# What will the airlines think of next



## danb (Sep 18, 2012)

Just read that AA wants to charge a family fee so you can sit together. Read about a family with a 5 yr old who was not seated with the parents on a return flight from Orlando. They originally had booked their seats together and AA changed planes split them up with the child sitting alone. When the airline was called, they wanted a $60.00 fee to seat them together. 
What will they think of next.


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## Crohnos01 (Sep 18, 2012)

Oh, don't even go there.... They charge for everything these days. I fly a LOT and get more and more disgusted each time I do so now. 

What really ticks me off now is the guilt trip Delta (and other airlines as far as that goes) put on passangers with carry on luggage. I signed up for their bloody credit card with the $100/yr fee just for the privledge of it sitting in my wallet and so I could get my first bag checked free. Therefore all I have to carry on the plane is my laptop computer bag. Everyone else carries their luggage on board to avoid the checked baggage fee and so on a full flight they alway want me to put my computer bag at my feet... It's my only carry on, and I am essentially paying for my checked baggage so it's really starting to tick me off.

Of course then they will start charging for carry-on's next, so at that point, maybe everyone will start going back to checking their bags on the plane....such a rip off.....


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Sep 18, 2012)

Crohnos01 said:


> Of course then they will start charging for carry-on's next, so at that point, maybe everyone will start going back to checking their bags on the plane....such a rip off.....



Charging for carry-ons is next. I've already seen it being tested.  What will likely happen is that they will start reserving overhead bin space.  If you have something to put in the overhead bin, you will have an option of reserving a space for the item or hoping that there is unreserved space.  If you don't have a reserved bin space and there is no more unreserved bin space, you will be forced to check the item.  In fact, you won't even be allowed to carry the item onto the plane once the unreserved space is gone.

Note that you will still be allowed a carry-on that fits under the seat in front of you.  This procedure will affect only the use of overhead bins.

Three things are going to drive that:

1. reducing the amount of time it takes to get passengers seated, by eliminating the delays associated with people searching for available bin space, then getting a bag gate-checked.

2. making it fairer for customers who are in the later boarding groups.  When they board the plane rear to front the passengers who sit up front are often the ones who can't get space.

3. creating another perk they can use to reward frequent flyers and generate charges from others.  Once the overhead bin system is functioning and has the kinks worked out, the next step will be to extract a premium from it.

This whole thing just continues the trend of the ticket being simply that - a ticket that transports you from Place A to Place.  If you want more than just transportation, you will have to pay for it.  I frankly haven't any problem with that - there's no reason why a person who travels simply and can get by with just a small carry-on should subsidize people who can travel somewhere for two nights with bringing along five changes of clothing and their prized pet rock collection.


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## DeniseM (Sep 18, 2012)

I just bought tickets with Allegiant Air:  

$26 per person for 1 carry-on!

$11 per seat for exit row.

Added $96 to our total price!


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## SOS8260456 (Sep 18, 2012)

When we flew to Orlando this past summer, I thought it was such a shame to see everyone scrambling for space for their carry on suitcases when there is a perfectly good empty cargo hold below.


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## am1 (Sep 18, 2012)

If the airlines enforced the carry on allowance then passengers would complain.    
I'm happy with one free checked bag and one free carry on.  Less on short flights.  

People that need two seats should have to purchase 2 seats.  The second being at a discount.  

A ticket from A connecting in B and then going C should be more expensive then A only to B as well as B only to C.  

Check in counter staff and pilots should not wait for late passengers.  Exceptions made if so many people had their connecting flight delayed and will only be a few minutes late.  

Switching to an earlier flight day of with unsold seats should not be used as a profit center.


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## AKE (Sep 18, 2012)

I think that weighing passengers will be next with a surcharge for anyone over 90lbs! (I may be joking now but I would not rule it out in the future)


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## Talent312 (Sep 18, 2012)

I would not object to a fee for anyone wearing plaid or paisley. :ignore: 

I wonder if someone could provide a service where deliver a suitcase
of clothes purchased at a Goodwill to you at your destination.


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## MommaBear (Sep 19, 2012)

danb said:


> Just read that AA wants to charge a family fee so you can sit together. Read about a family with a 5 yr old who was not seated with the parents on a return flight from Orlando. They originally had booked their seats together and AA changed planes split them up with the child sitting alone. When the airline was called, they wanted a $60.00 fee to seat them together.
> What will they think of next.



This is outrageous, especially as the family booked their tickets together. I wonder if the parents were sitting together and if one of them swapped so the child could be with one parent....


