US Airways trying bold experiment of breaking the last straw
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Food, Travel, Recession
Just when will fliers rebel against all the cost-cutting at the airlines? Probably never. We will just keep taking the charges in stride. If anything is going to make us stop flying, it is that costs are going up and people just don't have the money to travel as much these days.
Today's news about Northwest adding up to an $80 surcharge on flights is bad news, but has become pretty typical these days. The bigger headline may be what US Airways is trying to do, as reported by the New York Times: charge for coffee and other beverages. The hidden lead here is that the fee was originally announced June 12 and did not cause too much of a fuss, even though it marks the first time a major airline has stooped to these cost-cutting depths. It is only surfacing now because the union that represents flight attendants is complaining about it.
Even the company seems a little skeptical that they'll be able to pull it off. Officials are apparently telling flight attendants that they can be liberal in applying the new charges, meaning that if anyone complains, they can just placate them with a free drink.
I can imagine how those conversations will go:
Flight attendant: Would you like a drink? That will be $2.
Passenger: What, are you kidding?
Flight attendant: Nevermind, here it is.
And so on down the row. And just wait until one guy doesn't get the message and figures out that he paid for his lousy cup of coffee and other people got theirs for free just by asking.
What US Airways may be calculating wrong, however, is that they may not make much profit from this angle. They should negotiate now for a bigger cut of the airport concessions business, because more people will be buying drinks along with their food now -- especially since security measures still prevent people from bringing in their own beverages.
I suspect they aren't really trying to make a fast buck with this deal anyway, but rather they are trying to cut back on fuel charges by carrying fewer beverages. I was on a flight recently and asked for a little water to drink (I was very pregnant at the time and was running late and had no time to purchase or refill a water bottle on my way there). And the answer was a curt no. They didn't have drinking water aboard the aircraft. None. Not tap or bottled or anything.
So if you are worried about the next cutback, I would worry most about flush toilets.
Today's news about Northwest adding up to an $80 surcharge on flights is bad news, but has become pretty typical these days. The bigger headline may be what US Airways is trying to do, as reported by the New York Times: charge for coffee and other beverages. The hidden lead here is that the fee was originally announced June 12 and did not cause too much of a fuss, even though it marks the first time a major airline has stooped to these cost-cutting depths. It is only surfacing now because the union that represents flight attendants is complaining about it.
Even the company seems a little skeptical that they'll be able to pull it off. Officials are apparently telling flight attendants that they can be liberal in applying the new charges, meaning that if anyone complains, they can just placate them with a free drink.
I can imagine how those conversations will go:
Passenger: What, are you kidding?
Flight attendant: Nevermind, here it is.
And so on down the row. And just wait until one guy doesn't get the message and figures out that he paid for his lousy cup of coffee and other people got theirs for free just by asking.
What US Airways may be calculating wrong, however, is that they may not make much profit from this angle. They should negotiate now for a bigger cut of the airport concessions business, because more people will be buying drinks along with their food now -- especially since security measures still prevent people from bringing in their own beverages.
I suspect they aren't really trying to make a fast buck with this deal anyway, but rather they are trying to cut back on fuel charges by carrying fewer beverages. I was on a flight recently and asked for a little water to drink (I was very pregnant at the time and was running late and had no time to purchase or refill a water bottle on my way there). And the answer was a curt no. They didn't have drinking water aboard the aircraft. None. Not tap or bottled or anything.
So if you are worried about the next cutback, I would worry most about flush toilets.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
8-01-2008 @ 5:11PM
pk sebastian said...
Simple solution to this issue, For 30 days, all avoid US Air,I can assure you they will get the message, I can appreciate what the arilines are dealing with, no easy answers, but coffee / water is not on the table, and if they feel they need this bad PR, i think about ready to pull the plug, come Jan.
Reply
8-03-2008 @ 9:26PM
Jamie said...
LOL they will stop flying AA for 30 days just like they will stop buying Gas for one day!!! Aint going to happen Americans are LAZY IDIOTS.
8-02-2008 @ 8:34PM
d said...
I love these airline stories and the idiot reporters who do not have a clue as to what they are reporting.
I am a flight attendant with US AIRWAYS and everything in this story is incorrect.
First of all, US AIRWAYS changed there name from US AIR several years ago.
The company HAS NOT given us leeway in charging customers.
The charges are different prices for different beverages.
I worked a flight friday night Los Angeles to Las Vegas.....45 minute flight, 120 passengers and sold over $200.00 in beverages.
