United likely to follow suit.

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=OBR&date=20080521&id=8675406

Let's see...AMTRAK goes to Tampa for $57...

5/21/2008 11:12:54 PM

shit happens

5/21/2008 11:17:01 PM

They already have dude. All of them bastards.

http://travelocity.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/travelocity.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1678#bag

[Edited on May 21, 2008 at 11:33 PM. Reason : oh nevermind, for the first bag. motherfuckers.]

5/21/2008 11:31:58 PM

wtf, I thought that was already considered part of your ticket.

It's like they want people to stop flying.

5/22/2008 12:30:53 AM

really? is $15 gonna make you say "nah, fuck that trip to vegas, paris, london, etc"?

and hey, that amtrak trip only takes 15 hours and 15 mins - EACH WAY, which is 12 1/2 hours longer than a flight there (a flight that costs $260 round trip...let's make it $275 for the bag)...so yes you do save $161

so essentially, you're saying a day of your life isn't worth $161

[Edited on May 22, 2008 at 1:14 AM. Reason : .]

5/22/2008 1:13:20 AM

If $15 or $30 is going to have any impact on your travel budget, then you don't need to be flying in the first place, your ass needs to stay at home and work.

5/22/2008 1:59:13 AM

Quote :

"If $15 or $30 is going to have any impact on your travel budget, then you don't need to be flying in the first place, your ass needs to stay at home and work."

5/22/2008 2:31:17 AM

exactly what i thought when i heard this story...this is like gas prices...people bitch and still pay

5/22/2008 2:32:00 AM

It's $15 for luggage. $500 for the fuel surcharge. $50 for the security fee. That shit starts adding up. They need to just throw it all in with the price of the ticket instead of advertising, "Hey, here's a round trip ticket for $800. Oh by the way, after we add all the other crap on top it's actually $1100." I had that happen to me recently when trying to buy a ticket to go home

5/22/2008 2:40:56 AM

Seriously, i have no problem, but just have the ticvket be a flat price, im sick of buyign airline tickets and then getting hammered by $100 in extra bullshit, they are worse than cellphone companies with little random addons.

If your goign to chagne everybody it, just up your ticket fare $15 bux and be done. Plus shoudnt this extra charge be aready covvered in the Fuel Surcharge? Its like they are double dipping for gas prices.

5/22/2008 7:51:24 AM

Quote :

"It's like they want people to stop flying."

or maybe it's like they want to make a profit!

5/22/2008 8:03:34 AM

they should get solar powered planes.

5/22/2008 8:06:31 AM

oh, even better... wind powered! the wind whips by at a phenomenal rate on an airplane!

5/22/2008 8:07:34 AM

^ somebody actually thought this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IsaMc9mpLI

I'm not kidding.

5/22/2008 8:11:15 AM

They are starting to look more and more like the Southwest commercial where you have to deposit quarters to lean the seat back, use the toilet, use the overhead baggage space, whatever cost something. I keep waiting for the foreign airlines to come in and start taking business away from AA and others.

Airlines in the US have huge fixed costs and labor contracts (read: UNIONS) and an inefficient hub-and-spoke model. Southwest is the only airline with any modicum of efficiency and forward thinking.

You could compare it to Amtrak - wait Amtrak has been losing money for decades.

The entire industry has underinvested (old, inefficient airplanes) and booked the airspace and infrastructure at well over 100% capacity. Ultimately, you're going to see $800 and $1000 as the norm for domestic roundtrip tickets, and there will be far far fewer people flying. This will help the airspace congestion, but the downside is
that americans will have to dramatically change their travel habits. Just like the days of $2 gasoline are far far behind us, so are the days of $300-$400 coast to coast airfares.

5/22/2008 9:17:23 AM

Quote :

"and booked the airspace and infrastructure at well over 100% capacity."

the commercial air travel control system hasnt changed much in the last 50 years

the volume in the air however, has.

more airports and a better use of more modern technology would alleviate the congestion

maybe

5/22/2008 9:41:54 AM

Quote :

"If your goign to chagne everybody it, just up your ticket fare $15 bux and be done. Plus shoudnt this extra charge be aready covvered in the Fuel Surcharge? Its like they are double dipping for gas prices."

Quote :

"American's $15 checked bag fee will not apply to international flights, some of its AAdvantage reward program members, or people with full-fare tickets."

they aren't charging everyone

5/22/2008 9:44:57 AM

kind of scary how some of the things in that article "what would happen if gas was $10/gallon" are already happening...and have been for some time.

5/22/2008 9:48:53 AM

Quote :

"Seriously, i have no problem, but just have the ticvket be a flat price, im sick of buyign airline tickets and then getting hammered by $100 in extra bullshit, they are worse than cellphone companies with little random addons."

