Airlines..What the heck?!

[minicoopercraig]

Okay, since I just came back from a long trip to a place I'm not mentioning for safety purposes ;-), I thought I would post a thread about something that's been bothering me.
I was so worried while I was getting ready for my trip that the airline, Continental, would charge me extra money for having a backpack with me as a second back. Then I realized that's only one carryon and one extra that would fit under the seat, so I was okay. But this is what the airline industry has "beat" into our heads that we have to worry about every little charge now when we fly and they wonder why they're going bankrupt!
I say just eliminate all these little nickel and dime charges and just build them into the inital charge of the ticket.
For example, say I'm looking for a ticket from Pittsburgh to San Diego, I find one through Delta for $109 round trip, GREAT! I go ahead and purchase, but before I check out they have an extra screen that comes up and asks about extra charges. They have $10 for 2 carryons ($10 for every carryon over one per person), $10 for meal service upgrade (would be the same as first class service), $5 for liquor purchase (including beer and hard liquor), $2 for headphone purchase (since it's nonstop, the flight would be over 4 hours) and they also state that these are per leg of trip, so it'd be $20, $20, $10 and $4 for all upgrades.
I go through, and since I don't really drink and have my own headset, say I'd like to bring another carryon and have a better meal so I check those two and continue on, it'd be another $40 onto my ticket (this is all pre-tax and I'm not talking about THAT!) so I'd end up paying $149 for my roundtrip from Pittsburgh to San Diego. I'd be less hectic when I get to the airport, feel a lot better knowing I have meals covered for myself and not have to try to squeeze everything I need for a 2 week vacation into one carryon.
But they aren't doing that, they're coming up with insane charges (not out of line mind you, just insane that I have to carry money onto a plane AND try to remember to bring exact change or else the attendant will spill a drink on me later.) to make me feel like I don't want to fly anymore.

Simple explanations usually are the hardest for companies to understand.

(Rant over, we now return you to you're regularly scheduled programming.)

 

[OrlandoMike]

1. I dont drink on the plane.
2. I bring my own earphones
3. I bring a foot long from Subway.
4. One carry on.

They will not get a dime out of me!

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I fly a lot. Carry on, two. One in the overhead (suitcase) one under the seat in front of me (computer and noise canceling headphones). I bring my own water on, and if I intend to eat, bring my own food.

Anything else is just too darn much trouble.

 

[Uncle Remus]

We got slapped with all these extra charges so they could make up
their "losses" from high fuel charges, hello, fuel costs have dropped.

I think it's just squeezin' every last drop of blood from us.

Next thing is a charge for the oxygen mask should you need one, cash or credit.

 

[OKW Lover]

Delta doesn't charge for carry-ons. You get one carry-on and one personal item at no (extra) cost.

 

[Saxton]

Southwest doesn't and any extra charges for bags, of course I absolutely hate their boarding process. I usually suffer through it if it's a personal trip. For work it can be any airline and then I can submit the extra fees. I know the last work trip I was on (maybe US Air?) I only had 1 suitcase to check in and they charged me for it. I thought that was extreme, I could understand if I was trying to load up the plane but I only had the 1 suitcase and I carried on my laptop.

 

[Uncle Remus]

Southwest has some extra charge, I forget the name, for each leg of the flight, a charge
for each take off and landing, jacks the price up if it's not a direct flight. WTH?

 

[minicoopercraig]

But my point is, if they want to incur these ridiculous charges, just build them into the initial ticket price if you so choose to need any extra amenities. As far as the extra charge for non-direct flights, isn't that price already built into your ticket?! If not then why the heck are direct flights sometimes more expensive?! I'm really confused now. LOL.

 

[wallyb]

1. I dont drink on the plane.
2. I bring my own earphones
3. I bring a foot long from Subway.
4. One carry on.

They will not get a dime out of me!

Edited

 

[Uncle Remus]

But my point is, if they want to incur these ridiculous charges, just build them into the initial ticket price if you so choose to need any extra amenities. As far as the extra charge for non-direct flights, isn't that price already built into your ticket?! If not then why the heck are direct flights sometimes more expensive?! I'm really confused now. LOL.

That's the other point, to keep us confused.

The other day I compared a SW flight with 1 stop to a direct AA flight, the direct was cheaper. WTH?


Here's another thing that gripes me, when it's $109 to get there
'n $289 to return. It's like bein' held hostage for ransom.

 

[mikelan6]

Air fares have no rational reasoning behind them. It can be $200 to go from one coast to the other, but $600 to go a few hundred miles.

One of the reasons the airlines have continued to "nickle and dime" us is because they want to compete with the "low cost" airlines. It's a no win situation.

Personally, I think the reason they don't let us bring liquids past the "security checkpoint" is that the airports and airlines can make more money from selling soft drinks, etc.

 

[wallyb]

That's what he hopes will be scre....ooohh, better not finish that thought. LA LA LA LA LA LA.

no really - do continue.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I am probably a minority on this one, because I come from the business travel mindset. I'd rather not pay for something I'm not going to use. I never have more then my jacket on my back and my notebook case when I fly to an from my home to our office in NYC. If I do carry a larger bag, I see no problems with paying for it to be checked, as I am using space/weight.

As for the current prices, do you expect prices to just drop overnight when airlines have bled BILLIONS of dollars in the past year due to fuel costs. Most also are locked into hedges now that is causing them to spend more as well. I wouldn't and don't expect airfares/fee structures to drop, and I don't think they should. Airfares are insanely TOO cheap for the most part, and have not, up until recently, even kept up with inflation. I'd rather see higher costs and higher service (but again, I'm probably in the minority).

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Good article about the reverse effect airlines are feeling with falling fuel prices, their hedges are not working in their favor anymore and now they're paying for it...

http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/25/news/companies/bc.united.hedging.ap/index.htm?postversion=2008112516

Southwest got lucky with its hedge program this last go around, but I think its unrealistic to believe that will happen again in the future, even Southwest added to their hedges, at higher then current market rates, and are going to feel some of this effect if prices stay low.