Ethics on the Internet has been a widely debated topic in recent years covering
issues that range from privacy to security to fraud. Little, however, has been written on more
subtle ethical questions such as the exploitation of Web technologies to inhibit or avoid customer
service. Increasingly, it would appear, some firms are using Websites to create distance
between them and their customer base in specific areas of their operations, while simultaneously
developing excellence in sales transaction completion via self-service. This paper takes
a magnifying glass with an ethical lens to just one sector ¿ the low-cost, Web-based selfservice
airline industry, specifically in Ireland. The paper notes the teaching of information
systems development (ISD) and, for the most part, its practice assumes ethicality. Similarly,
marketing courses focus on satisfying customer needs more effectively and efficiently within
the confines of an acceptable ethos. This paper observes that while these business disciplines
are central to the success of self-service Websites, there seems to be a disconnect between the
normative view and the actuality of practice. What follows begins with an analysis of the
normative approach to information systems (IS) design and marketing. A review of questionable
ethical practices used by low-cost carriers (LCCs) is then conducted, followed by a discussion
on the phenomena. The paper concludes with a look at the implications for research,
teaching and practice.
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