THE OBENSON REPORT

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Your Guide To Airline Fees!

The cartoon above says it all :o)

The good folks at The Consumerist watchdog site put together the below airline fee summaries which you might find useful, especially if you're planning on flying anytime soon. I'm not, but the specifics are eye-opening and give me much to ponder. The Consumerist looked at the fees airlines were charging and picked the top 3 most and least "fee crazy" airlines, stating appropriately, "Avoiding fees is hard, so why not try to avoid the airlines that charge them instead?"

Most "Fee Crazy" Airlines:

  1. U.S. Airways: Not only does U.S. Airways have the distinction of being the only US airline to charge for water, they were also the first to discontinue free snacks. They've also decided to do away with in-flight entertainment. So what will you think about while you're bored, hungry and thirsty? How about that $15 first checked bag fee, the $25 second checked bag fee, the $5-30$ fee to choose your favorite economy class seat, and the whopping $250 fee you paid to change your ticket. Oh, yeah, and remember when they made everyone crazy by charging a $5 fee to book a ticket... with their own website?
  2. United Airlines: United is following U.S. Airways lead with a combination of cutting amenities and introducing fees. They've done away with snacks and are selling "snack boxes." Soon, United will be raising the prices for these items and economy class passengers will be expected to pay $9 for a sandwich. While you're munching on that overpriced nonsense, you can add up the following fees: $15 to check your first bag, $25 for the second bag, and $125 for the third. Then there's the $25 you paid to book your ticket over the phone, the $125 you paid for the privilege of traveling with your pet in the cabin, and of course, the $349 per year that you pay to be able to "stretch out and relax in comfort in seats located at the front of the Economy section,".."if available."
  3. (tie) Delta Airlines & American Airlines: American was the first airline to charge for the 1st checked bag, and Delta has managed to resist that fee — but Delta's other fees are just so darn expensive that we had to call this one a tie. Ultimately, it costs more to check two bags with Delta than it does with U.S. Airways, United, or American. American currently charges $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second, and from $3-6 for snacks. Delta charges nothing for the first checked bag, but if you're thinking of checking two bags, get ready to pay $50 for the second bag, and $125 for the third bag. Ouch! Delta's snacks are complimentary, but they charge from $1-10 more for certain special items.

Least "Fee Crazy" Airlines:

  1. Southwest Airlines: Southwest is the only major airline that isn't charging a fee to check two bags, and the third checked bag will only cost you $25. There is also no fee to change your ticket. Instead, you'll get a flight credit that is good for one year. They don't charge a fee to book over the phone or in person, and they don't charge a fee for an unaccompanied minor.
  2. AirTran: AirTran has fees but they're lower than a lot of its competitors. For example, the 2nd checked bag is $10 and the third is $50. The ticket change fee is $75, and unaccompanied minors will only cost you $39, as opposed to $100 on Delta, United, etc. You will pay $6 for an advanced seat assignment and $20 to sit in an exit row.
  3. JetBlue: JetBlue keeps threatening to go over to the dark side with new charges for things that used to be free (headsets $1, blankets and pillows $7) but they still have some of the more reasonable fees in the industry. There is no charge for the first checked back, and the second bag will cost you $20. Changing your ticket will cost you $100, and expect to pay from $10-20 more for their mini-business class "extra legroom" seats. Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages are plentiful and free, however. Love those blue potato chips.
Damn - they're charging for blankets and pillows now?? Wow! I haven't flown in awhile, mostly because I hate flying, so I feel disconnected from what flying standards currently are. However, I've got some frequent flyer miles accumulated with American Airlines that I plan to use soon. But at these prices, I'm discouraged. It looks like flyers are probably best served by bringing their own food, water, headphones and bedding - or do the airlines have a "zero tolerance" policy on doing that, so that you have no choice but to spend money on their offerings? Another reason I'm discouraged is that, with all these cutbacks by the airlines, I wouldn't be surprised if they start skimping on the quality of airline staff as well - not only the flight attendants, but more importantly, the freaking pilots!!! Why not? If they can save a few extra bucks by hiring less qualified/experienced men and women to pilot your plane ride from New York to Chicago, so that they can pay them less than their veteran counterparts, why wouldn't they? These corporate suits have shown that they lack scruples. Maximizing profit is most important.

For additional reading on airline fees, The Consumerist also included a link to a PDF file put together by SmarterTravel.com, Airfarewatchdog.com, and SeatGuru.com called The Ultimate Guide To Airlines Fees. Check it out and weep (or laugh) at the carnage!

1 comments:

  1. The Wendilicious Wonder said...
     

    As someone who does fly from time to time, all I can say is: "Virgin forever!"

    My loyalty, that is.

    ;D

    The three worst fee crazy airlines also happen to be among the worst long haul airlines, so they haven't exactly lost my custom over fee charging... They lost it long before fuel was an issue!

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