Don't make my mistake!

[msmayor]

Airline policies are so frustrating. Even if they're within their rights to charge what they want to charge and say "too bad so sad, you should've read the fine print," I refuse to bow down and pay to be treated like cattle. Perks that came with flying are decreasing, yet costs keep rising and people are being nickel and dimed. Dh has to fly about once a month for his job, and he hates it. He said it's gotten to the point that he feels he's more on a subway than anything else.

For leisure trips ... No thank you, airlines, we'll drive. We even drove from Georgia to Seattle and back last year. It was a long trip, but we had a blast! It was about the journey as much as it was about the destination.

I do feel for those who have no choice but to fly these days ...

I'd beg to differ on the cost issue. Back when airlines were regulated, the price of a round-trip ticket was VERY high compared to today. 30 years ago it cost $450+ to fly round-trip from NY to San Diego. There are round-trip fares out there now that are half that.

What burns folks now is that the airlines are finally starting to charge what it really DOES cost to travel this way. Despite what everyone thinks about airlines simply piling fees on to generate revenue, I don't see any airlines suddenly flush with cash and making money.

 

[jessica29]

i DID not read all the posts and am going at the same time you are. Now that they came out with the girft card deal are you able to do that? I was not able to get it since I did the 4 get 3 deal. I saved 50.00 more by keeping that. But can't you get the gift card which is almost comprable to the deal?

 

[kaytieeldr]

BTW, I should point out that I've not been stung by the draconian AA policies, but I just don't think they are fair

"They" are the same policies enacted and enforced by almost every other airline except Southwest. Granted, JetBlue charges "only" $100 to change or cancel a ticket vs. the $150 charged by pretty much every other airline. It's unfair to attack AA when all they are doing is matching the penalty exacted by almost all their competition.

 

[kaytieeldr]

My doctor was supportive and gave me good pain meds. I had a letter to allow me wheelchair access during my connection in Atlanta and upon arrival at MCO. So everything did work out in the end.

Just so you know, if ever in a similar situation, you do NOT need a note/letter or any indication whatsoever from a medical professional. ALL you need is to - when possible - contact the airline in advance and tell them you will need a wheelchair in all airports. If you can't call in advance, you can still just tell the counter agent or skycap.

 

[Esmerelda]

As I posted before, I just checked Airtran...a one way ticket back from Orlando to Dallas is $107.00 with taxes/fees per person.

You would have to do the math to decide if you want to spend another $400 or so for 4 people (I can't recall how many were going). If you make a change on your original ticket, you will spend way more money. ($150 change fee plus difference in airfare)

This is a simple fix if you are willing to spend more airfare money. I have done this at least 4 times in the last month.

best of luck...

 

[blondinkaya]

I'd beg to differ on the cost issue. Back when airlines were regulated, the price of a round-trip ticket was VERY high compared to today. 30 years ago it cost $450+ to fly round-trip from NY to San Diego. There are round-trip fares out there now that are half that.

What burns folks now is that the airlines are finally starting to charge what it really DOES cost to travel this way. Despite what everyone thinks about airlines simply piling fees on to generate revenue, I don't see any airlines suddenly flush with cash and making money.

Well, then, maybe if they did away with the a la cart expenses and adjusted the fares to include my flight, baggage, blanket and pillow, headphones, and meal (not just a pack of crackers and half a cup of soda), we wouldn't feel like we're getting jipped.

Dh also thinks that good customer service has declined as well. How much extra should it cost to get a "have a nice day" with a smile? Any guesses on when the airlines will tack on a "customer service fee?"

Back in 1991, I flew round-trip from San Jose CA to Jacksonville FL. I paid over $700. I know what high airline fares are like because I paid them. That said, it was a much, much more pleasant experience than the last time I flew. The whole attitude of flying the friendly skies has changed. Like dh said, it's like riding a subway.

 

[mariepapa]

Any guesses on when the airlines will tack on a "customer service fee?"

I think they already have this. It is called "First Class."

 

[Ceila]

Well, then, maybe if they did away with the a la cart expenses and adjusted the fares to include my flight, baggage, blanket and pillow, headphones, and meal (not just a pack of crackers and half a cup of soda), we wouldn't feel like we're getting jipped.

That's exactly how it used to be - and people complained then about how expensive flying was!

Now the fares are lower but there are all the "added" fees. For someone who can pack light, doesn't care about awful airplane food, has their own headphones, and doesn't need a flimsy blanket, the lower fares are much better than getting charged for stuff you don't need/want anyway.

 

[blondinkaya]

That's exactly how it used to be - and people complained then about how expensive flying was!

Now the fares are lower but there are all the "added" fees. For someone who can pack light, doesn't care about awful airplane food, has their own headphones, and doesn't need a flimsy blanket, the lower fares are much better than getting charged for stuff you don't need/want anyway.

