AirTran ???

[ask3forpoptarts]

Unfortunately we booked our tickets through Expedia and they don't offer seat assignments at all. When I called AirTran to see if I could just pay the extra fees for the seat assignments I was told I had to just wait until we checked in. Live and learn I guess. Our youngest is 9 and it's her first time flying so hopefully one of us will be able to sit with her on the flight.

 

[Ed J]

^ My sister booked though them for air tran for herself and my family last fall and we were in the same situation.

We checked in online exactly 24 hours before our flight and were seated together, just be sure you haveyour confirmation number from air tran when you log on. That number is different than your Exipida confirmation number.

 

[mmackeymouse]

Airlines are a business. They are going to collect how ever much money they need to collect to stay in business. Some airlines have decided to start charging specific fees for people that use specific services, rather than spreading those fees out to everyone else.

In case you have not noticed, airlines are not exactly raking in record profits lately. Most are losing money, if not tetering on the edge of bankruptcy. The fees are not about greed, they are about staying alive.

I understand people don't like the fees because they were never charged them in the past. Times change. It happens in every business.

Please understand, I'm not against Southwest at all. I like them, have flown them, and would fly them again. The fact that they do not charge for luggage just has absolutley no bearing on my decision to fly them. When I fly, I just factor in all the costs and make my decision. Airtran charges $15 to check a bag. I know that. If I'm going to fly Airtran, I add $15 onto the cost of the ticket, and compare that to SW's rate. It takes an additional 2 seconds of my life to account for the baggage charge. I just don't get why that is such a big deal to people.

I totally understand your point of view. And I totally understand the opposite point of view.

I think the problem is that the baggage fees were announced and implemented at a time when airfares were really, really high. So, people were not exactly feeling gracious enough to cut the airlines slack anyway.

Of course, at the time, people are thinking that the astronomical airfares were a result of oil, but then it is announced that they are going to pay even MORE due to "oil" via baggage fees.

I think had the airline industry came out and implemented the baggage fee, and said it was a permanent fee to keep their industry afloat because they are struggling, it would be more understood than it is now.

But, when they claim it to be due to oil prices, and then when oil prices are dirt cheap, they leave the fees on there, it comes across as disingenuous. Call a spade a spade; don't blame it on oil, because, when oil bounces back, you come across as greedy.

My ONLY issue with the baggage fees is that I am afraid that the flying public will become complacent and accept the fees as law. And, when the airlines bounce back, and they will, and fares spike, and they will, rather than paying that baggage fee to keep them from filing bankruptcy, it will just be an extra fee to pad their pockets and add to an insane profit margin.

I don't mind paying an extra baggage fee when the industry sucks, but I will have a problem paying it when the airlines don't NEED that extra revenue, and are just charging the extra fee because they can.

 

[bavaria]

I think the problem is that the baggage fees were announced and implemented at a time when airfares were really, really high.

I beg to differ. In the past decade US fares have NEVER been 'really, really high.' Yes, the $39/49/59 fares were less frequent, but even fares of $250 roundtrip don't cover the cost of transporting a passenger.

The perception of 'high fares' on this website is so far below the norm, and the airlines are fighting that perception with little chance of being successful.

The rest of the world pays viable fares - ask the Canadian or the UK boards what they pay for airfare.

I fully expect more fees and higher fares - look at Delta cutting capacity yet again, which will result in higher fares. Until the American leisure traveller (as witnessed here) stops being so entitled and starts being rational about costs, the airlines have no choice but to try and find revenue elsewhere.

NO US carrier is making money at the moment, and the losses over the past year have been staggering.

 

[maxiesmom]

I beg to differ. In the past decade US fares have NEVER been 'really, really high.' Yes, the $39/49/59 fares were less frequent, but even fares of $250 roundtrip don't cover the cost of transporting a passenger.

The perception of 'high fares' on this website is so far below the norm, and the airlines are fighting that perception with little chance of being successful.

The rest of the world pays viable fares - ask the Canadian or the UK boards what they pay for airfare.

I fully expect more fees and higher fares - look at Delta cutting capacity yet again, which will result in higher fares. Until the American leisure traveller (as witnessed here) stops being so entitled and starts being rational about costs, the airlines have no choice but to try and find revenue elsewhere.

NO US carrier is making money at the moment, and the losses over the past year have been staggering.

I read yesterday that American Airlines is going to cut capacity as well.

We Americans have become spoiled by the relatively cheap cost of a plane ticket. But people need to remember it wasn't always so. I remember when I was a child that only those with a lot of money were able to fly whenever they wanted to. Now it is common to fly for your vacation.

The airlines can't continue to lose money and still operate the way they are. Something has to give. Either they start charging for "extras" or they raise the cost of every ticket. Or just go out of business.

Hey, at least most carriers haven't started charging for using the lav, unlike a certain European airline. That is a charge I wouldn't be thrilled with.

 

[bavaria]

Hey, at least most carriers haven't started charging for using the lav, unlike a certain European airline. That is a charge I wouldn't be thrilled with.

Here's the irony - those 1 Euro fares which Ryanair advertises end up being just around the same price as Lufthansa by the time one factors in all the fees and the transport to airports in the middle of nowhere (often 100km from their advertised destination, and in the case of 'Frankfurt' almost in another country! )

Ryanair used that as a marketing ploy; like SW they are very good at making people believe that their fares are lower than anyone else's fares. But the smart consumer may well find that is not the case. Certainly SW does not have the lowest fares on all routes yet reading here one would believe that they do.

