Greedy airlines

[Sargent_Schultz]

Higher bag fees

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60B5N720100112

[bplazo]

You should at least be allowed one bag for no extra charge.

[dznymom]

Just another reason that my airline of choice is Southwest. I only wish they flew outside the US.

 

I was shocked by the nickle and diming ;) when I flew American to San Juan and AirTran home. We ended up paying $65 more than the quoted airfare one way and $40 the other.

[spencercoop]

$23 and $25 for the first checked bag is crazy. We thought it was bad when they were charging us $15 for the first bag. This is one of the reasons why I like southwest. You still get two free checked bags.

[Sargent_Schultz]

What you could carry-on a plane was already limited, and now some international flights to the US only allow a personal item and no carry-ons.

 

They got you and they know it.

[LHP]

We get two bags each for free....so I guess our perks just got more valuable!!

[klfrodo]

Too easy,,, fly first class.

 

Fully refundable tickets with no change fees. Free checked luggage. Impecable service. Wider seats. Priority security line. Free meals and drinks. Great codeshare partners.

 

Try that on SWA. :D

 

 

opps, had this thread stayed on the original Carnival thread, I wouldn't sound like I was just repeating myself.

Thanks Mods

[paul929207]

All businesses are trying to keep their heads above water in this economy. Like many others, they are trying to keep the listed price down, but generate more revenue. Cruise lines have cut back and added additional optional items for the same reason.

[mehitabel]

If American follows suit, I may cancel my tickets and fly JetBlue or Southwest. I knew those greedy vultures were going to do this.

 

If American not only follows suit but also limits domestic carryon luggage, I will for SURE cancel my tickets. I'm so disgusted by the major airlines.

[paul929207]

If American follows suit, I may cancel my tickets and fly JetBlue or Southwest. I knew those greedy vultures were going to do this.

 

If American not only follows suit but also limits domestic carryon luggage, I will for SURE cancel my tickets. I'm so disgusted by the major airlines.

If you are paying the big bucks for refundable tickets, why worry about a little more for baggage?

[jetwet1]

Just to play devils advocate, how greedy are they being if they are still losing money, what I mean is yes you could say they are being greedy if they were reporting record profits, but the airlines are not, this is just a move to increase revenue as the traveling public will resist any attempt to raise fares.

[Sargent_Schultz]

All businesses are trying to keep their heads above water in this economy. Like many others, they are trying to keep the listed price down, but generate more revenue. Cruise lines have cut back and added additional optional items for the same reason.

 

Airlines added luggage fees when the price of oil sky rocketed and cruise lines added a surcharge. The price of oil dropped and cruise lines removed the surcharge while the airlines continue to raise fees.

 

Cruise lines have a better business model than the legacy airlines.

 

The next time one of the major carriers goes bankrupt I hope the crooks stay bankrupt.

[hdawson]

Greedy vultures? ? ? ?

 

Have you folks not heard of the financial difficulties all the US airlines have been in for the last nine years ? ? ? ? ?

 

Have you noticed that some airlines are gone from the scene? ? ? ? ?

 

Airlines have one thing to sell; space/weight.

 

Do you realize what has happened to the cost of fuel? ? ? ? ? ?

 

I think oil prices in NYC closed today at $84 per barrel.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Just to play devils advocate, how greedy are they being if they are still losing money, what I mean is yes you could say they are being greedy if they were reporting record profits, but the airlines are not, this is just a move to increase revenue as the traveling public will resist any attempt to raise fares.

 

Not all are losing money. The legacy ones are similar to the car makers who let pension and benefit costs sky rocket and still fly inefficient planes.

 

They also liked to play the merger game and screwed that up, too.

 

Like the automakers, they have been mismanaged into losing money.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Some cruise lines are gone, too, without the benefit of a government bailout.

 

Southwest proved a long time ago the benefits of hedging fuel costs. There is no excuse.

[hdawson]

Maybe all of you will be happier if the government in DC takes over the airlines like so many other areas of our economy/life.

 

There are a few profitable domestic airlines. Very few. AirTran will likely post their ninth out of ten years of profitability on the 27th of January.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Maybe all of you will be happier if the government in DC takes over the airlines like so many other areas of our economy/life.

 

There are a few profitable domestic airlines. Very few. AirTran will likely post their ninth out of ten years of profitability on the 27th of January.

 

I don't think any of the dinosaur airlines are profitable. Complaints are up. Schedules are wishful thinking. Finally the government did step in and say you can't keep passengers as hostages on a tarmac for hours and hours.

 

Once upon a time airlines were better regulated - perhaps it is overdue. how could it be any worse?

 

The TSA morons already restrict what we can carry on and now the airlines restrict what we can check. There probably should only be one Bozo in charge. What exists today isn't working.

[6rugrats]

If American follows suit,I may cancel my tickets and fly JetBlue or Southwest. I knew those greedy vultures were going to do this.

 

If American not only follows suit but also limits domestic carryon luggage, I will for SURE cancel my tickets. I'm so disgusted by the major airlines.

