US Airways is joining other major carriers in charging additional fees for checked baggage, turning an already tense boarding process into a Darwinian death match for scarce overhead luggage resources. And…
The Tempe, Ariz.-based carrier also said it would cut domestic flights, shrink the size of its fleet, slash 1,700 jobs and add a $2 fee for nonalcoholic drinks during flights.
So let me get this right… we’re already prohibited from carrying beverages through security due to some bullshit, Bush scare tactic, and now the airlines want to charge us table-service prices for a fucking can of seltzer? As if flying at 30,000 feet isn’t dehydrating enough?
Better carry a shitload of quarters with you the next time you fly folks, just in case the plane loses cabin pressure and you have to feed the goddamn coin slot on the oxygen mask.
For those of you too young to remember, flying wasn’t always such a miserable experience. There was a time when airlines treated passengers as more than just those things they pack into the space above the cargo hold. There was a time when airlines focused on service, and treated even us plebs crammed into coach like paying customers, instead of just an inconvenience.
There was a time when flying from Florida to Seattle, if I missed a connecting flight in Houston due to “thunderstorms in Boston” or some bullshit excuse like that, they’d reticket me on the next available flight, even on a competing airline, instead of just shrugging their shoulders and leaving me and a small child to fend for ourselves in an airport for 24 hours or longer.
That’s because there was a time when airlines were in the business of actually moving passengers and their luggage to their final destination. You know… back before deregulation.
I’m not saying consumers didn’t benefit from deregulation; ticket prices dropped dramatically due to increased competition—hell, at under $300 round trip coast to coast, I don’t think I paid a profitable fare for years—but holy crap, enough is enough already!
Perhaps it’s time to consider a little reregulation, to stabilize the industry and bring a modicum of service and reliability back into the flying experience. Perhaps consumers might benefit if the fare didn’t routinely fluctuate between $749 and $404 and back again, depending on which minute you logged into Expedia? Perhaps something other than “the free market” is necessary to fix an industry that has collectively lost $15 billion since deregulation?
Because if the airlines are so willing to cut corners above deck, where the paying customers can see it, I’m damn frightened to learn what they’re cutting behind the scenes.
they now pay 40% of their costs for fuel.
regulation aint’ gonna change that.
fewer, more crowded flights + pricing luggage = less carbon footprint.
When you think about it, this tactic is kinda brilliant! Drive down the price until people become dependent on it, then jack up the rates on everything possible and squeeze them.
Of course, it would be even MORE brilliant if the airlines were making any money. Which they’re not. The only reason why they’re still in business is because the government keeps them afloat, which kinda shatters that “free market” concept…
If you travel much on airlines in Asia, you see a very significant difference in the level of service. JAL and ANA (Japan), Singapore Airlines, and others, offer a considerably better flying experience than on an American-flag carrier. Their fares are about 20% higher for equivilent routes.
The only disadvantage is that if you are flying economy class across the Pacific on a 12 hour flight, the seat backs on many asian airlines are sometimes a bit too short for tall Americans – we don’t have anywhere to rest our heads. If you can manage a super-economy or a business-class upgrade, it’s fine – their business class exceeds first class on many U.S. carriers.
For most Japanese who know the difference, they will almost always choose JAL or ANA to fly to the U.S., over United or Northwest, if there is space available and the routing works for them.
Note that a national business writer recently dubbed United The Worst Airline – Ever. Which is a shame, considering that I like flying United’s 777 fleet overseas.
U.S. airlines were finally getting back to profitability, after years of scraping by in fare wars with discount carriers, when 9/11 put everyone in the cellar. Lots of airplanes got parked in the desert, unused, and orders for new aircraft from Boeing or Airbus were cancelled or delayed.
In the meantime, Asian carriers had their own problems with the SARS outbreak. But they recovered from that in less than a year. The U.S. carriers didn’t – in part becuase the Iraq war kept the possibility of terrorism against U.S. airlines in the news and in the minds of potential flyers.
So over the past decade, U.S. carriers have sat on the sidelines, flying airplanes which are getting older with every landing cycle, while foreign carriers have been replacing their aircraft with newer and more fue-efficient aircraft. If you have a chance to see the flight-line at the Boeing facilities adjacent to Paine Field, you will see a couple-dozen wide-body aircraft painted in the livery of foreign carriers in final stages of testing and delivery, but nary a domestic carrier anywhere in sight.