So folks this is here to stay and believe me as soon as the other airlines see US AIRWAYS profits, you all will be paying for beverages.
Lets see, $80.00 surcharge or $1.00 for a cup of coffee.......hmmmm who is stooping?
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8-03-2008 @ 9:59PM
Frequent Flier said...
Well Said!
8-04-2008 @ 9:05AM
David said...
This reply certainly sounds like it is coming from an picture perfect life sized portrait of a stooge of management, a corporation puppet, one of those gray haired people you see sculking the halls of every giant cartelle. A nameless, faceless person, without scruples. I think I speak for the many of us who are sick and tired of flight attendants like yourself defending their crumbling airlines by saying "you make me sick shut your mouth".
8-03-2008 @ 9:45PM
joy said...
First of all learn grammar, "there name" should be "their name", and you have all the high paid executives (air line personnel, oil executives, etc.), who can afford to pay for their drinks, what about the blue collar workers who like to go on vacation 1-2x's a year, we pay for our flights should we be penalized for not making enough money??? The airlines won't see the hard working Americans on flights anymore, they'll just see the money hungry slobs (exec.) flying on the company’s business expense or freq. flyer mileage . GOOD LUCK, the airline industry will be kicking themselves in the ass pretty soon!
8-04-2008 @ 9:02AM
Cleveland said...
It's simple. I am not a simpleton that will continue to pay for "whatever," without the least consideration of what it is about. I'm still angry with United Airlines for starting this not serving meals on flights mess (they did it during the time whenthey were so-called trying to avoid bankruptcy). All they had to do was to keep on being the best airline. They didn't and allowed poor leadership to take them down out of the the friendly skies. Now, they are nothig special in the air.
What else United did was to stop me from flying them. I have refused to fly with them, and will do the same with both US Airways and Northwest. United started the mess of charging for a second bag. That's fine! I'll keep flying Southwest and Delta (I realize that I am a platinum Skymiles customer, and don't have to pay for the second bag.).
I don't need United, US Airways, nor Northwest. And just for these dumb, capitalistic fund raisers, they simply don't need my money.
8-03-2008 @ 8:12PM
Judy said...
Just what we need a smart ass answer from a flight attendant. I think you could cut back costs very easily and that is get rid of non working employees!! How many times have you seen the guy drop kick a piece of luggage on to the convery belt while 2 others are standing there watching. Get rid of those 2 and the smart mouth attendant and that money would buy a lot of coffee, water, soda, even booze!! Better yet boycott all airlines for a week and gas stations too that would make a big difference.
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8-04-2008 @ 5:40AM
MATT said...
GET A LIFE I AM A FLIGHT ATTENDANT FOR USAIRWAYS AND YOU DON;T GET THE BIG PICTURE ALL YOU PASSENGERS KNOW HOW TO DO IS WINE AND WANT FREE WINE AT THAT.. TAKE A LOOK AT REALITY.
8-03-2008 @ 8:16PM
mary said...
When I go to a movie, I am charged for watching the movie, I then pay $20. for a soda and popcorn. When I buy an airline ticket ,I am paying to go from point A to point B only. Why does everyone expect a free dinner and drinks when they buy an airline ticket?? Oh ,and never have I been given a free airline ticket when I've bought dinner and drinks at a restaurant. Get my point people????
Reply
8-03-2008 @ 8:35PM
Rick said...
Mary makes a good point. I hadn't considered the drink/food charges from that perspective before, and have to say I agree. The airlines are in a tough place right now, and many of us really need and appreciate the service they perform.
8-03-2008 @ 11:05PM
rhonda said...
The issue isn't the fact that drinks and snacks are no longer free. The issue is that the airlines are taking everything away from the people that fly to try to recoup money to cover the high price of fuel. I understand that the airlines are struggling but who isn't? Look at the farmers that are putting food on the tables of every American in this nation. Does anyone have a clue how much they pay in fuel charges to plant & harvest grain? They don't get to pass that extra charge onto everyone else. It is called "giving up some of the profit". Maybe the airplines need to consider giving up some of their profit instead of trying to make their problem everyone else's problems. With all the hassle of being charged for every single little service, and then some, why does anyone want to fly anyway? The service has completely went down hill. The airlines excess charges aren't going to help them out of their high fuel problem because they are just going to keep losing business due to all the constent "new charges". They will eventually figure it all out.