 

I doubt that. If you have a domestic nonrefundable ticket, you will have to pay $150 per ticket to cancel, and receive a voucher for the remaining ticket value. If it's an international ticket, this will cost you $250 per ticket.

[Sargent_Schultz]

I doubt that. If you have a domestic nonrefundable ticket, you will have to pay $150 per ticket to cancel, and receive a voucher for the remaining ticket value. If it's an international ticket, this will cost you $250 per ticket.

 

Southwest charges nothing for luggage or for changes.

 

Luggage fee changes are likely only for tickets purchased after the effective date.

[Gardyloo]

Pesky statistics and all...

 

The average cost of air travel increased by 1.5% between the second quarter of 1995 and the second quarter of 2009. One point five percent.

 

Inflation, meanwhile, is up 41.4% over the same period.

 

http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2009/bts050_09/html/bts050_09.html - Table 6.

 

IMO they're not greedy, they're just cowards. Nobody is brave enough to raise fares to cover actual costs, for fear that someone else will cut fares to sub-break-even levels and (the perception will be) that everyone will flock like lemmings to the cheaper guy. So instead they turn to subterfuge - which only generates backlash, while Southwest keeps sticking it to pax with economic pricing - even though SW's fares are quite often considerably higher than the legacies on the same route - usually by way more than just the cost of checked bags - and people keep believing the baloney (and indeed spread the word) that "Southwest is cheaper."

 

It's all marketing - SW knows how to build a myth, the legacies are too chickenxxxx to call them out on it.

[hdawson]

Often times over the past few years, bus and rail travel has been more expensive than air. Of course not all seat classes.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Years of mismanagement on the part of legacy airlines is what has led to their demise. They have no one but themselves to blame for the mess they are in.

 

Yes, SW no longer has the cheapest base fares in all markets and they are still doing well. It doesn't matter. Passengers still like them better.

 

The lame, sorry, chicken scratch excuse one given by the legacy airlines for nickel and diming passengers is that passengers only compared base fares and would pick the cheapest one available. Once again, they were and still are clueless and passengers are not as gullible as were thought. Only the BS fees they charge now are no longer nickles and dimes and SW still thrives despite sometimes having higher base (but not total) fares.

 

The legacy airlines continue to shower their frequent travelers with absurd benefits that the casual traveler is then forced to subsidize. They need to abandon that losing venture.

 

The legacy airlines tried before to undercut SW fares and failed. They will continue to fail because their cost structures and business models have no choice but to fail.

[6rugrats]

Southwest charges nothing for luggage or for changes.

 

Luggage fee changes are likely only for tickets purchased after the effective date.

 

Not sure what you are talking about. My post was directed to mehitabel who stated they would cancel their tickets on AMERICAN if AMERICAN raised baggage fees.

 

I don't have the energy to debate all of your absurd pontifications, but will address one, though I know it's a waste of time. I am a frequent traveler on UA; last year I flew over 100,000 miles. My "absurd" benefits on UA are as folows:

 

A priority check-in line at the airport

Free baggage check and increased baggage allowance

Priority Security Line, at airports where this is available

Priority boarding

Free seating in E+

Upgrade instruments that I earn based on miles flown

More award seat availability

Free access to a Star Alliance lounge at my gateway to an international departure

Every once in a while, a Captain will send back his business card with a handwritten note, thanking me for my loyalty to his/her airline

 

Please let me know, after you've done the calculations, exactly how much you think this cost you? The frequent flyers are the ones who subsidize the people who make one flight or so a year.

 

Just saying something over and over does not make it true. Facts, not emotionality are actually appreciated by a lot of us.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Southwest flies to Seattle, you should try them sometime! :p

 

When I fly on Southwest, it costs me NOTHING to change a flight unless there is a difference in fare. On the same flight, if the price goes down, I can get a credit - no charge - it costs NOTHING. Frequent fliers are charged the same for luggage as occasional fliers - NOTHING.

 

On American Airlines last year, a flight I had to South America dropped in price by several hundred dollars. They were kind enough to keep half of the amount as a "change" fee. What a crock.

 

The only people who defend the legacy airlines are those with a vested interest in keeping them going - for perks, pensions, whatever. Good old boys. That number is steadily declining. You exposed at least one of your motives. You are dinosaurs. Business travel is not as necessary as it used to be, with other alternatives available and far cheaper. Smart businesses are figuring this out.

 

Carnival figured out that people are increasingly preferring to drive than fly and has done well by distributing a number ships to drive-in markets. Leisure flying is declining along with biz travel.

 

Airlines reducing capacity is about the only smart move they have made. They have so alienated their customers it was the only choice they had. Even once the economy fully recovers, it will be a long, long time, if ever, before airline capacity recovers.

[schwimmair]

Hi, as a pilot I thought I would chime in. I have seen our industry decimated by the economy. Many pilots, flight attendants are now furloughed but hey it's all good if you get your coke and peanuts, right!

 

To the OP, please do some research about the state of the airline industry, it should be very insightful.

 

Here is another idea if think airlines are greedy, you can always drive!

 

Thanks,

 

Schwimm