FU AA
You shitheads. Never mind the free lunch. Almost nothing is complimentary on airlines anymore, not even what many passengers consider a simple necessity: a single checked bag.
Under a plan announced Wednesday by American Airlines, passengers already forced to pay extra for amenities like earphones, meals and even snacks will have to pay $15 to check a basic piece of baggage.
Some other carriers are already charging for extra legroom in exit rows. What's next?
I already encountered the "charging for exit row" thing when I was asked to select my seat for the flight from NYC to MKE -- the carrier, however, only charges for selecting that in advance, you can get exit row for free when you check in.
But, as per usual, American, who is carrying me home, hasn't thought this through. Even though I don't work in the industry anymore, I thought of the all the shit passengers will pull to get out of paying the extra $15.Fliers have expressed surprise and outrage to the move, while industry observers warn the new fee could further complicate the flying experience. MarketWatch.com suggests "the new baggage fee is likely to create havoc in airports and jet aisles as travelers try to beat the system by squeezing all their belongings into carried-on bags, further straining overhead bins' capacity. And it won't just be seasoned travelers but also newer ones, who might not know they can't bring aboard water bottles, razors or nail files, which will hold up the lines at security checks."
"Everyone is going to try to beat the system," Henry Harteveldt, an airline analyst with Forrester Research, predicts to MarketWatch.com. "When you can check your bags for free on Greyhound, but not on an airline, it's a sad comment on the state of the whole industry," he adds. The Chicago Tribune (free registration) writes AA "will rely on security screeners to remind passengers of restrictions that limit them to two carry-on items, and that the airline's workers also would be on the lookout for passengers toting overly large bags."
As if the whole bullshit kabuki dance at airport security isn't humiliating and annoying enough already. Customers are pre-pissed off, extra fees just exacerbate the problem. Also that whole liquids thing is STILL bullshit.
And I don't buy that "we can't just tack that extra on to the ticket price" bullshit explanation. Oh yes you can, and you do all the time.
Oh, edited to add a linky to paradox's post.
Americans need to use all forms of public infrastructure and communications and don’t willingly give up their rights and freedom to employ them, but just at the airport it’s okay for some asshole to take your shampoo after rifling your bag.
The immense tide of trouble slithers forth when some Cheney disciple decides that since Americans so bleatingly went along at their airport we’ll just take their public communication rights away too, don’t we need safety there too? Bad guys use email, so rifle the backup subject titles for scary terrorist keywords, go ahead, we already smashed the Bill of Rights anyway.
There’s growing evidence that this is what precisely has happened, somehow in total secrecy a database of email and voice communications has been compiled from ordinary Americans, a “Main Core” of freedom theft. It isn’t clear if the program started before 9/11, but the way Americans accepted the smashing of their rights at the airport surely convinced the authoritarian “Americans” who implemented Main Core that they could easily get away with it.
Even if Main Core was definitively proven to exist and there were commercials on every night explaining how stupid it is for the TSA to take your shampoo Americans would not only still take their shoes off for no reason, many would vociferously defend the practice and demand we all accept it. I’ve written about rights at the airport many times before and I’ve always been flabbergasted at the many commenters who will accept any tactic in a desperate attempt for total safety.
Security Kabuki.
In other news, do want.
Giant Bunny Feet
Under a plan announced Wednesday by American Airlines, passengers already forced to pay extra for amenities like earphones, meals and even snacks will have to pay $15 to check a basic piece of baggage.
Some other carriers are already charging for extra legroom in exit rows. What's next?
I already encountered the "charging for exit row" thing when I was asked to select my seat for the flight from NYC to MKE -- the carrier, however, only charges for selecting that in advance, you can get exit row for free when you check in.
But, as per usual, American, who is carrying me home, hasn't thought this through. Even though I don't work in the industry anymore, I thought of the all the shit passengers will pull to get out of paying the extra $15.Fliers have expressed surprise and outrage to the move, while industry observers warn the new fee could further complicate the flying experience. MarketWatch.com suggests "the new baggage fee is likely to create havoc in airports and jet aisles as travelers try to beat the system by squeezing all their belongings into carried-on bags, further straining overhead bins' capacity. And it won't just be seasoned travelers but also newer ones, who might not know they can't bring aboard water bottles, razors or nail files, which will hold up the lines at security checks."
"Everyone is going to try to beat the system," Henry Harteveldt, an airline analyst with Forrester Research, predicts to MarketWatch.com. "When you can check your bags for free on Greyhound, but not on an airline, it's a sad comment on the state of the whole industry," he adds. The Chicago Tribune (free registration) writes AA "will rely on security screeners to remind passengers of restrictions that limit them to two carry-on items, and that the airline's workers also would be on the lookout for passengers toting overly large bags."
As if the whole bullshit kabuki dance at airport security isn't humiliating and annoying enough already. Customers are pre-pissed off, extra fees just exacerbate the problem. Also that whole liquids thing is STILL bullshit.
And I don't buy that "we can't just tack that extra on to the ticket price" bullshit explanation. Oh yes you can, and you do all the time.
Oh, edited to add a linky to paradox's post.
Americans need to use all forms of public infrastructure and communications and don’t willingly give up their rights and freedom to employ them, but just at the airport it’s okay for some asshole to take your shampoo after rifling your bag.
The immense tide of trouble slithers forth when some Cheney disciple decides that since Americans so bleatingly went along at their airport we’ll just take their public communication rights away too, don’t we need safety there too? Bad guys use email, so rifle the backup subject titles for scary terrorist keywords, go ahead, we already smashed the Bill of Rights anyway.
There’s growing evidence that this is what precisely has happened, somehow in total secrecy a database of email and voice communications has been compiled from ordinary Americans, a “Main Core” of freedom theft. It isn’t clear if the program started before 9/11, but the way Americans accepted the smashing of their rights at the airport surely convinced the authoritarian “Americans” who implemented Main Core that they could easily get away with it.
Even if Main Core was definitively proven to exist and there were commercials on every night explaining how stupid it is for the TSA to take your shampoo Americans would not only still take their shoes off for no reason, many would vociferously defend the practice and demand we all accept it. I’ve written about rights at the airport many times before and I’ve always been flabbergasted at the many commenters who will accept any tactic in a desperate attempt for total safety.
Security Kabuki.
In other news, do want.
Giant Bunny Feet