Notices
Major Legacy, National, and LCC

Loathsome Fees

Old 03-14-2010, 01:50 PM
  #1  
Administrator
Thread Starter
 
vagabond's Avatar
 
Joined APC: May 2006
Position: C-172
Posts: 8,024
Default Loathsome Fees

I haven't flown in a long time so I have not experienced these fees. Maybe I should just get a webcam if I want to visit family and friends?

From Airfarewatchdog.com

SINGAPORE - Paying for extras has become routine for airline passengers but it doesn't mean they like it, with a poll showing more than half all travelers hate having to fork out to choose their seat.

The online poll of nearly 2,000 people by Web site Airfarewatchdog.com, asked respondents which airline fees they despised the most.

Paying for the privilege of picking their seat was the biggest bugbear for 52 percent of respondents, followed by paying to change flights — something which irked a third of passengers.

A minority, or 14 percent, said they didn't like paying extra for snacks while just 3 percent said they were happy to pay for any extra services.

George Hobica, president of Airfarewatchdog.com, said airlines were annoying passengers by adding to what many people consider the already high cost of air travel.

"There are certain airline services that really do involve added expense," he said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters.

"These include meals (for obvious reasons), transporting and checking bags (fuel and labor), and even to a certain degree changing your date of travel."

"But assigning a seat, which can be done online for virtually no transaction cost to the airline? It's simply a way to generate revenue and not to cover a tangible expense. I think passengers realize this and that's why they're so annoyed by it."

Hard hit by the financial crisis, many airlines across the globe, and especially in the United States, have started charging passengers for services that used to be free: check-in baggage, drinks and snacks, for example.

While this is the norm — and in a way expected — on budget airlines, travelers have expressed dismay at the fees levied by big carriers as they try and offset losses caused by the drop in travel caused by the global economic downturn.

According to Rick Seaney, chief executive of online ticketing Web site Farecompare.com, there are than a dozen different fees that airlines add onto the basic ticket price, including fees for ticket rescheduling, oversize bags and meals.

One of the more controversial charges, put in place by Southwest Airlines and United Airlines in the United States following passenger complaints, involves asking overweight passengers to buy a second seat, which can be refunded if the plane is not full.

Several major U.S. carriers, including American Airlines and Continental Airlines, have said they would continue to explore new fees and cost-cutting measures to enhance profitability while demand for air travel among business customers picks up.
vagabond is offline  
Old 03-14-2010, 02:05 PM
  #2  
Happy to be here
 
acl65pilot's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: A-320A
Posts: 18,563
Default

Well these fees are done across the board sans LUV, so they are are here to say.

I know we have been told over at Widget World that they have not seen any indication that ppl will not travel on DAL to avoid fees. These fees are going to bring in billions for each airline this year.

With the Internet lowest fare issue, a la carte pricing is the way it will go. If you want extras you pay for em or be loyal to one airline. In a roundabout way these fees will force passengers whom travel a little but not a lot to choose one airline any stick with em. Passengers in the FF programs get these fees waived after a certain mark (baggage, ticket chance etc, not food for sale)
acl65pilot is offline  
Old 03-14-2010, 04:41 PM
  #3  
veut gagner à la loterie
 
forgot to bid's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Position: Light Chop
Posts: 23,286
Default

Vagabound, Skype is a great way to go unless said person requires a hug or conference table stare down.

Air New Zealand studied their passengers, according to a recent ATW magazine article, and found out that:
  • 29% of their passengers cannot entertain themselves, they want the airline to entertain them.
  • 26% of their passengers want their own piece of the airplane and to be left alone. The are highly involved in the flight, it is on a selfish basis- it's all about them. (Frequent Flyers)
  • 18% of their passengers are very difficult to please and see the flight as no different than a bus trip.
  • 17% see the flight as a necessary part of their trip but not the trip itself, they simply want a quiet cabin.
  • 10% think the flight is as crucial to their trip experience as where they are are going, they're into the romance of travel.

Basically 61% want a seat thats comfortable and they want to go from A-B or A-B-C in peace. And of that group is the frequent flyers who make up a large majority of the income.

So, we give them the basic bus fare and if they want more we charge them.

People complain about the cost to change a ticket, but why? You kept them from selling it to someone else and now you want to change it, for free. If you want tickets you can change for free get refundable tickets.

So to me we're really like banks, people deposit money into a bank and want to write checks and move money around and pay bills online and have an easy to use website with lots and lots of security on it, they want someone to answer the phone 24/7 and tellers between 7-7, they want lots of ATMs and no cost overdrafts... and all must be free. Obviously, its not possible, especially when you deposit $500. So here come the fees and then when you take it too far here come the complaints and the Holy Congress from Mt Olypmus, a group of people who've probably never run a cash register fwiw and yet still would be fine if 2/3 of your ticket were taxes and ticket prices were capped at $200 RT, coast-to-coast.

