Programs: SPG Plat, MR Gold, HGP Plat, IC Gold/Ambassador, AA Plat, UA 2P, WN CP/A-list
Posts: 214
Quote:
Originally Posted by slpybear
Sorry, I just like to use that term... yes, I understand the new process of boarding order assigned by check in time. Or, guaranteeing a chance to be one of the first ones to board by purchasing Business Select.
No thanks,
It still means lining up and hoping my favorite seat is still there, or sweating checking in ASAP. to be one of the first ones in line.
I prefer AA where I can buy a ticket and pick out the exact seat I want (ER Ailse) without paying extra... (ER Ailse) and sit in F for free from time to time.
With A-list I don't do either--check in and boarding number assignment is automatic. But you make good points, and it's great that it works for you. For the bulk of my flying (SJC-LAX once or twice a week, with last-minute schedule changes from time to time) AA and their regional jets doesn't work as well for me.
..unless the airline is set up to force those fees into the initial transaction while the customer is buying their ticket, or at least provide the flexibility for the customer to pay the baggage fee while checking in at the kiosk, I think the revenue benefit will be mitigated. Maybe a lot. Down in the FAQ section of the Frontier announcement is a statement that says "You must pay the baggage fees at the ticket counter only." That doesn't sound to me like it is available at a kiosk. This will force lots of additional people to check in with a live person, and those are sometimes at a premium while at an airport. Head count is usually the first cost to eliminate when it is time to cut costs, so implementing a fee that requires a passenger is manually processed by a person is counter-productive, or ticket counter-non-productive, if you will.
Most traditional airlines have traditional distribution systems, meaning they are pretty good at collecting fares and not-so-good at collecting ancillary fees. Airlines like Allegiant or Air Canada, who have gone to great lengths to commodotize their products can more easily charge for each feature. Airlines with more traditional distribution who try and match this flexibility without corresponding flexibility in how they collect the fees, will be increasing their costs to collect the fees.
In addition to the hard costs of personnel, the boarding process becomes more complex.
It's not the size of the discount. Sell them for whatever.
It's eliminating the payment processing at checkin. Hand in a baggage coupon and go.
The labor cost of processing baggage fees might negate any value
Of course, AA could simply have used the payment processing system that it already has in place and raised fares $15. This would have had the benefit of collecting that $15 from EVERYBODY that steps on one of their planes with the added side benefit of avoiding the PR disaster that AA management created with this bone headed fee for the first checked bag.
Programs: aa exp 1MM, alaska air, united, hhonors gold, spg gold
Posts: 684
Quote:
Originally Posted by chicagorich
Of course, AA could simply have used the payment processing system that it already has in place and raised fares $15. This would have had the benefit of collecting that $15 from EVERYBODY that steps on one of their planes with the added side benefit of avoiding the PR disaster that AA management created with this bone headed fee for the first checked bag.
And AA is still stuck with this PR disaster with this baggage fee and whether this $15 first checked bag fee is going to clog their check-in lines, and whether it will cause a slow down in boarding because pax will be motivated to bring more carry-ons with them or will AA simply just lose customers period due to this fee.
Pretty much the worst of all worlds, wouldn't you say.?
Although I'm sympathetic with the plight of the airlines with rising costs across the board I'm extremely offended with the method AA chose to implemented this fee.
Instead of an honest "Sorry, due to economic factors we're forced to raise tix prices by $x" they stick it to us with this garbage fee. I'm convinced that it's just to have a bogus "lower price" for all the search engines. What's worse is this is an oxymoron like a "temporary sales tax". Should fuel prices ever go down will this fee go away?
We're a small company, but we make several hundred flights a year on AA. I know it's juvenile but I just sent out a company-wide memo stating that AA is no longer a carrier of choice and any bookings on AA must be approved in advance with supporting documentation that it is at least $100 lower than any other flight option. This policy will remain in place even if the other carriers follow suit. I'm not making any friends but feel I'm doing what little I can not to reward bad behavior.
I was also not amused by the chirpy "Be Prepared, Pack Like A Pro" line at the bottom of their Updated Checked Baggage Policy page.
I don't see why you go from "rewarding bad behavior" to making a policy that makes no sense. If the fares are competive and/or they have better scheduling, what difference does the bag fee make? Surely not $100.
It doesn't seem to make good business sense to make this determination of carriers for your employees.
Although I'm sympathetic with the plight of the airlines with rising costs across the board I'm extremely offended with the method AA chose to implemented this fee.