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## blueparrot (Sep 19, 2012)

Charging for carry on luggage would be a deal killer, and make me fly a different airline.  There is too much damage and delay with checked luggage.


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## DebBrown (Sep 19, 2012)

danb said:


> Just read that AA wants to charge a family fee so you can sit together. Read about a family with a 5 yr old who was not seated with the parents on a return flight from Orlando. They originally had booked their seats together and AA changed planes split them up with the child sitting alone. When the airline was called, they wanted a $60.00 fee to seat them together.
> What will they think of next.



As often happens, when the airlines change equipment, the seats get shuffled.  The computer doesn't know who is a 5 year old.  I think the issue is that the only seats available when the family tried to get this fixed were the premium seats and those cost extra to sit in.  I can understand their frustration but there is no "family fee".  Really all they needed was 2 seats together so that one adult was next to the the child.  Likely they could have done that with no fee.

Deb


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## Tia (Sep 19, 2012)

1 carry on and 1 personal item seems reasonable  , but on a recent set of flights there were lots of people hauling 2 carry on size bags with them. None of which would fit under the seat ahead of them.


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## dougp26364 (Sep 19, 2012)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Charging for carry-ons is next. I've already seen it being tested.  What will likely happen is that they will start reserving overhead bin space.  If you have something to put in the overhead bin, you will have an option of reserving a space for the item or hoping that there is unreserved space.  If you don't have a reserved bin space and there is no more unreserved bin space, you will be forced to check the item.  In fact, you won't even be allowed to carry the item onto the plane once the unreserved space is gone.
> 
> Note that you will still be allowed a carry-on that fits under the seat in front of you.  This procedure will affect only the use of overhead bins.
> 
> ...



Most already charge for priorty boarding, which is essentially the same as reserving bin space unless everyone pays for the privilege. Of course as you mentioned it's a perk for FF's.
I can see them easily change one charge (priorty boarding) for another (reserved bin space).


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## Carolinian (Sep 20, 2012)

What will they think of next?  The CEO of RyanAir has already suggested pay toilets in-flight.  Bad as that is, it is better than paying for carry ons.

All US legacy airlines have premium seats, and this is not just an AA problem.  With a change of aircraft, it could happen on any airline.

The best thing to do is qualify as an elite, and then you do not have to worry about paying for premium seats - they are free.  As an AA plat, I am usually in an exit row window seat.  You sometimes have to keep checking.  I am glad I did so recently as on a BA leg, there was an aircraft change and my exit row window seat had become a non-exit row middle seat.  Fortunately, an exit row window seat was availible, so I was able to fix this online with the new plane.

From my experience, AA is the airline least likely to swap planes on you, and DL the most likely to do so.


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## sfwilshire (Sep 20, 2012)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Note that you will still be allowed a carry-on that fits under the seat in front of you.  This procedure will affect only the use of overhead bins.



The real kicker with that is the small commuter planes. I use a laptop bag I got at a yard sale when flying instead of the much nicer one I own because it is the only one that squishes down to fit under the seats on most planes. It will also fit in the overhead on most planes if I'm careful not to put anything in the front pocket.

On many commuter planes, it will only fit under one of the seats in in the row. If they are three across (1 on the left and 2 on the right), it will fit under the aisle seat on the right side only. The window seat on the right has too much curve and the left side is tiny.

I'm old enough to remember when flying was much more fun!

Sheila


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Sep 20, 2012)

sfwilshire said:


> The real kicker with that is the small commuter planes. I use a laptop bag I got at a yard sale when flying instead of the much nicer one I own because it is the only one that squishes down to fit under the seats on most planes. It will also fit in the overhead on most planes if I'm careful not to put anything in the front pocket.



Most of my regional travel is on Horizon (Alaska), with an occasional Delta Connection or American Eagle flight.  Horizon has an "a la cart" option; as you board the plane you can place luggage on a cart located on the tarmac at the front of the plane.  After your flight you wait outside the plane, where the a la cart luggage is brought over to you.  No size restrictions - essentially if you can get the bag through security you can put it on the cart.  The last several American Eagle flights I flew had the same feature.


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## jlwquilter (Sep 20, 2012)

I flew AA this past summer. had booked the 2 tickets (me and DD) well in advance (months and months and months ahead of flight time) and had free assigned seats. They changed equipment, never notified me of the change and when I checked things out a few weeks before the trip found out about the change. New seats were not only not together but middle seats. Smaller plane also meant the plan was already nearly full with little choice for seats. I was pissed to say the least. Called and go exactly nowhere. Told to pay a premium and they'd see what they could do.