Really there is a balance to be struck between improving the quality of the service through fees and over doing the fees. If I had a choice between $11 movie tickets plus $8 for a small coke and small popcorn versus $16 for a ticket plus coke and popcorn, believe it or not I want the $11 ticket. The coke's going to be flat and popcorn less then tasty. Let me go to dinner somewhere nice before I walk into the theatre.

But like banks, the cost to provide the product is more than the income made thanks to competition. So if prices are going to be held down then pull an Allegiant/Ryan Air and charge the cheapest tickets around for basic service and tack on the rest. And given their 90% load factors, it works.

Allegiant Fees on recent flight:
* Seats are limited. Fares are one-way and not available on all flights. Must be purchased by December 16, 2009 for travel completed by May 31, 2010. Offer not available Dec. 22-31, 2009; Jan. 1-4, 2010; Feb. 12-15, 2010; March 31, 2010 and April 1-2, 11-12 and 18, 2010. Seven-day advance purchase required. Prices do not include PFC, segment tax or Sept. 11 security fee of up to $10.60 per segment. A segment is one take-off and one landing. A convenience fee of $14 per passenger will apply when booked on allegiantair.com. A convenience fee of $14 per passenger, plus $10 per segment, will apply when purchased through Allegiant Air call centers. Purchases made at any Allegiant Air Airport Ticket Office will not incur a convenience or call-center fee. When purchased at the time of booking, a first checked bag fee of $15-$20 per bag and second checked bag fee of $25 will apply per person, per segment. If purchased at flight check-in, a fee of $35 per checked bag, per person, per segment will apply for the first two bags checked. Additional higher fees will apply for three or more checked bags. Fare rules, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice. Restrictions apply.

Ryan Air: (I'm converting lbs to dollars in my head, fwiw, be nice)
online check-in -$7.50, mastercard prepaid debit card - free, Administration Fee - Per passenger/ Per One Way Flight This fee relates to costs associated with Ryanair's booking system and processing payments - $7.50, Priority Boarding Fee* - Per passenger/ Per One Way Flight $6, Infant Fee - Per Infant/Per One Way flight (must be under 2 years for both outbound and return flight) - $30, Checked Baggage Fees* - (Each passenger is permitted to check-in up to 2 bags with a maximum weight of 15kg per bag) - $22/first bag and $50+ for second bag, Infant Equipment* (car/booster/travel cot) Fee charged per Item/ Per One Way Flight (1 pushchair carried free of charge). A maximum weight of 20kg per item - $15, Sports Equipment* Fee charged per Item/ Per One Way Flight A maximum weight of 20kg per item- $60, Musical Instrument* Fee charged per Item/ Per One Way Flight A maximum weight of 20kg per item - $60, flight change fees per passenger/per one way flight $38, name change fee per passenger $150.

God help you if you're flying on Ryan Air with an infant it looks like.
forgot to bid is offline  
Old 03-15-2010, 02:01 PM
  #4  
Banned
 
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Position: The Beginnings
Posts: 1,317
Default

Originally Posted by acl65pilot View Post
Well these fees are done across the board sans LUV, so they are are here to say.
Just like everyone "knows" they don't charge fees. This is also a falsehood, and has been for some time. They don't charge for bags, but their ticket structure certainly has "fees". 3-tier system "business select", "anytime", and "Wanna Get Away".

The "Business Select" ticket price includes "priority seating", i.e. head of the stampede. This is a fee for better seating in all but name.

Marketing genius, I tells ya.
deltabound is offline  
Old 03-15-2010, 02:02 PM
  #5  
I love my job!
 
Boneman's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: B757 Capt
Posts: 276
Default

Continental announced today that they are going to start charging for coach meals.
Boneman is offline  
Old 03-16-2010, 04:05 AM
  #6  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Posts: 19,224
Default

Its never been cheaper to fly on a cost adjusted basis then today. Airline transportation is now one of the last great bargins even with the fees. Take the taxes out of the airfare and your cab to and from the airport might be more then your airline ticket. The only thing that would please many people would be to fly free.
sailingfun is offline  
Old 03-16-2010, 04:13 AM
  #7  
Happy to be here
 
acl65pilot's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: A-320A
Posts: 18,563
Default

Originally Posted by sailingfun View Post
Its never been cheaper to fly on a cost adjusted basis then today. Airline transportation is now one of the last great bargins even with the fees. Take the taxes out of the airfare and your cab to and from the airport might be more then your airline ticket. The only thing that would please many people would be to fly free.
That is Michael O'Leary's thought. Make ppl pay for the add ons but the flight itself is free.

Michael O'Leary (Ryanair) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
acl65pilot is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
FDX aviator
Cargo
24
01-15-2010 08:55 PM
vagabond
Major
11
12-15-2009 10:10 AM
FlyJSH
Major
14
10-25-2009 08:13 PM
John Pennekamp
Regional
175
01-18-2009 12:31 PM
vagabond
Major
15
10-12-2008 12:07 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Your Privacy Choices