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132 Comments
- ChzPlz, on 05/30/2008, -2/+46Normally I don't like it when a digg link points to a blog pointing to the real article. However - if the blog article summaries one of Forbes excruciatingly annoying slideshows into a single page, I'll digg it. Plus, I like consumerist. :)
- mrinsanity, on 05/30/2008, -1/+39Sounds like Verizon would fit in well if they decided to start an airline.
- Groggie, on 05/30/2008, -2/+35Don't worry, the price of all the ***** you have to go to just to physically get on the plane (metal detectors, shoes, bag searches, random screenings, etc.) is still free.
- chicoer2001, on 05/30/2008, -1/+32I'm surprised they're not charging you to use the airplane bathroom.
- Pottypotsworth, on 05/30/2008, -3/+33They missed the charge for bringing your own lunch onto the plane - crazy!
- KaivenTor, on 05/30/2008, -1/+29*Wonders when the airlines will start paying customers for losing their baggage*
- drmangrum, on 05/30/2008, -1/+28All fees are annoying. It should cost X amount per passenger. Period. The plane, the flight attendant, and the pilot couldn't care less if i booked my flight 6 months ago or that morning. Why is it so difficult to offer a simple pricing model. It's a glorified bus, it shouldn't be that difficult.
- inactive, on 05/30/2008, -3/+29I hate airlines with a passion. All of them. Especially Canadian and American airlines. I've had cheap flights in half century old planes in south america that were more enjoyable than domestic flights from Montreal to Vancouver or to NYC.
Cargo propeller planes with wooden seats, still more enjoyable. - JD52, on 05/30/2008, -2/+27You missed United's "upgraded economy" seats. They added another 4 inches of leg room on half the plane and decided to charge another $30 for those seats. Biggest crock of ***** I've ever seen.
- MendedSlinky, on 05/30/2008, -1/+21That's because the airlines always overbook flights.
- diggstown, on 05/30/2008, -0/+15It would have to be operational for them to charge you.
- Tenlow, on 05/30/2008, -0/+14No, that's now called the september 11th security fee or airport facility charge or any other number of fees we're already paying.
- diggstown, on 05/30/2008, -1/+15Brutal?
Don't you mean "Bogus Dude!" - lead2thehead, on 05/30/2008, -2/+15Let's not forget the $5 headphone rental fee.
- inactive, on 05/30/2008, -1/+13What the *****? No mention of the 9/11 tax, or whatever they're calling it now?
Talk about a ***** fee. - inactive, on 05/30/2008, -8/+18Of course you'd better just take it and not complain or the ticket agent will just call security and you'll get taken to a locked room to be "talked to" by some nice men.
How about this airlines? Make the flights more comfortable, improve customer service and quit being reactionary ***** and more people might be flying. - Ugoff, on 05/30/2008, -0/+9More like the bailout doomsday clock.
- ZutroyZuuts, on 05/30/2008, -3/+12I went to Europe recently and the taxes and fees literally doubled the advertised fare price. No explanation was given as to what the extra money was required for.
At last I know. - Shaman760, on 05/30/2008, -3/+12That's OK. I live in San Diego and routinely call the FAA when I hear a plane flying at unauthorized hours. They get fined for noise violations somewhere around $1000.
- ironhide, on 05/30/2008, -3/+12Sheesh, what's with all the digg downs for valid comments? AA employee with too much time on their hands?
- nightwing2000, on 05/30/2008, -1/+9What bothers me is that - in Canada - the airlines can advertise a ridiculously low price, then pile on the extras and call the "extra".
A bag charge I can get away from with a carry-on (yeah right! Does this mean if there's no room in the overhead bins they will check it at the gate for free?) Ditto for the lunch, the change fee, the headphones.
