Quote of the week:
 

"Only an airline with no pride would charge you for a cup of soda.”
– Spirit Airlines passenger, quoted by the Associated Press, on the airline's decision to charge for all checked baggage and for drinks such as coffee and soda, starting in June.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/...n2546117.shtml

Funny. Go! (AKA Mesa) is already doing that...

I will bet we will see many more airlines start charging for beverages. Just another way LCC can attempt to cut costs.

On long flights drinks should be included in the ticket price (1.5+ hrs FLT time and they should bump up the ticket price to cover) and unless in first class, you should have to pay for meals as well. On shorter flights, less than 1.5 hrs FLT time, we don't need to supply drinks. These flights tend to be cheaper and therefore discount service should be expected. Its ridicules that Joe public thinks they are entitled to free drinks and meals for the price they're currently paying.

As for the luggage, you shouldn't need more that 1 check bag unless you’re going for a month visit and who does that. $5-$10 for an additional bag is reasonable I think. Good for Spirit, I hope everyone else catches on!

I'm surprised that they haven't stopped serving them. Cutting beverage service would reduce a bunch of cost in logistics, purchasing, and labor costs not to mention the weight reduction...

Then what would the FA's do?

There one true job is safety anyway. Plus, pleasing the pilot’s works for me! :D Just joking, I don't think you'd get much of an argument for service from FA's. Especially when it comes to FLT’s less than 1.5 hrs FLT time.

Ryan Air does this in Europe already and it seems to be working out pretty well. It remains to be seen if the American consumer will go for it, or not. I recently saw an article that talked about the different impacts their fares have had. It's been sort of like the "Southwest effect" here....

Eagle already tried this in Los Angeles to try and implement it into the fleet last year. It was such a failure that it was discarded.