Charging for checked luggage and legroom isn’t enough for some carriers — starting today, coach passengers flying aboard US Airways Inc. must pay for a drink of water. This morning, US Airways began charging fliers $2 for bottled water and sodas and $1 for teas and coffees. First class members, trans-Atlantic passengers and a select group of others are exempt from the extra fees. “This is another clever way to masquerade airfare increases without increasing airfares,” says Randy Petersen, editor of Inside Flyer Magazine. “Everything has been passed along to the consumer.”
Update: Farecompare’s Rick Seaney is flying US Air this afternoon and reports on the scene:
I am now on a US Airways jet heading from Las Vegas to Dallas — but just before boarding, the gate agent made a sarcastic little speech. He wasn’t upset with us — he was upset with his airline — and he spoke in bitter tones: “It is my very special duty to inform you that today is inauguration day’ at US Airways and what we are inaugurating is our new onboard beverage policy. You now have to pay $2 for that coke, $2 for water.”
Now, nobody booed or anything but I did see surprised and startled looks on the faces of some passengers — apparently they hadn’t heard about this new fee, and looked like they couldn’t quite believe it.
Next up: In case of an emergency, oxygen masks will be provided for a $3.00 fee, in the unlikely event of a water landing, a life preserver located under your seat can be leased for……..etc.
All this talk makes me want to take my next vaction where I took my last one; at home.
I had to take a bereavement flight on American last week. I’ll be damned if I pay an extra $30 for checking baggage on my trip. No, from now on I will piss off the hotel by doing my laundry in the sink or just wearing stinky clothes back on the flight. I am with Mr. Mustard in thinking we should stop our complaining and really have a revolution.
I have never been on US Airways and definitely have no intentions of it now. Personally, I like Frontier and Southwest. If Southwest can still make a profit in this economy, the rest of the snobby airline industry should take a cue and learn.
I remember that just prior to 9-11, the industry was clamoring for more airports to be built (or old ones to be expanded), with our tax dollars of course. After 9-11, that talk silenced, as the flying frenzy cooled down. Almost immediately some carriers started going bankrupt (aren’t you glad we didn’t build those airports for them?). While other “consolidated” or merged. Then passengers started being held prisoner aboard jets, stranded in snow storms, on airport runways (rather than canceling flights the carriers knew they couldn’t fly). All the while the tax payer picks up the tap for all those TSA employees at airports, who search the luggage, before the baggage handlers do (and steal your valuables). Now, because of the increase in fuel costs, they pad the bill for everything else considered a luxury (but use to be a consideration) like a nice pillow to sleep on, or a blanket to keep from freezing from the reduced heating. Meanwhile public rail transportation still struggles to get any Fed funding to improve or maintain routes and equipment, in the US. But it’s always be a given in other industrial countries. So you have to ask this. Who made the Airlines Industries such a sacred cow, in the US?
I think this all started around the time they built the Pan Am building, towering over and behind NYC’s Grand Central Station. Kinda symbolic, I thought. Today it’s the Met Life building. Pan Am didn’t survive, but the trains did.
#31. Man, your description’s just making me hungry. I, personally, would appreciate a cabin smelling of onions and garlic. All good.
I say bring on the durian fruit. That’ll wake ’em up!
I recently took Amtrak and US Airways. Despite the fact that its a crappy airline, its still a lot better than Amtrak.
During my Amtrak travel I woke up at 4am in the morning to pitch dark…total silence, and the quiet announcement over the speaker by the crew chief that the engine had broke down and they were trying to fix it.
Republicans in congress are doing their best to kill Amtrak, and it shows. Despite this, the amtrak personnel give you the best they can with what they have. the meals are good, the service is excellent. Too bad the trains are slow, old, rickety, often barely functional and often are put into service broken. The toilets in my car didn’t even work.