But if you can't fly without paying the customs tax or the airport improvement fee, then it's part of the ticket. If they MUST charge it to every customer, it's part of the ticket. There's no such thing as a fuel charge - it's just a ticket that costs more than advertised. This is especially a sore point - it's easy to argue "airport improvement fees go directly to them, not the airline" but fuel charges go to the airline. - LacY, on 05/30/2008, -1/+9Actually, I feel like it's odd that there aren't cheap "last minute deals" like there are at hotels. I mean, it costs them *minimally* more fuel to add one person (compared to the waste of money of flying a half-empty plane), so you'd think that the day before the flight, tickets would be much cheaper. Instead, they're usually absolutely insanely priced. These days it ends up being a craps shoot--you check the flight prices one minute, then check back an hour later and they're $200 more.
- debaere, on 05/30/2008, -2/+10I can understand that things are getting expensive, and the price of fuel is skyrocketting. Tickets get more expensive, check.
What I don't understand is where the airline marketing department is. Instead of adding extra fees for some of these things, why not add them to the standard fare, and then offer discounts.
i.e. for a $400 ticket, raise the price to $450, then when the ticket is sold:
Don't need paper tickets? discount of $15!
Not checking your bag? Discount of $25!
Booked online? Discount $10!
End price is the same $400, but now as a customer I feel like I got a deal, not getting screwed. - Snakedal337, on 05/30/2008, -0/+7Hey thanks for that! Maybe they could start an "After Hours" tax to cover their expenses on that too.
I could see em doing it - Butros, on 05/30/2008, -0/+7Don't forget the 9/11 security fee. You pay for the privilege of having to take off your shoes and belt every time you go to the airport. But hey no terrorist attacks since 9/11, it must be working right???
- inactive, on 05/30/2008, -0/+7Then don't check a bag. The "No Checked Bag" fee is only $14.99 so you can save a penny.
- cplusplus, on 05/30/2008, -2/+8Maybe they should charge more for fat people.
- inactive, on 05/30/2008, -0/+6Greyhound, we'll get you there, eventually, most likely hours after what you were going to is over. And we'll kick your baggages to get them in the compartments.
- ChzPlz, on 05/30/2008, -0/+6Isn't it all made better by the 50+ year old battle axe stewardesses on Air Canada who begrudgingly give you a thimble of water, while counting the days to retirement?
- palanthos, on 05/30/2008, -0/+6I'm waiting for the day when they eliminate the bathrooms to add more seats, and then charge you for a bag to piss in.
It's coming. - pbgswd, on 05/30/2008, -1/+7Air Canada was truly mean and spiteful, and can punish you for next to nothing, and treat you like you dont exist.
- Ksurfiws, on 05/30/2008, -4/+9Surfboards run $50 - $100 depending on the airline
Regardless of wether you check a bag of not - Brutal! - noahhoward, on 05/30/2008, -0/+5Let me just pull my car onto that bridge to the UK... oh... wait.
- diggstown, on 05/30/2008, -3/+8American Airlines business is toast. Start the bankruptcy doomsday clock now.
- ModernChem, on 05/30/2008, -0/+5but they are very high quality
- mrswirl, on 05/30/2008, -0/+5snowboard != surfboard
Airlines have never charged for skis and snowboards (or golf clubs). - dpuu, on 05/30/2008, -2/+7A naive search in the internet for lowest fares will find the flights with the lowest ticket price. The extra fees are then basically a bait and switch.
- minorthreat, on 05/30/2008, -2/+7I used my 25,000 miles for a free flight out to Breckenridge this February. I actually didn't have to pay a penny and that included my snowboard.
- BESTenemy, on 05/30/2008, -2/+7To keep in mind, the airlines are no more evil than any business trying to absorb the rising cost of energy. This is exactly what happens - the cost is passed onto the consumer. Same with corporate taxation etc. When you tax the rich, all they do is pass the cost onto you and you feel the pain just as if you were taxed directly. They come up with BS excuses. Airlines come up with "fees". We feel outraged, but that is how every business functions nowdays. They lower the upfront cost to lure you in only to compensate for the rest later. Printers and ink, cell phones and calling plans, digital projectors and replacement lamps etc. Every single business is doing this.
- itspuddingtime, on 05/30/2008, -3/+8you must be short or something. I would consider paying $30 for 4 inches, depending on the length of the flight.