Now U.S. carriers are flying at almost full capacity on every flight. The problem seems to be over for them, right? Not exactly. Most carriers have to fly at 88% + of capacity to make a profit. And those figures are from BEFORE this past year’s oil price spike. Right now, U.S. airlines are bleading red ink as if a jugular had been cut open.
Over the past two weeks, three U.S. carriers have announced that they are going to park even more aircraft in the desert. They are doing this because they can’t operate these older, less fuel-efficient aircraft at a profit. They would rather not sell the seats than continue to sell them at a loss.
About a decade ago, the President of American Airlines once famously complained: “If we could sell passengers space sitting on a wing during a flight, there would be some who would take it if they could save a couple of bucks”. But the airlines themselves have contributed to the problem with nearly incomprehensible fare structures, “gotcha” fees, and other things which contribute to the difficulties in travelling by air.
God you’re a whiney idiot Goldy. “Regulations” are only going to add to an already high overhead for the airlines, and hence massive increases ticket prices. If you don’t like it, don’t fly; but this is simple economics 101. Typpical liberal BS; legislate and regulate every little fucking thing.
“The government that governs least, governs best.”
And before your next 100 spewings Rodent: Talk to the hand.
Goldy, I am kind of the opposite opinion here. I fly almost exclusively Southwest. I could give a flying rip about the extra perks. Just get me from here to there, and make it as cheap as possible. I don’t have to be coddled like I’m Howard Hughes’ personal fluffer or something.
Strict minimalism and utilitarianism. That’s where it is at.
You say “there was a time”. Yeah there was a time when, fuel was a lot cheaper, 90% of the population didn’t fly, and most people didn’t try to haul massive containers of useless junk back and forth across the country.
You want service and a good time travel experience take a cruise liner over the ocean and enjoy yourself and the company along the way. Planes are here to get me from point A to point B, and I don’t need regulation to make sure the steward(ess) offers me an extra bag of peanuts or a soda.
But your last point about cuts behind the scenes. Yes that is well taken. Start by paying the mechanics, airline pilots and harried air traffic controllers more money.
Even at $4+ per gallon, I’d still rather drive than fly. All it requires is proper time budgeting and lots of patience. Satellite radio really helps. Flying Southwest ain’t bad, it’s the only airline I’d really consider, but there aren’t that many corners left to cut.
Mark @ 5: Regulation can be good OR bad, or a combination of the two. It might increase prices, it might actually decrease prices (more certainty and a more level playing field helps long-term planning). It depends on how it’s done, and under what circumstances.
Quite a few smaller cities have found their air fares have gone up since deregulation, as they only have one carrier serving the town. For example, the last time I flew from Seattle to Chattanooga, it cost me more to fly from Atlanta to Chattanooga than it did to fly from Seattle to Atlanta. And my whole fare cost more (including the Seattle to Atlanta portion), because I had to book through the only airline which was serving Chattanooga at the time.
So if de-regulation, fare wars, and fuel costs result in enough carriers going out of business so that only two conglomerates survive, what do you think that will do for air fares in the long term? Or if air fare wars keep prices so low that domestic airlines can’t invest in new equipment, so that they eventually can’t compete for international traffic and lose that part of the business to foreign carriers (who have at least some regulation structure still intact?) What if increased calls for “open skies” force U.S. airlines to compete with foreign competitors on purely domestic routes?
Complicated busines structures create complicated problems, sometimes requiring complicated solutions. A knee-jerk ideological response, whether for or against any regulation in general, isn’t always appropriate.
(Note: I assume everyone understands that we are talking about the type of regulation which used to be done by the Civil Aeronautics Board, which included regulation of fares and routes. De-regulation of those functions started in the Carter years, but were abolished entirely during the Reagan administration. We are not discussing FAA safety regulations, which are still in place.)
FYI…while you can’t bring any significant liquid through ‘security’, you CAN buy any water/pop/etc on the other side of security at any of the many little shops and still carry that onto the plane (as I do)…much as I appreciate the airlines little urine sample sized cups of orange juice or Coke they offer (now for $2).