What I find hard to believe is that there weren't enough single fliers to fill in seating gaps so that tickets booked together could sit together. Or that tickets booked way in advance shouldn't have been assigned group seating first. Maybe because I DID book so far in advance and perhaps paid less for our tickets, that's what got us moved to the bottom of the seat assignment list. Wouldn't be surprised.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Sep 20, 2012)

sfwilshire said:


> I'm old enough to remember when flying was much more fun!
> 
> Sheila



So am I.  It was also a lot more expensive. Make the comparison between what it would cost you in gasoline to drive the same distance versus what the air fare is.


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## Ken555 (Sep 20, 2012)

I don't have status on any airline these days, since I'm really trying not to fly as much and do more remote, phone conference, web calls, etc (and that's working!). When I fly, I'm also frustrated with the general lack of service. I do think it's interesting to note that many seem to cling to the notion that the airline should be doing more (perhaps buying into their advertising?) and then are very annoyed when it just doesn't work out for them. It seems that's apparent with those of you who have experienced equipment change and ended up with disappointing seats. The facts seem to support the notion that the airline industry is suffering from lack of revenue and doing what they can to stay in the black. This includes a paid premium economy which offers some benefits, and those seats seem to be available more often than not (at least when I travel on airlines that have them). My attitude has been to be pleased when my travel occurs as planned, especially when booked many months in advance (the further ahead the reservation, the higher the likelihood of a change by the airline) and adapt whenever possible and try not to become disappointed because of it. Sure, I'll complain (like many of us, that's a human trait that definitely is in vogue right now ) but I also know that the airline employee behind the counter or on the phone likely has zero control over the situation and also likely can't do anything to remedy it for me. Occasionally, I'll be surprised and grateful for a positive result. Most times I won't. Such is the state of travel these days.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Sep 20, 2012)

Ken555 said:


> ....Occasionally, I'll be surprised and grateful for a positive result. Most times I won't. Such is the state of travel these days.



Good perspective.  Don't sweat the things that you can't control.  Just plan around them.

Ahhh - how so many long for the good old days.  When it took three days to travel from New York to Los Angeles and the round trip fare for a sleeper berth and the cost of meals was about the same as one month's take home pay for an ordinary working Joe.


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## x3 skier (Sep 20, 2012)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Good perspective.  Don't sweat the things that you can't control.



Adopted that approach many years ago. I have bigger things to worry about than TSA, airline FF program devaluation, Bozos who try and bring a Steamer Trunk as on board baggage, whatever.  If I get upgraded great but the first thing is to get there on schedule. If that happens (about 98%+ in my case), anything else is gravy. 

Cheers


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## Carolinian (Sep 21, 2012)

x3 skier said:


> Adopted that approach many years ago. I have bigger things to worry about than TSA, airline FF program devaluation, Bozos who try and bring a Steamer Trunk as on board baggage, whatever.  If I get upgraded great but the first thing is to get there on schedule. If that happens (about 98%+ in my case), anything else is gravy.
> 
> Cheers



Actually, it is well worth watching the ff program devaluation, as you can always move to a different program that treats you more fairly.  If you are an elite, then some of them will even comp you status.  On my last move, I had to pay AA for a challenge to get my elite status moved over more quickly but with the way UA is destroying its program, AA has recently been offering straight out comps, at least at the higher levels.


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## Renny30 (Sep 21, 2012)

Talent312 said:


> I would not object to a fee for anyone wearing plaid or paisley. :ignore:



LMBO :rofl: or loud cologne!


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## BJRSanDiego (Sep 22, 2012)

Crohnos01 said:


> Delta .... I signed up for their bloody credit card with the $100/yr fee just for the privledge of ...my first bag checked free.
> ...



I have a Delta card (I'm the primary holder) with both my wife and myself on the card.  The last time that she traveled and was anticipating the free first bag, she was surprised.  Somewhere in the fine print it says that the free 1st bag is for the primary card holder or the primary and secondary when they travel together.  So if my wife travels by herself, she is out of luck.

Anyone else run into this or figured a way around this?


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## learnalot (Sep 22, 2012)

BJRSanDiego said:


> I have a Delta card (I'm the primary holder) with both my wife and myself on the card.  The last time that she traveled and was anticipating the free first bag, she was surprised.  Somewhere in the fine print it says that the free 1st bag is for the primary card holder or the primary and secondary when they travel together.  So if my wife travels by herself, she is out of luck.
> 
> Anyone else run into this or figured a way around this?



She would need to get  a second card on which she is the primary cardholder.


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