Comments on: Handy Table of Airline Fees http://blog.jeffreymcmanus.com/955/handy-table-of-airline-fees/ The new thing Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:54:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: chet http://blog.jeffreymcmanus.com/955/handy-table-of-airline-fees/comment-page-1/#comment-2274 chet Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:16:39 +0000 http://blog.jeffreymcmanus.com/?p=955#comment-2274 You frackin' nail it with "Anytime you can’t express the price of something in a sentence or less, there’s nearly always something predatory and possibly crooked going on." Every time I fly -- which is often -- I thank my lucky stars I live in place served well by Continental and Southwest. You frackin’ nail it with “Anytime you can’t express the price of something in a sentence or less, there’s nearly always something predatory and possibly crooked going on.” Every time I fly — which is often — I thank my lucky stars I live in place served well by Continental and Southwest.

]]> By: Ian Kennedy http://blog.jeffreymcmanus.com/955/handy-table-of-airline-fees/comment-page-1/#comment-2273 Ian Kennedy Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:39:21 +0000 http://blog.jeffreymcmanus.com/?p=955#comment-2273 They should just put slot machines into the seatback video and use the house proceeds to serve free scotch and sodas for everyone. They should just put slot machines into the seatback video and use the house proceeds to serve free scotch and sodas for everyone.

]]> By: jeffrey http://blog.jeffreymcmanus.com/955/handy-table-of-airline-fees/comment-page-1/#comment-2268 jeffrey Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:39:24 +0000 http://blog.jeffreymcmanus.com/?p=955#comment-2268 US Airways is definitely high up there on my list of airlines to avoid, particularly after they were bought by America West. I like to think that I have a pretty high tolerance for travel-related misery, but after stranding me in Las Vegas twice in two years after midnight on a weeknight, I said "never again" to them. US Airways is definitely high up there on my list of airlines to avoid, particularly after they were bought by America West. I like to think that I have a pretty high tolerance for travel-related misery, but after stranding me in Las Vegas twice in two years after midnight on a weeknight, I said “never again” to them.

]]> By: jonathan http://blog.jeffreymcmanus.com/955/handy-table-of-airline-fees/comment-page-1/#comment-2267 jonathan Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:31:56 +0000 http://blog.jeffreymcmanus.com/?p=955#comment-2267 How about US Airways charging $2 for soft drinks?! (http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/traveltools/intheair/foodandbeverages/maincabin.aspx) I flew a US Airways red-eye last week and almost went into shock when I asked for a water and they gave me a bottle and asked for $2. It is definitely a slap in the face that these things that used to be free are now being charged for and its only exacerbated by the fact that ticket prices aren't going down as a result (I'm willing to pay for shit on Southwest or Virgin America or JetBlue because I'm getting a good deal on the ticket price). One thing that also really detracts from the experience on the 'conventional' US carriers is the service, which is far from accommodating and many times adversarial. The flight attendants clearly don't want to be there and their policies have turned them into cops instead of hosts. For example, United now makes an emphatic point of announcing that Economy Plus seats cost more and those who haven't purchased one aren't entitled to switch to an Economy Plus seat even if the flight is empty -- before they closed the doors on my half-full flight Sunday, they even went as far as to instruct passengers to deplane and purchase an upgrade if they wanted to switch seats. Even though I have a shitload of United miles, I will fly Southwest, Virgin America, or JetBlue over them anytime I have the chance. How about US Airways charging $2 for soft drinks?! (http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/traveltools/intheair/foodandbeverages/maincabin.aspx) I flew a US Airways red-eye last week and almost went into shock when I asked for a water and they gave me a bottle and asked for $2. It is definitely a slap in the face that these things that used to be free are now being charged for and its only exacerbated by the fact that ticket prices aren’t going down as a result (I’m willing to pay for shit on Southwest or Virgin America or JetBlue because I’m getting a good deal on the ticket price).

One thing that also really detracts from the experience on the ‘conventional’ US carriers is the service, which is far from accommodating and many times adversarial. The flight attendants clearly don’t want to be there and their policies have turned them into cops instead of hosts. For example, United now makes an emphatic point of announcing that Economy Plus seats cost more and those who haven’t purchased one aren’t entitled to switch to an Economy Plus seat even if the flight is empty — before they closed the doors on my half-full flight Sunday, they even went as far as to instruct passengers to deplane and purchase an upgrade if they wanted to switch seats. Even though I have a shitload of United miles, I will fly Southwest, Virgin America, or JetBlue over them anytime I have the chance.

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