Posted by
Chris Field on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 6:03:33 PM
The airlines in this country are driving people crazy with all the new fees, rude employees, dirty planes, whatever. The Washington Post has an
editorial today addressing this concern and the ever-increasing misery of air travel.
Skyrocketing fuel prices have pushed the financially challenged
aviation industry to come up with novel and annoying ways to shake more
change out of the pockets of cash-strapped and stressed-out passengers.
Want some water? Pay extra. Want headphones? Pay extra. Want some
peanuts? Pay extra. The latest nickel-and-diming is the announcement by
United Airlines, US Airways and American Airlines
that they will start charging fees for a first checked bag. This is on
top of hitting air travelers with higher fees for second pieces of
checked luggage. Why not look under the seat cushions for loose change?
It's a common gripe among average American travelers, but it's also a cost that must be carried by someone -- and the answer is not that the business should eat the costs. Of course they must be passed on to customers, that's how all businesses operate. But that doesn't make the net misery of air travel easier to bear -- regardless of how much sense it makes. The Post sums it up nicely:
The baggage-check fee is bound to add to the unpleasantness of air
travel. Passengers have to practically strip to get to the gate. [Not to mention awful TSA employees.] They
are crammed onto crowded planes that arrive late and don't leave on
time. They wait at the luggage carousels for bags that have been lost
or damaged. And now those travelers, desperate to get on or off a
plane, will have to stand by with diminishing patience as someone down
the aisle attempts to save $15 by stuffing a washing machine into the
overhead bin.
But the increased fees and higher prices do prompt questions in my mind. How is it that Southwest airlines has been, as far as I can tell, one of the few -- if not the only -- airlines to file for government protection in bankruptcy? They keep their prices low, their flights are on time, their employees are a joy to be around,
they refuse to surprise you with fees (see below), they still give you free drinks, they have lots of flight options, yet the seem to be doing well on the business end -- do you suppose there's any correlation here?
Here's Southwest's non-fees
from their website:
- NO 1st OR 2nd CHECKED BAG FEES
- NO CHANGE FEES
- NO FUEL SURCHARGES
- NO SNACK FEES
- NO AISLE OR WINDOW SEAT FEES
- NO CURBSIDE CHECK-IN FEES
- NO PHONE RESERVATION FEES