Airlines are going to regret...

S

skipro3

Recycles dryer sheets
Joined
Sep 23, 2011
Messages
161
Location
Placerville
their latest ploy to milk more from wallets. NBC news reports airlines are charging more for aisle and window seats, leaving the middle seat for the regular fare. A family traveling who wants to sit together will have to pay more.
Well....
maybe not.

If this would have been in effect when I was a parent with young kids any ways. Imagine; a flight from New Zealand to California , a 12+ hour flight, with Mom, Dad, a 7 ,5 and a 3 year old. Now, imagine NOT sitting with the little cherubs. Kids in aisle 20, 21, 22 and mom/dad in 2 and 3. Let the guys who paid extra for the aisle and window seats in 20, 21 and 22 deal with a 5,7 and 3 year old in the middle seat for the next 20 hours. Heck, for the extra money, spend it on a first class ticket and let the buggers ride back in coach. Ha!!

My son and his family live in NZ. I imagine their next visit is going to be pretty interesting, if Air New Zealand adopts this policy.
 
Apparently the airlines have given up on creating any loyalty from the flying public. Any scheme to make a few extra bucks, no matter the hassle or expense to passengers and they will jump on it with both feet. I fully support their right to do so as I am for free markets. Still, it seems short sighted and will only further turn folks against the airlines. We'll fly their d*** airplanes - but only if we have to. Personally, doing some serious mainland travel this year. Don't plan to get closer to an airplane then 30,000 feet or more between now and the time I'm forced to fly home.

Already, I 1) travel with carry-on only 2) use an internet booking agent OTHER than the airline's sight (though I check them just in case) 3) bring my own food. At some point, you'd think the airlines would figure out they've honked us off and would start working on getting back some loyalty. Wait until the next slow-down. THEN watch for a roll-back of all these silly "extras" in an effort to get folks to fly again. Trust me, only if there is no other choice! YMMV
 
Well, to be fair to the airline (which I am not most of the time)...

They did report that the seats are reserved for frequent fliers and people who are willing to pay more... except for the back few rows... IOW, you can get seats together, but not up front...

They also said that closer to the time of flight, the seats are released and you might be able to snag one...

And last, they had a guy from an airline that said they usually ask someone to move and they do most of the time...

I have moved before, but from one aisle to another.... I did refuse to move from an aisle to a middle so two adults could sit next to each other....
 
Last edited:
ziggy29 said:
They continue to find ways to make me more and more determined to never fly again unless I really *have* to.
Click to expand...

Me too. Only for the over water trips and journeys that are too long to reasonably be taken by road.
 
FYI - for those that have children and fly United will no longer have the ability to board early:

Parental alert: United drops early boarding for children | Reno Gazette-Journal | rgj.com

I'll agree that flying is a pain (at least for those of us in "cattlecar seating"), but until they build a bridge to Europe, the far east, and even Hawaii, it's somthing you have to put up with.

IMHO, the only advantage is that looking at the percentage of a total trip/vacation hours, it's very little. Heck, I'm trying to look on the bright side :LOL: ...
 
Last edited:
Koolau said:
Apparently the airlines have given up on creating any loyalty from the flying public. Any scheme to make a few extra bucks, no matter the hassle or expense to passengers and they will jump on it with both feet. I fully support their right to do so as I am for free markets. Still, it seems short sighted and will only further turn folks against the airlines. We'll fly their d*** airplanes - but only if we have to. Personally, doing some serious mainland travel this year. Don't plan to get closer to an airplane then 30,000 feet or more between now and the time I'm forced to fly home.

Already, I 1) travel with carry-on only 2) use an internet booking agent OTHER than the airline's sight (though I check them just in case) 3) bring my own food. At some point, you'd think the airlines would figure out they've honked us off and would start working on getting back some loyalty. Wait until the next slow-down. THEN watch for a roll-back of all these silly "extras" in an effort to get folks to fly again. Trust me, only if there is no other choice! YMMV
Click to expand...
It seems they're between a rock and a hard place...
U.S. airlines seen posting Q1 loss, 2012 profit | Reuters
 
As a younger man I never thought I would've considered such a thing, but deregulating the airlines might turn out to be crappy for all parties involved in the long run.
 
The one thing I wish airlines would charge for is carry-on luggage. This way i could be assured of getting space if needed.
 
photoguy said:
The one thing I wish airlines would charge for is carry-on luggage. This way i could be assured of getting space if needed.
Click to expand...


They already charge for checked luggage.... I can see it now... flight is $300, with an additional $25 per checked bag... and an addition $25 for all carryons.:facepalm:
 
I should have said I would rather they charge for carry-on and not for checked luggage.
 
All of this makes me glad that I've visited every international destination that
I'd care to. It is possible that I may only have to take one flight (and that one, one way, when we move) for the rest of my life!
 
