume that they must be products of high quality to cost so much and there must be a certain element of prestige in owning them. These facts give Skymall its unique appeal, and this is what led me to make a purchase from Skymall.com for the first time ever. I noticed some unique goods and decided they would make good gifts, even though I fully realized the prices were higher than they should be.

Most of the merchandise offered at Skymall.com is overpriced but if you spend time browsing the site (or through one of Skymall's magazines) with determination in mind, you should be able to find a few things that are less overpriced than the rest. I happened to find two such items, and they became parts of my first Skymall.com purchase. It is also common to find online coupons. I recommend searching the internet for some before you make a purchase. I had a coupon the last time I shopped here and I received a 20 percent discount off of my total order price.

Judging this site for its content, it turns up an almost equal number of hits and misses. I like the fact that I can search by category or by merchant. I also like the E-Reminder system, which allows customers to setup an e-mail reminder to buy a certain item of merchandise on a given date. Product information is pretty good also and there is a good deal of categories of merchandise to choose from. Skymall is affiliated with many different merchants and it obtains its goods through these other merchants, then has then shipped to customers. There are a few products sold at Skymall that are part of the Skymall company, but most products are offered by other places, like The Sharper Image, Brookstone, and others. This affiliation relationship is the main reason Skymall.com offers so many different goods. Skymall brings together the product offerings of dozens and dozens of different on- line retailers, providing the consumer with a single web site in which to browse and make purchases of luxury merchandise.

Besides the higher than average prices, there are some other financial disadvantages of using this site. One is sales tax, which is added to all orders. The second is the high shipping charges, which will add at least $14 to your order. These are additional reasons why it is so imperative to look for an online coupon before you shop at Skymall. The coupon savings can quickly eliminate the high cost of shipping and sales taxes, making a purchase more economical than before.  

Bottom Line Viewpoint:

Overall, I am fairly satisfied with my Skymall.com shopping experiences and I might use the site again in the future. The reason I say "might" is because it depends on what I am looking for and whether or not I am willing to pay a little more for it. Prices are high at Skymall, but there are a few good things to be found at Skymall.com and some of the items are quite unique. A little luxury every now and then isn't such a bad thing, even when you know there are thousands of ways to spend your money more wisely. And Skymall certainly fits the definition of unnecessary luxury, offering thousands of ways to spend money on things you don't need.