Well, then, maybe they could have MYW packages, like WDW. There are base ticket folks, some who like hoppers, and then there are those who want differing levels of dining including in their packages. Of course, they'd have to come up with a different name than "Magic Your Way." How about "Fly Your Way?" Tier 3 would be the basic tickets with a separate fee per checked bag. Tier 2 would include two checked bags and a light snack. Tier one would include two checked bags, full meal, blanket, and headphones.

I wonder if those who have regularly flown first class in the past have noticed a decline in services ...

Sidenote: As for awful airplane food ... Have you ever flown on Air Italia? OMG, they had the BEST lunches when we lived over in Europe and flew with them!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, then, maybe if they did away with the a la cart expenses and adjusted the fares to include my flight, baggage, blanket and pillow, headphones, and meal (not just a pack of crackers and half a cup of soda), we wouldn't feel like we're getting jipped.

Not sure why you feel gypped. It makes more sense to charge a la carte. After all, I don't need a blanket or pillow - I use (with the Flight Attendants' knowledge) my winter coat as a blanket. Baggage? Well, I opt for JetBlue because the most I need is one checked bag; but if I chose an airline that charged for every piece of checked luggage and could manage with just a carry-on, why should I pay the same fare as someone who's bringing their entire winter wardrobe? Meals? I've never flown anywhere that I can't manage to go without eating during the entire flight. Wait, I take that back. Sometimes I'll bring a couple of those frozen pb&j sandwiches, when I'm leaving after work and won't have time for dinner. But if I don't want an airline meal, why should I be expected to subsidize another passenger's?

 

[DisneyFanSince71]

"They" are the same policies enacted and enforced by almost every other airline except Southwest. Granted, JetBlue charges "only" $100 to change or cancel a ticket vs. the $150 charged by pretty much every other airline. It's unfair to attack AA when all they are doing is matching the penalty exacted by almost all their competition.

Just as its with AA's rights to gouge the customer, its within my (our) rights to "attack" AA. I fail to see what is unfair about it. If other airlines are doing the same thing they deserve to be "attacked" as well.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Back in 1991, I flew round-trip from San Jose CA to Jacksonville FL. I paid over $700. I know what high airline fares are like because I paid them. That said, it was a much, much more pleasant experience than the last time I flew. The whole attitude of flying the friendly skies has changed. Like dh said, it's like riding a subway.

According to a basic inflation calculator, "What cost $700 in 1991 would cost $1093.17 in 2008" (http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi - and 2008 being the most recent year available in this calculator).

In comparison, an unrestricted economy fare - i.e. one that allows the passenger to make any/all changes with no financial penalty whatsoever - costs $827 in January 2010. First class (well, most of the way - what with flights being eliminated over the years, this itinerary on United requires changing planes in Los Angeles) is $1,272 and your service would be even more outstanding than what you remember from nineteen years ago.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, then, maybe they could have MYW packages, like WDW. There are base ticket folks, some who like hoppers, and then there are those who want differing levels of dining including in their packages. Of course, they'd have to come up with a different name than "Magic Your Way." How about "Fly Your Way?" Tier 3 would be the basic tickets with a separate fee per checked bag.

Or, how about just charge a la carte for the specific services each individual passenger requires?

 

[DisneyFanSince71]

Here in Dallas, Southwest flies out of the Dallas-Love Field airport, not out of DFW. Dallas-Love Field is governed by the Wright Ammendment, which forces any airline flying out of that airport to land in an adjacent state before continuing on to whatever destination it is headed to. So you cannot get a non-stop direct flight to anywhere outside of Texas on Southwest. Our second trip to Disney we flew SW out of Dallas, and we had to land in New Orleans for 1/2 hour on the way to MCO, and on the way back we had to transfer planes in Houston. We take shorter trips (5 days or so) so the kids only miss two days of school, so taking anything less than a direct flight wastes valuable Disney time. We like SW, but fly AA for the non-stop flight. We haven't had problems with AA, save one, but we've never had to change our schedule. I book my flights about 6 months out, but I am a compulsive planner, and deal or no deal, I have to stick with my schedule because of the kids and thier school.

So if the OP wants a non-stop flight, she can't fly SW out of Dallas.

The Wright Amendment ends in 2014. Only 4 more years until you can fly n/s between DAL and MCO.

A quick check of SW website shows 4 daily direct flights between DAL and MCO

 

[kaytieeldr]

Just as its with AA's rights to gouge the customer, its within my (our) rights to "attack" AA. I fail to see what is unfair about it. If other airlines are doing the same thing they deserve to be "attacked" as well.

That's my point - other airlines ARE charging the same fee, or close to it, to make ANY changes to a NONrefundable ticket. Blast away, it's not going to change anything. Passengers who opt for the lowest fares are informed up front of the ticket's conditions. It's not the airline's responsibility that the passenger chooses not to read the information provided. It's also not the airline's responsibility if the passenger 'fudges' and indicates they did read the rules of the fare when they really didn't.

