US Airways makes soda free again
Filed under: Travel
Back in August, US Airways began charging its coach passengers $2 for soda, juice and coffee. But now the company is reversing that decision and beverages will once again be complimentary.
"With US Airways being the only large network carrier to charge for drinks, we are at a disadvantage," CEO Doug Parker wrote in a memo explaining the decision to employees. "More importantly, this difference in our service has become a focal point that detracts from all of the outstanding improvements in on-time performance and baggage handling that all of us have worked so hard to achieve over the past year."
Consumers and the media love to get worked
up about stuff like this, and that's why US Airways opted to discontinue it. But long-term, I actually think a la carte pricing on everything from pillows to soft drinks is good for consumers because it generates revenue that can serve in lieu of increases in fares: And if you want a pillow or soft drink, you're still free to buy it! The more overpriced they are, the more cash they contribute to "buying down" rates on plane tickets.
US Airways decision to stop charging for beverages will be appreciated by consumers because it won't cause enough of a drop in revenue for their to be a noticeable increase in ticket prices. But rest assured: US Airways will have to make up the revenue somewhere.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
2-23-2009 @ 10:53AM
DIAMOND MAN said...
A .25 cent COKE IS NOT GOING TO HURT THEM>>>THEY WILL MAKE IT UP IN THE LUGAGE CHARGE THAT IS A RIP OFF>>>>IT PAYS FOR THE FUEL>>>GO CRY ELSEWHERE
Reply
2-24-2009 @ 12:50PM
Andrew said...
If they charge for checked bags, they should control what people try and get on board - 26" suitcases weighing 100lbs plus is NOT carry on baggage. And guess what, when the overheads are full, the bags get checked for free anyway. All this does is piss off the customers and delay flights
2-23-2009 @ 11:09AM
KG said...
Returned from LA recently on US Air on an earlier flight which normally isn't charged for the change in the old days if you agree to be on stand-by status. I was charged $50 service charge for taking the earlier flight as standy-by status is no longer in use. Is this true for other airlines as well? Probably is.
Reply
2-23-2009 @ 12:00PM
Jamie said...
Yes, this has become the norm - though depending on the carrier, some waive the charge for top-level elite members. (Even that is no longer a given, amazingly.)
2-24-2009 @ 12:48PM
Andrew said...
Delta wouldn't let me go an an earlier flight when I was at the gate with 10 minutes to spare without paying $50. There were empty seats on the earlier plane and no chance to sell them and they could have sold my seat on the later flight. Obviously, there is no IQ test to run an airline and no common sense
2-23-2009 @ 11:14AM
Jeannine Klein said...
I lost my job last year. I was desperate and had to support my children, so I searched for programs to make money online. There are lots of scams, but I finally found one that really works! I paid off $3000 of my debt in 2 months at home. I got all the information I needed for free at http://www.smcbusinesskit.com
Reply
2-23-2009 @ 11:16AM
MM said...
'A La Carte' pricing in airplanes is probably the worst idea I can think of. Try to think of it from the perspective of the business traveller - who pays on average almost 5x per ticket as does the leisure traveller (per the most recent business travel reports I've seen). When you are running from meeting to hotel to airport, flight to flight, and trying to get things done whenever possible along the way, having to try to keep track of every little $2 and $5 item does nothing more than add an extra layer of hassle to your day - it's adding insult to injury. What we need is to be able to book the flight, pay what it costs in one transaction, and not have to deal with any more surcharges after the fact. Simpler is better.
Please, please, please, airlines - put the service back in the air and price the tickets to cover the total cost. It won't change how much we fly, but it will take a lot of the negativity out of the relationship between the carriers and customers.
Reply
2-24-2009 @ 12:40PM
Niki said...
My husband was forced to fly with them since it was the only airline that flew to Albany. Thanks to 9/11 he cannot bring a drink with him. He has to buy it in the airport, and only passed the security gate. Problem is, if youre US airways youre constantly changing gates at the last minute and forcing your customers to run clear across the airport where they are treated like they put off travel till the last minute. They dont have time to buy one there. Then they have to have their carry ons checked because all the bins are full, cant find their seat because someones sitting in it. And rather than ask that person to move they ask the person with the correct ticket "Why cant they just find a seat somewhere else?" And that tried sprinter who paid more for their ticket than the next guy cant even have a drink because they dont take credit cards!!! its 2009! Who keeps cash on them?
