Comments on: All we’re really asking for are fair fares

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:17:53 +0000

Contrary to Chris’ comment that online travel agencies don’t include these fees and surcharges because they don’t want to put themselves “at a competitive disadvantage”, I think there is a real opportunity here for the companies to set themselves apart by making clear the real cost of buying airline tickets. If they spun this right, they could score major points with the public as being on their side, thereby winning customer loyalty.

Imagine if one of these companies offered an interface in which you could select several options, such as the number of checked bags or whether you’d want to be served food on the flight. They would immediately become my first stop when searching for flights. If the company is worried that this will put them at a competitive disadvantage, there’s no reason it needs to: they could keep their current search mechanism in place and provide these extra options from an “advanced search” page (or they could promote it as a “full disclosure” or “actual cost” search). I would think the most difficult thing about providing such a search mechanism would be to keep up with the continually-evolving fees and to resolve how to compare airlines that do not provide the same services at all (such as if one airline provides food for free and the other doesn’t offer food at all).

By: Maria

Maria — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:49:27 +0000

The problem is, you can’t compare fare prices because you don’t know how much all the extras will cost until you get right to the very last page before you have to buy. These extra fees add up to quite a bit. We flew United cross-country in January and had 2 extra bags. The second extra bag was going to cost us $125. The guy who checked us in took pity on us and waived the fee.

Prices should be clear, transparent, and easy to compare. PERIOD.

Kelly the airline shill is ridiculous for comparing this to a restaurant meal. A restaurant is not going to add on $100-200 in extra fees at the last minute.

By: Dolores

Dolores — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:02:19 +0000

I feel the vast majority of travelers understand that airlines run a business and that business is profit oriented. I have no problem with unbundled services from which to pick and choose. I like being able to see what I’m getting and skipping things I don’t need. I do want to be able to easily see ALL the options and what they cost. I don’t want to be treated rudely as a customer when I ask a question or have a problem. I’m capable of determining what my budget can afford IF I know all the costs. Air travel is stressful. More focus on the customer would be good.

By: nadabrainiac

nadabrainiac — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:25:28 +0000

I think I finally get it. Everyone is happy with fares. Nobody is happy with fees. It’s apparently a semantics issue. I read that it would be fine if the fees were bundled into the fares, even though the fares would be higher. At least they wouldn’t be called fees. And if the fares included the cost of two 50-pound checked bags, even though you only brought one carry-on, you would be happier about that than if you paid less for the fare. At least you didn’t see the word fee anywhere.

By: Susan, Salt Lake City

Susan, Salt Lake City — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:03:50 +0000

I was offended in the original article by a quote from some worthless airline lobbyist who said “Passengers have EMBRACED the baggage fees.
I haven”t “embraced” a damn thing about the fees, the fares, the absurdity of it all. And it’s costing. I no longer make every-other week flgihts to San Diego to see my boyfriend, (have you even noticed Delta?). We drive to Vegas, the half-way point.

And I’m not lfying to the Jersey Shore for the annual family Labor Day bash. I could afford it, but I’m not willing to put a dime in the pockets of the airlines.

“Embraced?” I don’t think so.

By: Robert

Robert — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 20:22:56 +0000

Kelly wrote -
“Has anyone noticed that even after cutting jobs, reducing wages, and adding fees, the cost of doing business is still higher than their revenue in many cases.” The reason that the cost of doing business is still higher than their revenue is that airlines have cut fares and in the process, added fees. Fares on average are lower than they have ever been, and there are consequences for these low fares. 1. Airlines feel compelled to increase fee to make up for lower fares. 2. The Government gets the short end on taxes it collects that pays for our air traffic system. government collects taxes on fares, not fees. When services are bundled with the fee it is taxed. When services are unbundled it costs the Government millions that it depends on to keep our skies safe. 3. The fees are discriminatory. Because I have flown 25,000 mikes this year I get free checked luggage but you have to pay to check the same suitcase on the same flight, and you paid the same fare I did. 4. Even though you now pay to check your luggage there are no service guarantees. Try to get your money back that you paid for checked luggage if you have to wait an extra hour for them to find your bag at your destination, if it comes comes out damaged. Good luck!

By: Albert Bruton

Albert Bruton — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:25:47 +0000

I really can’t understand all this “add on” nonsense that airlines are applying. Luggage fees, booking fees, seat assignment fees, On and on it goes. Why don’t they have a conference and agree that ALL airlines will have one simple policy.
You arrive at the check in after buying a “basic fare” from whatever source and then you, and all your luggage are weighed. The “basic fare” is for up to a certain TOTAL weight. Every pound over the “basic fare allowance is then charged for.
The cost of flying is mainly determined by getting the weight of the total load off the ground and to the destination. So a person’s weight, and the weight of their belongings, should determine the price they pay to fly.
You want to save money when flying? Lose weight! Don’t bring so much stuff with you!

By: turtletrot1

turtletrot1 — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:56:13 +0000

I wish they would just have a fare inclusive and stop nickle and dimeing us! It must have cost comething for the freight of these bags before. What is so new. Also the cost of deverages like cole and water, and those peanuts were covered by the fares. Why can’t we have this again. The cost for these is in the base….C’mon, airlines, Get Real !

By: kelley

kelley — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:53:11 +0000

Christopher, what I’m saying is that a la carte is completely acceptable in virtually every aspect of our lives, so why is it such an issue with airlines? Granted it’s new, and there’s generally a lot of resistance to change, but the issue seems very overblown.

Regarding the white lie(s), I don’t really know what the associated costs of that service are, so I don’t know if they are lying or not. Could be – I just don’t have any real evidence one way or another. I know that most of the products and services I provide as a business are not intended to be charitable acts, I expect to make a profit (so I can afford a drink on my next flight). So I tend to think that most business are like that. If someone at the airline stated they were only charging enough to cover their direct, immediate, out-of-pocket expenses, I would think they were either foolish or lying.

I think a lot of the aggravation can be resolved by the point you made in the article – just make it easy to determine what you’re paying and what you’re getting. If I need to add 4 numbers together, I can do that. But it is frustrating when you need to go to multiple locations within a website to find those 4 numbers. Ryanair walks you through a very simple series of questions, and tells you the “consequences” of your answers as you go, so when you get to the bottom, it’s all tallied and displayed. (I know they’re a favorite whipping boy for the whole a la carte approach, but for a couple extra steps and only a few minutes time, I can save a couple hundred dollars on my flight, which means I’m making the equivalent of over $2000 per hour for the effort.) In the end, the .99 fare is closer to $25 or $30, but the other airlines want over $200. My last flight started at $9.99 and ended up at $42.00. Not bad for a one-way flight from Birmingham, England to Malaga, Spain.

By: kelley

kelley — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:19:46 +0000

Susan, keep in mind – the more you put in the trunk, the worse your mileage will be, and the more you will pay for gas. And mapquest won’t disclose tolls, or tell you if gas prices will increase while you’re packing, or while you’re on the road. Or that unexpected repair that would cost you $100 at home, but instead was $150 in a strange town. I’m a big fan of road trips, but I also know they cost more than most people realize, but they take the extra expense in stride. Particularly, the added maintenance, and wear and tear, as well as the reduced value of the vehicle when you sell it, because of the added miles. And I know that even on that small scale, people need to come up with the money to fund those things, one way or another.