I know that the price of oil is hurting everybody. Heck, I don't drive that much and it's making a dent in my wallet.
But American Airlines borders on the edge of stupidity. I take that back, they've fallen over the edge. Blaming oil prices, the morons are now charging $15 to check a bag. Not your second bag, which I could see, but your first bag. If I recall, the carry-on size for AA is pretty small, and other than a one- or two-day trip, you can't get all your necessities in a carry-on. Does the fact that I've now paid you to handle my bag guarantee me that you won't destroy it on the conveyor belt, or that my bag will be actually traveling with me to my destination?
I don't know what genius marketing person came up with this idea, but it reeks of poor customer service. Just add the $15 to the price of a ticket for Pete's sake. I already get hit with over $100 in taxes when I buy a seat, so just add it there. What, you can't compete with the other airlines that way? Hmmm, perhaps you should take a look at your business model.
I find this almost as ridiculous as US Scare (Air) charging $5 for a window seat. Why not an aisle seat? Oh, that's right, because you bump my foot with that stupid drink cart when I sit there! What are they going to do when no one buys the window seat? What are they going to do when 2 people want to sit together, but there are only 2 seats on a row? How are they going to balance the weight of the plane when everyone is in the aisle and the middle seats?
Grr. Argh!
Airlines, let me give you some free marketing advice. You suck. Other than that, charge for drinks. Don't charge $5, but a soda in a vending machine runs $1 these days. Don't even serve those ridiculous drinks on a 1-hour flight. I think everyone can survive without liquid refreshment for an hour.
Stop overbooking flights and giving vouchers to volunteers. Here's a concept. Book the number of seats that you have. Then, stop losing my bags and you won't have to pay me for my stuff.
Stop wasting gas by sitting on the tarmac for an hour while you wait to be cleared for take-off. Wait at the gate.
I think they should charge a moron tax. You know those people who can't put a stinkin' carry-on bag in the overhead wheels first instead of sideways so the rest of us have nowhere to put our bags?
I'll be using about $50 in gas to head to Williamsburg tomorrow. Looking forward to it - mostly because the weather is supposed to be rain-free for the entire weekend. I can't remember the last time we had a dry spell over a day or so. My feet were beginning to grow webs for swimming.
Everyone have a great Memorial Day weekend!
6 comments:
Hi Carmen...I stopped flying for travel about 4 years ago when all the hype of security was at its highest since 2001....going barefooted in the airport for the security check was the straw that broke the camels back!! No way. I have sanitary issues.
And yes...you said "Economy = in the crapper". So so true.
Happy Holiday to you too.
OH MY! I feel like you just wrote what I was thinking after reading the $15 bag deal. I am flying to SC in August and it would have cost me to pick my seats (just to pick them) online with airtran. I went crazy! This is insane. They could do a lot to save money, but instead they throw it on us. How about not having 3 flight attendants for an hour flight? That's a little impractical. Who the hell needs 3 of them? I don't even need 1. Ugh. And yes, I could go without a drink for an hour flight, when 5 min. after you give it to me, you come by with a trash bag because you need to clean up. Okay, I think I'm done.
We flew from Baltimore to Norfork, the flight is 1 hour if they take the scenic route. The flight attendants were handing out the snack while we were still on the ground, gave us our drinks as soon as we were in the air and came to collect the cups about 5 min later! I don't get why they bothered...we weren't allowed to get up to use the lavatortories.
I am guessing that the only folks who aren't going to have to pay for the checked bags would be the business traveler. That is sooooo silly. Are they thinking that if all the bags are in the cabin they can have fewer baggage handlers? whatever.
So far our airline of choice hasn't done anything weird like that...holding breath for it though.
I think we should all just have to travel naked. Then we wouldn't have to do through security checks and then they could charge if we wanted our clothing at the other end...
You said it right, Carmen!! it's truly getting ridiculous...and here I am about to catch a plane on Saturday, for a 45-min flight within Spain. I intend to have a small bag as carry-on, not because they are charging for the 1st bag but because I am afraid of them losing my precious belonging :)
And if I am lucky, I still have to wait very long to get it back at the airport.
Have a lovely weekend, ours is a normal one but I get to play on Monday while Mr Mar attends meetings.
Cheers!
i saw that stupid article yesterday. things are just getting super crazy these days. ugh.
have a wonderful trip!
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