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All the Ways Airlines Suck
So everybody knows it: It’s (yet again) The Worst Summer Ever in the history of air travel. Flights are increasingly cancelled, more airlines are going under, and fees are popping up everywhere. What used to be a simple transaction (you pays your money, you gets your ticket) is now a process wherein you get repeatedly nickel-and-dimed for every little thing (Want to check a bag? Ka-ching. Want something to drink? Ka-ching.) To help make some sense of this mess, we’ve assembled a handy-dandy chart that, we hope, clearly lays out all the myriad ways various airlines are trying to screw you. Have any horror stories of extra costs and extra-cheap airlines? Post ‘em up below. — Colin Constantine
*Fares are from August 1st, 2008 to August 8th, 2008 on 8 sampled airlines. All prices were found on each carrier’s website.
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(9) Comments
I can’t say I agree with your analysis Constantine. The airlines are not trying to screw anyone — jet fuel prices are through the roof and air carriers are simply trying to stay above water.
The cost per available seat mile, a standard measure of marginal cost in the airline industry, rose almost 16% in the first quarter of 2008. This was driven largely by an almost 60% increase in jet fuel prices over the past year. And remember, this is all happening at the same time the economy as a whole is softening and consumers, especially non-business flyers, are spending a lot less money on travel.
It is easy to point the finger at airlines and accuse them of price gauging, but the fact is that most of the legacy carriers have only recently emerged from painful bankruptcies and have been operating in the red for years — this is not the sign of an industry that is screwing the customer (and if it is, the airlines are doing a really bad job of it!).
American does not charge for drinks. Yet.
They raised the price of alcohol from $5 to $6, but haven’t begun charging for soft drinks or juices.
I agree with Ted. If anything, customers are screwing the airlines. Airlines need to jack up fares fast before they are driven out of the market.
Also, Dave J raises a good point. I expect that most airlines will soon start charging for soft drinks and juice. The free beverage service we enjoy today is a relic of an era when airline fares were heavily regulated and carriers had to compete with each other on non-price terms, like quality of service and amenities.
With oil at like $130 a barrel, airlines need to wise up and start charging more for tickets, pile on the surcharges, and do whatever else they can to turn a profit. If not, expect another round of bankruptcy proceedings and yet another multi-billion dollar bailout by the taxpayers.
You all raise very valid points, however, from the standpoint of the buyer, these price increases (regardless of how they came to be) are still a burden compared to, say, last year. The airlines are certainly not trying to ’screw’ the customer, but they are compromising services, like complimentary drinks and free checked luggage, at the expense of the customer (obviously to compensate for high fuel prices).
Looking at the chart, it is intended more for future travel plans that you or I might make, acting as a sort of guideline for which airlines are charging what. Remember, the ticket prices are set from August 1st to August 8th, and I’m sure they have fluctuated since the chart was made. Also, American Airlines, along with US Airways, will be charging for non-alcoholic beverages by August 1st.
Airlines weren’t intended to run at $150/barrel, so it’s interesting to see how they adapt, and how the customer must evolve, too.
Conny, you write in your post, “we hope, clearly lays out all the myriad ways various airlines are trying to screw you.” Then in your comment, you write “The airlines are certainly not trying to ’screw’ the customer.” Hmm…
Furthermore, where does your $150/barrel come from? Planes use different fuel, fool. They also negotiate larger contracts, with hedges.
Your chart would have been more useful had it just been introduced as being a way to help people in planning their vacation, rather than prefacing it with an uneducated rant about the airlines.
McMalley,
As aforementioned, the chart is intended for future travel plans that you or I might make, acting as a sort of guideline for which airlines are charging what. The information was compiled by contacting each airline and using their websites as guides.
I hope this clears things up a bit!
“They are compromising services, like complimentary drinks and free checked luggage, at the expense of the customer (obviously to compensate for high fuel prices).”
I don’t like the spin people put on these surcharges. As I think Rohit pointed out, complimentary drinks are anachronistic and, given the massive airline deregulation in the 1980s, have outlived their usefulness.
Common sense tells us that complimentary drinks are not really free — we all pay for them with higher ticket prices. A much more efficient outcome would result from people paying for their own drinks. After all, why should I buy that guy’s soda? The soda he doesn’t want, only drank half of, but ordered anyway because it was “free.” It makes no sense!!!
This is so far from *all* the ways.
Not sure why Northwest didn’t make the site, but they are getting so ridiculous on fees, it’s almost comical.
They charge $10 for an aisle seat, and $25 for an exit row seat. Try to travel with a family of 3 and they will tell you they can’t find 3 seats together. Call to talk to an agent to get those 3 seats together and they will probably do it for you, but then they will charge another $15 per ticket to talk to a person.
NW charges $25 for the second bag, unless you’re flying First Class, or full-fare coach, or you are an Elite member or you purchased your ticket before May 1, or if it is a carseat or a stroller.
They also sell snacks on the plane for $3, but the last time I flew I got it for only $2 because they could make change for a $5.