 

[bavaria]

oh, and more irony - the OP is from Canada. Why is she flying Airtran???

Because the fares from Canada are much higher (more viable)

 

[TDC Nala]

I never pay for the seat assignment but I am usually flying alone and don't care who I sit with. Only thing I want is a seat that is not a middle seat and that is easy to arrange at 24 hours.

That said I would be hard pressed to move to a middle seat for someone who didn't take the opportunity to arrange for their seat assignments.

 

[mmackeymouse]

I read yesterday that American Airlines is going to cut capacity as well.

We Americans have become spoiled by the relatively cheap cost of a plane ticket. But people need to remember it wasn't always so. I remember when I was a child that only those with a lot of money were able to fly whenever they wanted to. Now it is common to fly for your vacation.

The airlines can't continue to lose money and still operate the way they are. Something has to give. Either they start charging for "extras" or they raise the cost of every ticket. Or just go out of business.

Hey, at least most carriers haven't started charging for using the lav, unlike a certain European airline. That is a charge I wouldn't be thrilled with.

Using the whole baggage logic, in my most Hermione Granger voice, Why should I, a passenger who has never used a bathroom on board an airplane pay so that everyone else can use the bathroom?

I kid, I kid, but seriously that IS the exact same logic, you know.

I don't think we Americans are necessarily spoiled or entitled. It is living in a capitalistic society, in which supply and demand AND competition drive everything. We expect ALL aspects of our society to vie for our business. And, truthfully, why shouldn't we? Why shouldn't we go for the cheapest possible thing, if we can get it?

We ultimately have to look at these companies. How bad do they want to sell their product? Which do you want more, to move your product or to make money? In this kind of economy, you have to choose one or the other. For example, at my work, we are NOT making a lot of profit. So, we can increase prices, at the expense of losing customers. However, for the future, we cannot afford to lose business. We need to keep ourselved on the map, in the thick of things, and if that means selling at cost or at a loss, that is something we've been doing.

 

[bavaria]

When that kind of thinking results in at least one major US carrier (if not more) being forced to shut down due to unrealistic expectations, the whinging will become deafening. Not only will jobs be lost, fares on the remaining carriers will increase.

Don't confuse 'cost' with 'value'.

 

[dancin Disney style]

oh, and more irony - the OP is from Canada. Why is she flying Airtran???

Because the fares from Canada are much higher (more viable)

You are right....I'm flying ATA because it's WAAAAY cheaper. I live about 25 minutes away from the Toronto International airport which ranks approx #3 world wide for being among the most expensive airports to fly from. A ticket here would cost on average about $450 per person to fly to MCO. Right now the taxes are $130 per ticket (give or take a few $). A really great seat sale here will get you a ticket for about $350. We are flying from Buffalo for $156 each including the extra fee for seat assignments. I doubt we will need to check any bags but if we do it will be only be one bag for the family. The bonus of flying in the US is that there are a lot more flight options than we have. Here in Toronto some of the carriers only have one flight per week (to MCO). Some have one per day and Air Canada our national airline offers two flights per day. We also have a lot fewer carriers.

BTW, for us to get to BUF we need to add at least 2 hours on. It's a 90 minute straight drive from my house to the airport but we have to add in extra time for the border crossing. Somtimes the delays can be 30 minutes or more. Also, we pay far more for airport parking than at BUF. If you get a coupon you can park at an unattended lot for 7 days, and it's about 15 minutes away on the shuttle, for $75. I have a coupon for BUF that gets me 7 days parking for $38 and the lot is walking distance to the terminal.

 

[maxiesmom]

Using the whole baggage logic, in my most Hermione Granger voice, Why should I, a passenger who has never used a bathroom on board an airplane pay so that everyone else can use the bathroom?

I kid, I kid, but seriously that IS the exact same logic, you know.

Because you don't know ahead of time if you will use the bathroom or not. Having checked luggage is an expense you can plan for, and then do without if you choose not to. Everyone goes to the bathroom, and you can never be sure when you will have to use it or not. Sometimes, you really have no choice, it is an emergency. And you can bet it would negatively impact the others on board the plane if they lacked the money for a pay lav. Using your logic you could say that the airlines should charge for the barf bags. Can you imagine telling someone "I'm sorry, you can't throw up. You didn't pay for the bag!"?

 

[TDC Nala]

Because you don't know ahead of time if you will use the bathroom or not. Having checked luggage is an expense you can plan for, and then do without if you choose not to. Everyone goes to the bathroom, and you can never be sure when you will have to use it or not. Sometimes, you really have no choice, it is an emergency. And you can bet it would negatively impact the others on board the plane if they lacked the money for a pay lav. Using your logic you could say that the airlines should charge for the barf bags. Can you imagine telling someone "I'm sorry, you can't throw up. You didn't pay for the bag!"?

How much do those astronaut diapers cost and is it less than the bathroom charge?

 

[cbrfan]

I've gotta admit that I'd stay away from an airline that charges to use the restroom. I've known some REALLY cheap people and would be afraid to sit in the seat.

 

[dioxide45]

Hey, at least most carriers haven't started charging for using the lav, unlike a certain European airline. That is a charge I wouldn't be thrilled with.

The airline never charged for use of the lav. It was mentioned by the CEO in an interview or press conference. But the fee never came to fruition.