Exactly. It's especially bad with the international tickets. The thing I don't understand though is the airlines in the United States are the worst about this and have also increased their ticket prices much more than other airlines. Why are other countries' airlines able to keep the prices lower? Well, at least in Asia. I have no idea what the situation in Europe is like.

5/22/2008 10:18:43 AM

in a lot of other countries - airlines are subsidized by the government

5/22/2008 10:19:27 AM

Our airlines are subsidized too.

5/22/2008 10:19:53 AM

Quote :

"really? is $15 gonna make you say "nah, fuck that trip to vegas, paris, london, etc"?"

maybe vegas, but not paris or london, since the $15 only applies to domestic flights that aren't full-fare

5/22/2008 10:30:38 AM

Quote :

"Our airlines are subsidized too."

it's been a while since i've looked so i could be off base but the amounts are nowhere comparable in the US to most other countries

5/22/2008 10:40:44 AM

i'm a gold aadvantage member so i hope i fall into one of those exceptions.

if not, i'll go ahead and pay the 15. i'm not trying to battle with everyone trying to stash their carryons in the overhead glove compartment.

5/22/2008 10:44:08 AM

i'm going to vegas in september for a few days after my wedding... I bet i could fit all of my stuff on a carry-on.

5/22/2008 10:47:01 AM

price of jet fuel per gallon = $3.90
(just an example aircraft)number of gallons of fuel held by a 380 on singapour airlines = 80,000

$312,000

somebody has to pay for that every refuel.

[Edited on May 22, 2008 at 10:49 AM. Reason : .]

5/22/2008 10:48:55 AM

^ how many seats does that plane hold?

5/22/2008 10:53:59 AM

Quote :

"^ somebody actually thought this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IsaMc9mpLI I'm not kidding."

haha, perpetual motion ftw. An air-powered plane must work. Maybe I should invent a water-powered boat, or a soil-powered car. The sad thing is, if you showed this to the average person, they wouldn't understand why it wouldn't work.

5/22/2008 10:57:12 AM

Quote :

"They are starting to look more and more like the Southwest commercial where you have to deposit quarters to lean the seat back, use the toilet, use the overhead baggage space, whatever cost something. I keep waiting for the foreign airlines to come in and start taking business away from AA and others."

And when your company has a contract with fixed rates and times with American Airlines and AA goes out of business, I'm sure you'll be the first idiot in line expecting Ryanair to offer the same sort of deal.

Quote :

"Airlines in the US have huge fixed costs and labor contracts (read: UNIONS) and an inefficient hub-and-spoke model. Southwest is the only airline with any modicum of efficiency and forward thinking."

I'm struggling to think of any airlines that have an "inefficient hub-and-spoke model" and went out of business recently. It's like they are trying to make money by centralizing and being efficient! Yeah, the customers get fucked, but guess what: you're still saying it's OK by paying with your money. At the very best, leisure travelers are second to business travelers

Southwest is a great example to use, Bobby, especially since they have recently started to offer first class tickets. I'm sorry, I meant "Business Select". They are, in no way, starting to replicate every other industry airline standard.

Quote :

"You could compare it to Amtrak - wait Amtrak has been losing money for decades. The entire industry has underinvested (old, inefficient airplanes) and booked the airspace and infrastructure at well over 100% capacity. Ultimately, you're going to see $800 and $1000 as the norm for domestic roundtrip tickets, and there will be far far fewer people flying. This will help the airspace congestion, but the downside is that americans will have to dramatically change their travel habits. Just like the days of $2 gasoline are far far behind us, so are the days of $300-$400 coast to coast airfares."

When the hell were there days of $300-$400 coast to coast airfares?

Do you really even know what you're talking about even half the time?

5/22/2008 11:01:42 AM

^ I remember when you could get a ticket to California for $400. But that was also in the early 1990s

5/22/2008 11:05:04 AM

elise and I flew from North Carolina to California (one stop) in March for $350 a ticket

5/22/2008 11:28:18 AM

the only thing business select gets you is to front of the line (a1-15) regardless of your checkin time, a drink ticket, and double rapid rewards points

that's hardly first class

5/22/2008 11:29:25 AM

Quote :

"really? is $15 gonna make you say "nah, fuck that trip to vegas, paris, london, etc"?"

well $15 doesn't sound like much on its own...but what if you get thirsty mid flight or hungry? I guess you didn't know that some airlines (American included) now charge you for your food and beverage. Not just alcohol.

5/22/2008 11:29:26 AM

only on select flights (length dependant), and it's like $5

5/22/2008 11:30:21 AM

$5 is a hell of a lot of money for half a can of soda and no refills.

^and its not select flights with American. Its pretty much all domestic flights.

[Edited on May 22, 2008 at 11:35 AM. Reason : .]

