Originally Posted by
Wasatch Phantom
Bar,
I agree with you. Whether I'm buying a new car, or a hamburger, I want to be treated as a valued customer, and feel as though my business is appreciated.
If I go to McDonald's and ask for a cup of ice water (with my food purchase) I don't expect to be charged for it.
All of the bag fees, itinerary change fees, etc are ways to make the customer feel as though DAL views them not as a valued customer, but rather as a resource to be exploited.
When I'm left with that feeling, I typically go elsewhere next time.
90% of the industry charges bag fees so some say they'll go elsewhere but when they get there they'll realize that the other guy charges too. Fact is that we provide a service that moves people and their things. Moving their stuff costs money also and therefore we should charge for it. People always think they deserve stuff for free when it comes to the airlines and honestly it's gotten out of hand. When I buy gas at a gas station I don't expect to get a free carwash or drink to go along with the gas I just purchased. The airlines caused alot of this by allowing customers to feel they deserve freebies! You see it all the time, people get ****ed if they're delayed for weather and feel they should be entitled to upgrades, free tickets, free drinks etc.
Passengers choose the lowest ticket price and expect the world, fact is we are charging for bags now because we need to to offset cheap ticket prices.
It's a sad industry when we Lise money just to make customers "happy"