- Lugano, on 05/30/2008, -1/+6#5: I thought these curbside check in places were run by 3rd parties, not the airlines? And $10 including tip isn't that bad anyway.
I recently paid $180 round trip from D.C. to FL on Southwest and everything was on time. I personally don't think that's too shabby. - FairDinkumMate, on 05/30/2008, -0/+4Australia is about to pass a law aimed directly at this - not just airlines, but ALL businesses(car dealers & their 'dealer delivery charge' springs to mind).
Basically the law says that advertised prices MUST include ALL compulsory charges. So you can't advertise a flight price + fuel surcharge, you have to advertise the total price. This is great for the consumer because the fuel surcharge varies by airline so you will now be able to easily compare prices! - ExRe, on 05/30/2008, -2/+6The taxes & fees are just plain BS to begin with. A roundtrip flight from CHI (Chicago) to LHR (London) is about $600 for the ticket, $400 for taxes & fees. $600 for the ticket itself it almost too expensive.
- sandiegodude, on 05/30/2008, -4/+86. Traveling with a Child or a Pet: $10-$100 and up
"Delta recently doubled its [unaccompanied minor] rate to $100 and Continental upped its charge to $75 on direct flights and $100 on trips with connections."
I just flew from Newark to San Diego yesterday and the couple seated behind me had 2 twin boys around 2 years old and a (maybe) 4 year old little girl.
I hope those ***** got charged 500 bucks for lugging their damn kids along. Little bastards screamed and cried and whined and kicked chairs and ***** themselves constantly. I really feel sorry for the lady who had to sit next to them, as she was in the aisle and was constantly having to get up to allow 1 little rugrat or another out to have their crap cleaned up or give them "leg stretch time" in the aisle while they ran up and down pestering everybody.
The best part? About an hour before we landed, the parents ran out of diapers, and of course one of the little monsters ***** himself and stank up the entire cabin for the remainder of the flight... Oh and of course, all 3 of them passed out about 10 minutes before landing. Go figure. - inactive, on 05/30/2008, -0/+4Most airlines let you keep the $1 headphone you paid $5 for.
- FairDinkumMate, on 05/30/2008, -0/+4I don't have a problem with "unbundling" per se.
But please explain to me how you can fly on a plane without needing:
* Fuel - surcharge
* Airports(take off & landing) - surcharge
* Airport 'improvement' - surcharge
So "unbundling" is fine except when the airlines separate items that are COMPULSORY!
Australia is about to pass an 'inclusive pricing' law that basically makes it illegal to advertise a price for any item (such as a flight, hotel, new car) that doesn't include ALL compulsory costs. It will make it much easier to compare prices across companies.
That said, I live in Brazil & it's ridiculous. Almost everything you buy you can pay for in installments(even a bottle of wine at the supermarket!) & so the big sticker price is never the actual price but one of the installments. eg. You see a bottle of wine with a big sticker that says R$10 but when you look closer it says in small print underneath 'x 3 months'! - dpuu, on 05/30/2008, -1/+5IMO, the 1st-checked-baggage fee is probably the worst, because it encourages people to maximize their carry-on, which has a negative impact on other passengers.
Fuel surcharge is bad because it's not optional: I can't ask the pilot to use less fuel. He/she could fly slower to save fuel, but that's not something that an individual passenger can decide.
The airport-improvement fee is similarly non-optional, but there's some justification for the airline making that explicit given that it's not under their control. - mahdaeng, on 05/30/2008, -0/+4Shhhh!!! Don't give them any ideas!
- BigPapi, on 05/30/2008, -0/+3Everytime I fly into DC from Boston for work it costs almost $1000 on US Air. For $1000 i shouldn't have to pay anything extra on a 75 minute flight. No change fee, no extra baggage fee, nothing. But naturally they still charge it anyways. If I want to bump my flight up an extra hour early, it costs $150 change fee, plus the difference in the price of the ticket. So sometimes it can balloon up to $1300. It's ***** crazy.
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