I'd love to swear off flying but grandchildren (and daughter and SIL) in London and son is in Tanzania. I long for the days before deregulation, and yes I know it would be more expensive. Remember one flight from KC to Chicago, probably a 707, and I think there were 7 people on the whole flight! And remember the ALMONDS!!!:confused:? Pretzels.
Sheesh.
 
H2ODude said:
I'd love to swear off flying but grandchildren (and daughter and SIL) in London and son is in Tanzania. I long for the days before deregulation, and yes I know it would be more expensive. Remember one flight from KC to Chicago, probably a 707, and I think there were 7 people on the whole flight! And remember the ALMONDS!!!:confused:? Pretzels.
Sheesh.
Click to expand...


WHAT:confused: I really do not know for sure because I am younger, but I remember the prices being ridiculously high... not just more expensive...

I would bet that if there were regulated prices, tickets would be 2X higher if not more... that is why you only had 7 people on board...


I can remember only flying twice when I was young... and guess what... I was given a deck of cards to PLAY with... (I think it was Delta).... now you have to pay for peanuts :ROFLMAO:
 
I'm not sure that this is such a big deal in reality.

I have no issue with them reserving the best seats for their status flyers. They have put in the time and they deserve to be rewarded. That said, I have no status with any airline so I am not one of the privileged. I fly regularly and the norm seems to be when I make my booking the only seats available are the middle seats. However, everytime I have done OLCI I have been able to change seats so we are seated together or I can get an aisle.
 
Texas Proud said:
WHAT:confused: I really do not know for sure because I am younger, but I remember the prices being ridiculously high... not just more expensive...

I would bet that if there were regulated prices, tickets would be 2X higher if not more... that is why you only had 7 people on board...


I can remember only flying twice when I was young... and guess what... I was given a deck of cards to PLAY with... (I think it was Delta).... now you have to pay for peanuts :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...

Supreme Court Justice Breyer wrote this last year (from Wikipedia)

Still, fares have come down. Airline revenue per passenger mile has declined from an inflation-adjusted 33.3 cents in 1974, to 13 cents in the first half of 2010. In 1974 the cheapest round-trip New York-Los Angeles flight (in inflation-adjusted dollars) that regulators would allow: $1,442. Today one can fly that same route for $268. That is why the number of travelers has gone way up.
So we sit in crowded planes, munch potato chips, flare up when the loudspeaker announces yet another flight delay. But how many now will vote to go back to the "good old days" of paying high, regulated prices for better service? Even among business travelers, who wants to pay "full fare for the briefcase?"
Click to expand...

If true, that's about a 60% decline in real prices. Probably more in the routes that are very competitive.
 
I fly quite a bit, and every flight, irrespective of airline, is full but they can't seem to make a profit. They charge for bags checked, extra for leg room, for the food and now for seat assignment, and I can feel it coming now, extra charge to use the toilet.
 
@photoguy--some airlines, like Spirit, charge for carry-on bags already if they don't fit under the seat in front of you.

I'm ok paying for better seats because there is actually a benefit to me. And I've always thought that families with little kids should be the last ones on the plane ;)
 
For closed markets like Canada and NZ, this is just another argument for Open Skies so that "legacy" carriers can't continue on with this monopolistic BS.
I for one think the whole world should be on an Open Skies basis (subject to safety oversight). I wouldn't mind flying Singapore Airlines from Toronto to Vancouver for instance or Emirates from Detroit to Frankfurt.
 
I avoid flying, but last time I flew I ended up in the middle seat, flanked by two very large ladies who were "together," and proceeded to talk loudly back & forth as if I didn't exist. I spoke up and said, "I hope you don't mind if I join your conversation," and proceeded to do just that. They seemed a little shocked at first, but they weren't about to change seats, and meanwhile, I refused to shut up and be their quiet little human arm rest. So, we all had a chat until the window seat lady decided to take a nap, and I finally got to read my book.

Babies - Like anybody else, I hate having to listen to crying babies on airplanes, but I also feel bad for the babies. Everybody knows babies and flying don't mix. Unless there's a real need [I almost said a crying need!] to go somewhere by plane, I wish families would wait till the infants are a little older before subjecting them to air travel. Let Grandpa and Grandma do the visiting.

Amethyst
 
Notice the standard news manipulation of this story, as per this video at 1:04:

The Shipping News - Trailer - YouTube

Instead of the story being "Airlines charge more for window seats," which is just another surcharge story, they made the story: "Airlines prevent families from sitting together."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
Delta Airlines reservation. Problem or not?
Replies
8
Views
884
Drake3287
D
J
49 and 6 years to go in TX
Replies
8
Views
534
pb4uski
pb4uski
Lsbcal
Buy air tickets for late August in Italy now?
2
Replies
45
Views
3K
explanade
E
T
Retired 10 years today!
Replies
18
Views
1K
Koolau
Koolau
Romer
Hip pain only at night
2 3
Replies
52
Views
4K
Aerides
Aerides

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom