USAirways has jumped the shark

[gutshotdraw]

Since I get paid to airline to and from the jet, I have a serious question:

If I'm a little late getting down the jetway with my standard crew rollaboard and my "small personal item" and the unwashed hordes have already PACKED the overheads with their bodybags and steamer trunks, will the flight attendant or gate agent be standing there with a credit card machine to charge me $15 when they demand I check my rollaboard?

The people I really feel for here are the flight attendants. Pay slashed, pensions gone, schedules screwed, and now their managements force them to deal with gigando carry-ons, severely slowed boardings while the gate agents yell at them, and passengers whining even more about how much their seat cost and that they have to pay for their Diet Coke.

Note to airline managements: JUST RAISE THE FARES $20 ACROSS THE BOARD.

 

[Correcting]

Some of these examples you guys posted are ludicrous.

Movie theaters? Hotels? Come on now, you're not even comparing similar things.

On an airline, I'm locked in a tube for however long with no alternatives. I almost feel like I'm a ... uh...prisoner.

Eureka There's your example. Flying on an airline is like being in prison. Prisoners don't get charged for food, drinks, tv, etc. It's all included in the price of their stay.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Soda tastes better when you pay more for it.

 

[elag777]

Some of these examples you guys posted are ludicrous.

Movie theaters? Hotels? Come on now, you're not even comparing similar things.

On an airline, I'm locked in a tube for however long with no alternatives. I almost feel like I'm a ... uh...prisoner.

Eureka There's your example. Flying on an airline is like being in prison. Prisoners don't get charged for food, drinks, tv, etc. It's all included in the price of their stay.

Start driving! then you can stop at The "Flying J" for your Soda! BTW gas is $4.15 plus a gallon!:nuts:

 

[Bringupthebird]

It was nice knowing you
God help you if Southwest moves into CLT.

Southwest will OWN LAS after this summer. And they won't give it back. I would expect that they will take all of the A and B gates. US will be lucky to beg for a handful out in the south 40. When good times return US will be sitting there with their mouths hanging open watching the cash roll by.

Oops, forgot, they have Philly - well oiled machine that it is.

 

[Cheeta]

Newsflash: EVERYBODY except SWA is desperate now. No one can make money with oil over $125/bbl. TC

Not true.....B6 is not charging for as many snacks you want, a full can of coke, the first checked bag, live 36 ch direct TV

plus every set is a 34" pitch seat in all A/C.

Yes we pushed A320 deliveries...but still net'ed 3 A320's and got 6 new E190's...same in 09' a total of 12 new A/C

thats a 3%-5% groth rate thru 09'

we are all hurting including SWA....some are hurting more than others....I take no comfort in that statement...I have friends at most airlines and I don't want anything to happen to their carriers.

 

[PSUPilot]

Movie theaters, hotel rooms, and theme parks don't keep you in a small, pressurized metal tube in 5-10% humidity...

Nobody is forcing anybody into a 'small metal tube in 5-10% humidity." Passengers themselves are forcing themselves by buying the tickets. If this is what it takes to make sure we, pilots, have jobs, and can earn money, I say charge 'em five bucks for the d amn drink!

 

[SSDD]

Nobody is forcing anybody into a 'small metal tube in 5-10% humidity." Passengers themselves are forcing themselves by buying the tickets. If this is what it takes to make sure we, pilots, have jobs, and can earn money, I say charge 'em five bucks for the d amn drink!

So, are you willing to pay for that bottle of water, or can of Diet Coke from the bev cart? It will keep your fellow pilots employed, you know.

 

[CopilotDoug]

It was nice knowing you USAirways. Guess I should start using up all my FF miles since your existence as an airline is over. You have officially "Jumped the shark". http://www.jumptheshark.com/index.jspa

You are now charging me $2.00 for a drink. Will I actually get an entire can now? Or will you still give me a cup of ice with 3 ounces of drink.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.drinks13jun13,0,2294921.story


There is no hope left for you. You are desperate at this point. I have no doubt all the other airlines will follow your lead. But you were the first. You will once again seek bankruptcy protection, only this time no one will finance you, so you will be left with liquidation.

God help you if Southwest moves into CLT.

B!tching about a $2 drink while paying HALF of what you should be for a ticket...

 

[BoilerUP]

Nobody is forcing anybody into a 'small metal tube in 5-10% humidity." Passengers themselves are forcing themselves by buying the tickets. If this is what it takes to make sure we, pilots, have jobs, and can earn money, I say charge 'em five bucks for the d amn drink!

You're not seeing the forest for the trees here...

You are 100% right...nobody forces them to buy a ticket on their airline, but things like charging them for a farking beverage reverberate in people's minds when it comes time to do so again in the future.

Those people will take their money elsewhere if there are other options, lowering your company's revenue and endangering that job you have and that money you earn. What is the potential cost of the potential upside?

Americans hate feeling nickel-and-dimed. Quietly raise ticket prices across the board $2 and VIOLA no problem whatsoever...but put out a press release saying beverages are no longer complimentary and that a $0.25 can of soda now costs $2 and you get mocked on live national TV.

The only possible upside I can possibly see to this is maybe, just maybe, US Airways will get rid of that gawdawful coffee they offer and brew a real brand like Dunkin, Starbucks, or even Folgers...

 

[Bringupthebird]

The traveling public just needs to re-adjust their expectations. It's happened before, it will happen again.

 

[PCL_128]

Don't like it? Write you Congressman and Senators and tell them that you want re-regulation. Otherwise, stop yer b!tchin' about paying $2 for a drink on a $99 ticket that takes you 1500 miles across the country.

 

[Soverytired]

Otherwise, stop yer b!tchin' about paying $2 for a drink on a $99 ticket that takes you 1500 miles across the country.

Yeah, lots of those floating around . . .

 

[IXLR8]

I found an NWA flight on orbits 1 adult, june 30 to july 7...r/t $368 total...not $99..but still pretty darn cheap...that was 1 stop same a/c and pretty reasonable I'd say...the non stops were $555 on Delta up to $801 on Usair....plus $2.00 for a coke/pepsi

 

[imacdog]

None of you guys have had free hotel breakfasts and water?