Again, it's SIMPLE but more costly than most passengers want to pay, to be able to make unlimited/unrestricted changes to one's ticket: purchase the refundable fare. The option is there, the airlines almost all provide it. Even JetBlue with its one-class service sells refundable fares.

Personal experience: I chose not to pay that fare; I also chose not to purchase their 'if you lose your job' insurance. Surprise. I lost my job. I cancelled my ticket/trip, and while Disney refunded my entire deposit (because I complied with the conditions of the package and cancelled more than 45 days in advance), JetBlue kept $100 of what I'd paid for my ticket and put the rest in my TrueBlue account as a credit.

 

[DisneyFanSince71]

According to a basic inflation calculator, "What cost $700 in 1991 would cost $1093.17 in 2008" (http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi - and 2008 being the most recent year available in this calculator).

In comparison, an unrestricted economy fare - i.e. one that allows the passenger to make any/all changes with no financial penalty whatsoever - costs $827 in January 2010. First class (well, most of the way - what with flights being eliminated over the years, this itinerary on United requires changing planes in Los Angeles) is $1,272 and your service would be even more outstanding than what you remember from nineteen years ago.

So I guess that I should be lucky that I don't pay $3000 for it today. Perhaps airline tickets were incredibly OVER PRICED back in those days and competition drove the price down.

 

[DisneyFanSince71]

That's my point - other airlines ARE charging the same fee, or close to it, to make ANY changes to a NONrefundable ticket. Blast away, it's not going to change anything. Passengers who opt for the lowest fares are informed up front of the ticket's conditions. It's not the airline's responsibility that the passenger chooses not to read the information provided. It's also not the airline's responsibility if the passenger 'fudges' and indicates they did read the rules of the fare when they really didn't.

Again, it's SIMPLE but more costly than most passengers want to pay, to be able to make unlimited/unrestricted changes to one's ticket: purchase the refundable fare. The option is there, the airlines almost all provide it. Even JetBlue with its one-class service sells refundable fares.

Personal experience: I chose not to pay that fare; I also chose not to purchase their 'if you lose your job' insurance. Surprise. I lost my job. I cancelled my ticket/trip, and while Disney refunded my entire deposit (because I complied with the conditions of the package and cancelled more than 45 days in advance), JetBlue kept $100 of what I'd paid for my ticket and put the rest in my TrueBlue account as a credit.

However, nonrefundable means different things to different airlines. At SW (I don't work there by the way) if you cancel your plans then the money you paid for the ticket is 'nonrefundable', but its all put on credit that you have to use within a year. It appears to many that airlines are playing hardball with their customers when they need customer service. Which is one of the many good things about this board. Many are getting a eye-opening education as to the business practices of the airlines.

 

[kaytieeldr]

No. Back in those days, fares more accurately represented what it cost per passenger for the airline to transport them. Now, sure, competition has driven down fares (except, of course, the "horror" of higher fares this year than last, and last year over the year before). But the airlines are LOSING money.

And your computer isn't a reasonable comparison. There are more computers now, and they are cheaper to produce. NOT true of airlines. There may be more airlines, but there are fewer planes - and the airlines are NOT cheaper to operate now than they were twenty years ago.

 

[kaytieeldr]

However, nonrefundable means different things to different airlines. At SW

Ah, yes - the old, "But Southwest..." argument. Southwest is NOT typical of the airline industry. It is one airline. The majority of airlines - i.e. all the other airlines - don't follow SW's business model, sure. But, you know something? Even Southwest has been LOSING money over the last few quarters.

 

[doconeill]

No. Back in those days, fares more accurately represented what it cost per passenger for the airline to transport them. Now, sure, competition has driven down fares (except, of course, the "horror" of higher fares this year than last, and last year over the year before). But the airlines are LOSING money.

I don't quite buy this. You seem to be implying that they are selling the seats at a loss. If they did that they'd already be broke. It's like the old joke about the business that sells a product for less than it costs to make, and someone asks, "Well, how will you make a profit?", and they answer, "Volume!"

Yes, they are currently losing money NOW because they can't or refuse to cut back on unprofitable routes during the economy troubles, probably for fear of losing runway slots to other competitors that are not in as bad shape, and they can't logically price tickets on those flights based on the number of passengers...if only 10 people take the flight, they can't charge each 1/10th the cost of the flight, vs. 1/150th if the flight was full...

But if they were pricing tickets at a loss "just because that's what people will pay," we'd have no airlines.

Ironically, the airline industry seems to suffer from a form of "reverse price fixing". Instead of the airlines being able to get together and price tickets at even reasonable levels, they instead have to all price at the lowest level, which for the legacy carriers COULD be below their break-even point because of all the overhead they carry and can't shed.