8-04-2008 @ 12:51AM
ken said...
the difference is that at a theater, I can get up and use the drinking fountain or leave altogether if I am thirsty or hungry. On an airline flight, I am a prisoner until the flight arrives at the gate. I am not allowed to bring my own beverages due to security rules, so they have a moral obligation, and a legal one, to provide me with (at a bare minimum) water on their flight.
as for the flight attendant who commented earlier, get over yourself, you're nothing but a glorified cocktail waitress. Since you can't even tell the difference between "there" and "their", the idea that you are onboard for passenger safety is ludicrous, since you're obviously a mental midget. I probably know more about airline safety than you do, so stfu and get me a coke.
8-03-2008 @ 8:31PM
Sirenlis said...
US Airways/ America West held me and 150 other people against our will for 3 hours last summer on jet at the gate with no ventilation or air conditioning when it was 114 degrees outside. Though they had already loaded beverages onto the plane in preparation for takeoff, they refused to hand them out to any passengers even pregnant mothers and small children. The flight attendants said, "if we give out beverages now, there will not be any for the flight" and threatened a mother of a new baby saying that they would kick her off the plane if she asked them for a bottle of water again (she had asked once very politely). Our flight was eventually canceled due to mechanical problems and a pilot who "timed out." US Airways/ America West was unable to get us to our final destination on their airlines or any other for over a week and we had to fly into another airport forcing our family members to drive 6 hours round trip in the middle of the night to pick us up. On our return flight they were also unable to get us to our final destination due to another plane with mechanical issues. Our neighbors had to drive 2 hours round trip at midnight to get us.The airline personnell repeatedly refused to give us a copy of the contract of carriage and also refused to reimburse us for gas, rental cars or hotels and or for the cost of our plane tickets. After a lengthy letter writing campaign all we received were vouchers for less than 1/2 the cost of our tickets. When we went to try to use our vouchers we were told that we could not use them for any of our desired destinations, though US Airways was advertizing multiple flights to all of them with many open seats. I am telling everyone I know about the inhumane and illegal treatment we received and advising them to never fly this airline again. If you have experienced similar frustrations or want to help stop the airlines from abusing their power, please join and support the Coalition for Flyer's Rights www.flyersrights.com.
Reply
8-03-2008 @ 11:49PM
Jeff said...
Waaahhhh......Would you like some whine with that cheese?
8-03-2008 @ 8:39PM
kimo said...
I am also a US Airways flight flight attendant, in the other attendants defense, we take the slack for a lot of managements changes, it does ot mean that we agree and we were never in anyway asked for our opions. We are not proud to charge for drinks and for the most part passengers understand and do not complain, however we have never been advised to give away a drink to a complainer. If you want a free drink, try doing something nice for a fellow passenger (moving for a disabled passenger, moving for a family to sit together, ect.). Slamming the employees and complaining does not change the fact that airlines are hurting, just like all other companies in the transportation business and at this point we are very grateful to have a job and appreciate everyone that fly's with our airline. With that said, the article is inaccurate and was written without much research or truth.
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8-03-2008 @ 8:39PM
b said...
from another 'sassy' flight attendant ( who works for another major airline).......people/businesses want the cheapest fare regardless of the airline so don't count on anyone boycotting US Airways because they charge for drinks. it's all about the bottom line and i'm sure that was the major consideration for those of you who are complaining.
Reply
8-04-2008 @ 9:34AM
Vicki said...
I had the pleasure of flying US Arirways Friday which was the very first day this "pay for your beverage" took place. My daughter warned me hours before the flight that she heard this on the news. Obviously most of the pasengers didn't know anything about it until they were on the plane and were notified it would cost $1 for a cup of coffee, $2 for a can of pop and $7, yes I said $7 for a can of beer or a teeny bottle of alcohol. Needless to say, this didn't go over well and I spent the next half hour listening to complaint after complaint. Make your money elsewhere US Airways! This is insane.
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8-03-2008 @ 8:57PM
Badabing said...
Lots of stories like this. I read a funny blog about unruly passengers on airplanes. Go to www.thegoodfella.com and read "Wackos on a Plane"
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8-03-2008 @ 9:20PM
Donnie said...
The solution for the airlines is to stop flying every hours from some a lot of the airports. Cut down on some of the flights. Why fly 3 planes in 3 hours 1/4 full and just fly it every 3 or even every 2 hours. DUH! Then they can stop charging all this money.
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