All of this nonsense is why for regional trips (say between NY and DC, or Seattle and Vancouver) I just take the train…relaxing, scenic and just about the same time once you consider the airport security, pre-arrival times, getting from the airports to ‘downtown’, etc…almost always cheaper.
8 Although there’s indeed a difference between regulation of fares and routes and FAA safety regs, eliminating the former has served to push the limits of the latter. It’s evident that absent any coordinating authority, the carriers have proceeded to eat each other alive. Now as they’re all bleeding, you can bet your britches that they’re all poring over the FAA regs looking for corners they can cut and get away with it. It’s obvious they’re beating the crap out of aging equipment as they push out senior cockpit crew and probably senior mechanics as well.
@1 I recall reading it’s closer to 60%.
The American public has been spoiled on cheap airfares. These were achieved by cramming seats closer together, eliminating in-flight meals, overbooking to assure full airplanes, and service degradations. The tradeoff was higher passenger frustration in exchange for cheaper travel. You get what you pay for.
All the airlines are now losing money hand-over-fist because of soaring fuel prices. Something’s gotta give. It costs you more to drive anywhere because of fuel costs, and you should expect to pay more to fly, too. Either they raise fares, or tack on fees and surcharges, but one way or another they have to either get more money from the customers of quit flying.
Typpical liberal BS; legislate and regulate every little fucking thing.
Whereas typical conservative BS is that the market is the answer to everything…
Here’s a question for y’all:
If there was an airline that offered adequate legroom on a seat that wasn’t about to cave in, served you an in-flight meal and allowed you to check two pieces of luggage, and got you there more or less on time, on a clean and well-maintained aircraft with a competent, courteous crew, but charged twice as much for a ticket, would they get your business?
Here’s another question for y’all:
How bad does it have to get before you just say the hell with it and stay home?
10: The biggest problem with maintenance has been that the airlines have been outsourcing in order to save labor costs. But the maintenance firms have been out-bidding each other, then trying to find ways to make it up after the fact – by skimping on the maintenance, hiring new people instead of experienced mechanics, etc.
A lot of serious maintenance work (“C” checks) and interior modifications for international airlines is going on in Xiamen, China, where they do the work for half the cost in the home countries. But the cost difference is due in part to the Chinese government subsidies. They are trying to build their own commerical aircraft industry, and they are using this to gain technical expertise. Within ten years the Chinese expect to be offering for sale at least one single-aisle commerical aircraft and another wide-body aircraft.
Art & 14: There are some all-business class airlines trying to compete in that market. I think one U.S. and another British-based one closed down within the past month. The problem was that it was too susceptable to economic downturns, as it depended mostly on business travelers.
Amtrak has started raising fares to deal with fuel costs, and I presume Greyhound is doing the same thing.
“Because if the airlines are so willing to cut corners above deck, where the paying customers can see it, I’m damn frightened to learn what they’re cutting behind the scenes.”
Well, for one thing, rifling your baggage is now a major profit center for the gang members they hired to load and unload your bags.
Why does it cost so much to fly?
Why does it cost so much to drive?
C’mon RUPERT where’s that fucking “better than any tax cut” $20 a barrel of oil because of the fucking Iraq War?
Guess the Republicans stuck the biggest TAX HIKE in world history on us the the USEFUL fucking IDOTS on the right still slobber themselves at the prospect of voting for more Republicans.
Fucking morons.
“The government that governs least, governs best.”
Do you even know what this means?
I predict that within ten years the age of mass air travel will come to an end. If you’ve got any airline stock, sell it now.
ArtFart @14: Isn’t that called first class? Except for the well-maintained plane part. Whenever I can afford it, I do fly first class.
I know Southwest is cheaper, but I’ve refused to fly on their planes since I last flew 4 years ago. They made us stand in a line for hours.
When my feet got tired, I noticed a chair that opened up four feet from where I was standing with the rest of the herd, so I sat down (I left my carry-on in the line). Then, when they opened the door to let us on the plane, the rest of the line wouldn’t let me get back in: said I was trying to cut and that you couldn’t get back in line once you left. At that point, I decided there was a limit I would no longer cross for the lo-cost fare.
(Note: I flew first class to Hawaii and loved every minute of it. I got mildly trashed on free Chardonnay and still won the Halfway to Hawaii contest by calculating the midpoint of our travel within two minutes. God, I love first class).