2-24-2009 @ 3:00PM
D.C. said...
try the new business traveler (only) service at www.myinhousetravel.com They have cut the cost of our corporate travel by over 30%
2-23-2009 @ 11:28AM
John said...
....for (THEIR) to be ......
Why can't anybody spell ? And don't say it's a typo .
Reply
2-24-2009 @ 8:16AM
Ed Reints said...
Par for the course for half the country. But the attitude is that spelling is not important and texting only makes it worse
2-24-2009 @ 8:41AM
erma said...
stopp beeing Tha spellin po-lease ! Are you That anal?
2-24-2009 @ 10:00AM
cc said...
no one needs or wants spelling cops,so shut up
2-24-2009 @ 1:02PM
Greg said...
Is it spelling, or is it grammer? What's worse?
2-24-2009 @ 2:12PM
ed said...
I'm just saying..."if we don't take care of our National Language, we can't complain when it is changed to Spanish, (or something else)." Don't think it can't happen.
2-24-2009 @ 2:14PM
kissman24x said...
I noticed this right away -- and it is a big deal. If we constantly read articles with misspellings, we'd all be as dumb as the people who don't think it's a big deal.
Anyhow, I love how the rest of the airline industry who plays follow-the-leader on almost all of these fees didn't follow along as they had hoped. In the end, they looked like the worst of the nickel-and-dimers of the air carriers. Ha Ha!
2-23-2009 @ 12:03PM
Miles said...
Ok. Free until the price of petrol/fuel goes back up to 100$ a barrel. Then, back to the old tired bait and switch tactic of nickeling and diming customers to acheive the desired results. I have no love for US Airways- (though Sully helped that a wee bit) with their constant reinventing themselves- vis a vis- constant name changes, (USAir was much more amenable and streamlined-compared to this latest version) constant laying off and rehiring, ever frustrating flight changes and delays. Our poor airline industry- truly is a mess- though they'll never tell you that. Sad.
Reply
2-23-2009 @ 12:07PM
lionshmglbn said...
Avalanche # 2 brewing.....The banking system of Europe is at the edge of the abyss. A brief story by The Telegraph revealed this last week. The original was almost immediately deleted. A new version was substituted. ...You can see the original headline on Google: ....European banks may need £16.3 trillion bail-out, EC document warns ...The editors at The Telegraph had taken out the following paragraphs: European Commission officials have estimated that impaired assets may amount to 44pc of EU bank balance sheets. The Commission estimates that so-called financial instruments in the trading book total £12.3 trillion (13.7 trillion euros), equivalent to about 33pc of EU bank balance sheets. ...In addition, so-called 'available for sale instruments' worth £4trillion (4.5 trillion euros), or 11pc of balance sheets, are also added by the Commission to arrive at the headline figure of £16.3 trillion...Fortunately, web sites around the globe have posted the deleted paragraphs.
Reply
2-23-2009 @ 12:31PM
RDMBear said...
They'll make up the difference by adding pay toilets on their planes! Just swipe your credit card to go to the loo.
Reply
2-23-2009 @ 12:17PM
Glenn Nelson said...
The President of US Airways is full of crap. Lets face it kiddies, all airlines threw as much shit against the walls as they could get away with when oil was $147 a barrell. We are now off about 60% from that high, give or take a shekal. Now let's see, did gasoline come down 60% , NO but it came down 40%-remember the taxes and refinerary fees remain the same. Did airline tickets come down 60% NO, not even 40%, but they are up to their old tricks of lying to us the public.
The luggage surcharge has to go, pillows and blankets? well it does add weight, so leave them off, but go back to 2 free bags not on.
CONSUMERS have to STAND UP for ourselves, or we will be screwed in the name of PROFITS forever.
We are in a New America. Watch out or you will be nickled and dimed to death.
LETS GO US AIR-get rid of the other charges, be a leader for once and not a follower.
Reply