Instead of an honest "Sorry, due to economic factors we're forced to raise tix prices by $x" they stick it to us with this garbage fee. I'm convinced that it's just to have a bogus "lower price" for all the search engines. What's worse is this is an oxymoron like a "temporary sales tax". Should fuel prices ever go down will this fee go away?
We're a small company, but we make several hundred flights a year on AA. I know it's juvenile but I just sent out a company-wide memo stating that AA is no longer a carrier of choice and any bookings on AA must be approved in advance with supporting documentation that it is at least $100 lower than any other flight option. This policy will remain in place even if the other carriers follow suit. I'm not making any friends but feel I'm doing what little I can not to reward bad behavior.
This underlines my point. The checked baggage fee had a purpose. It's purpose was to cull out particular types of customers. By your reaction, you've shown that you won't be satisfied with all of the other things that AA is going to have to do to move toward profitability, so you are better off not flying them. In other words, the policy did exactly what it was supposed to do: separate out those who won't have the stomach for it.
The fact of the matter is, AA can not unilaterally raise fares unless the fares stick (that is unless other airlines follow suit). They can, however, increase fees. This is the way markets work. Wishful thinking doesn't nullify their behavior.
I believe that the era of looking the other way is gone. The FAA is all over AA now, and carry on bags just may be taken another look at. Pack wisely.
Even if eveyone paks wisely the airplane cannot accomaodate a reasonably sized roll-aboard and a hand item for every single passenger. So you could end up with 200 people who all made it thru security fine, they were carrying a legal amount of stuff, yet when they get to the plane 60 of them have to gate check.
Programs: AA - EXP 1.8MM, HH Diamond, MR Plat (for now), recovering UA Premier
Posts: 117
Quote:
Originally Posted by YLU FF
Can the US maintain current economic output while becoming more productive? To ask the question in a slightly different manner, could the US maintain current GDP while reducing its demand for oil?
The energy intensity of the United States economy (energy consumed per unit of GDP) has dropped over 20% since 1985:
Programs: AA - EXP 1.8MM, HH Diamond, MR Plat (for now), recovering UA Premier
Posts: 117
Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyMeHomeAA
If you gift an award ticket there is no fee, as far as what I've read in the exceptions.
Not quite:
"AAnytimeŽ Economy Class AAdvantage award tickets, MileSAAver(SM) or AAnytime First and Business Class AAdvantage award tickets"
So, if you're in the front of the plane on an award, no fee. If you pay double miles for a back-of-the-bus ticket, no fee. But if you give a 25,000 mile coach ticket to a non-status flier, they need to have their credit cards ready...
Programs: UA-GS, CO-dirt, AS-vacations, SPG-P; past CO-P, TWA/AA-EXP/P, AS-MVPG
Posts: 641
Quote:
Originally Posted by whirledtraveler
This underlines my point. The checked baggage fee had a purpose. It's purpose was to cull out particular types of customers. By your reaction, you've shown that you won't be satisfied with all of the other things that AA is going to have to do to move toward profitability, so you are better off not flying them. In other words, the policy did exactly what it was supposed to do: separate out those who won't have the stomach for it.
The fact of the matter is, AA can not unilaterally raise fares unless the fares stick (that is unless other airlines follow suit). They can, however, increase fees. This is the way markets work. Wishful thinking doesn't nullify their behavior.
this is just silly. what kind of customers are to be culled? Anyone who checks baggage? approx 70% of passangers?
As to fare hikes, they have been sticking, with only WN not always matching them. What may be happening here (unless UA breaks ranks) is that AA did was a very noticable 15 buck each way fare increase, which got terrible press, and whose practical effect is going to be to increase the number of carry ons. I am very curious, and since I'm 1K on UA, can watch from afar, but I think AA mangement is going to end up with egg on their faces over this.
How soon until we all get weighed an pay AA a fee based on total weight they are transporting?
Given that lots of these changes are being done to offset fuel costs, at some point it only makes sense to charge us for the real cost to move us from point A to point B.
Programs: AA EXP & SPG PLT. Long-suffering Mets fan.
Posts: 3,491
Quote:
Originally Posted by whirledtraveler
The checked baggage fee had a purpose. It's purpose was to cull out particular types of customers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by spin88
this is just silly. what kind of customers are to be culled?
This imposes extra charges on non-elite pax, paying discount fares. Or, phrased another way, this imposes extra charges on occasional flyers who buy the lowest fares.
That, to me, is exactly the segment of the market that an airline SHOULD nickel & dime...and yes, I know that means that I should be subject to the same thing when I'm on SkyTeam airlines...