5/22/2008 11:35:03 AM

k

the magazine i read said that the meals would only be avail. on flights 3+ hours in duration, wasn't american though

[Edited on May 22, 2008 at 11:38 AM. Reason : i guess i need to pay attention more, considering i only fly ~30 times a year]

[Edited on May 22, 2008 at 11:38 AM. Reason : e]

5/22/2008 11:37:07 AM

drinks are not meals. Most domestic flights serve you drinks and pretzels. Now they charge you for that drink and pretzels. However the napkin is free.

I wasn't mentioning meals at all. I can't remember the last time I was actually served a meal on a domestic flight...

[Edited on May 22, 2008 at 11:48 AM. Reason : .]

5/22/2008 11:47:05 AM

Quote :

"When the hell were there days of $300-$400 coast to coast airfares?"

I've been back and forth from Cali to RDU ~5 times since early '07 and only once paid more than $400 roundtrip.

5/22/2008 11:55:25 AM

wait so they charge for drinks now? is that every airline?

5/22/2008 12:01:28 PM

look, you said

Quote :

"but what if you get thirsty mid flight or hungry? I guess you didn't know that some airlines (American included) now charge you for your food "

pretzels are a snack. not enough to satiate hunger, by any means. you're implying a meal, which USED to be served gratis on longer flights... at least a sandwich... now these same boxes are availble on longer flights, but for a cost.

5/22/2008 1:07:49 PM

see, that's just you ASSUMING I meant full course meal. When the average person who flies domestic flights frequently would know that its 'snacks'. If we were talking international flights then I could see your justification in assuming full course meals.

Quote :

"wait so they charge for drinks now? is that every airline?"

as far as I know its just American Airlines.

[Edited on May 22, 2008 at 1:18 PM. Reason : but thanks for trying to tell me what I was implying.]

5/22/2008 1:17:02 PM

Quote :

"I'm struggling to think of any airlines that have an "inefficient hub-and-spoke model" and went out of business recently. It's like they are trying to make money by centralizing and being efficient! Yeah, the customers get fucked, but guess what: you're still saying it's OK by paying with your money. At the very best, leisure travelers are second to business travelers "

The Hub and spoke model made sense when fuel was cheap. Fuel is no longer cheap. Any efficiency that was previously gained by the hub and spoke model has been destroyed by current fuel costs. Southwest does not use a hub and spoke model, and have had 68 consecutive profitable quarters. Name one other US airline that comes even close. In fact, Southwest is the only major carrier that is profitable. US Airways, United and Northwest Airlines are on the edge of bankruptcy.

Quote :

"Southwest is a great example to use, Bobby, especially since they have recently started to offer first class tickets. I'm sorry, I meant "Business Select". They are, in no way, starting to replicate every other industry airline standard. "

What the fuck are you talking about? That has zero to do with this discussion.

Quote :

"When the hell were there days of $300-$400 coast to coast airfares?"

Up until, oh, about a year ago champ. Maybe even more recently. I haven't been to the left coast in a year.

Quote :

"Do you really even know what you're talking about even half the time"

clearly a lot more than you.

5/22/2008 1:35:10 PM

I found tickets last month to go to San Fransisco for $200 round trip. (on Orbitz)

5/22/2008 1:45:21 PM

I've never had a situation where I have to be on a plane and have to take more than just a single carryon bag that stows under the seat in front of me. Buy your tickets online, print out boarding passes before you go, don't bring any liquid shit that you won't usually need anyway, and for fuck's sake, don't wear your steel toed combat boots, and flying really isn't that much of a hassle. Even going to Mexico/Japan/Brazil for Pump tournaments is still easy with those rules followed.

5/22/2008 1:51:56 PM

you forgot to mention the color of your skin. because anything that isn't white cannot be thrown in the same sentence as "not much of a hassle".

Generally when I fly over seas I stay long enough and expect to do a certain amount of shopping that requires a checked bag. Not to mention having a fucked up back doesn't help.

5/22/2008 1:54:19 PM

LOL at the gravity plane video

Quote :

"It's so basic! All you need is greater than 100% efficiency, and zero drag would be helpful too. HAHAhAHA!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IsaMc9mpLI

5/22/2008 3:18:22 PM

Quote :

"and for fuck's sake, don't wear your steel toed combat boots,"

this matters not when you take your shoes off to be xrayed

5/22/2008 3:19:53 PM

Not everyone checks luggage, so to add the fee onto every ticket wouldn't be fare to those who pack light and are able to fit all their stuff in a small carry on.

And for those bitching about the price of drinks on a plane, who the fuck even buys shit on a plane anyway? I always take on my own drink or food.

5/22/2008 3:39:15 PM

Quote :

"Not everyone checks luggage, so to add the fee onto every ticket wouldn't be fare to those who pack light and are able to fit all their stuff in a small carry on."

fitting

5/22/2008 3:42:05 PM

haha, I will just leave it since it adds some funny.

5/22/2008 3:43:03 PM