... and will be packaged and served in Y for $5.00 for the Soylent Green bar meal kit.
CO FF, I agree - but we should see if this fee sticks to the kitchen ceiling at the end of next week. It'll depend on the other airlines jumping on the buckboard, to mix more metaphors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by whirledtraveler
Nope. The people who choose not to pay it will be culled.
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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
Nope. The people who choose not to pay it will be culled.
no the folks who chose not to pay it will (1) fly another airline, or (2) delay flights when they try to carry on their luggage. How many duffle bags, etc will now show up at boarding. More of (2) than (1) will occur in my opinion.b
Since AA is very close to chapter 11, and very well might not get exit funding to get out, loosing passangers, even a few, and or further opporational delays, is the last thing AA sould be doing. Ask what poor OPs has done to US....
The problem I see are the poor check in agents when they tell Ma and Pa Kettle and their two dirty, poorly behaved monsters (oh I mean't children) are going to pay $120 R/T to check their bags. Because Ma and Pa Kettle really don't read the newspaper about what's going on and are too concerned about Britney Spears and the two Davids on American Idol, and AA probably won't set something up in booking process to advise paxs before booking about the new fees.
Ahhh... I see now. Its the mob who is the real problem.
AA is a huge airline that is trying lots of things to stop the bleeding... some good, others maybe not so good. It makes for an amusing debate on FT, but I will also throw my vote in with those waaaaaay back on the early pages that say to AA. Glad to see them fighting.
I recall seeing threads about the topic previously, but never have I seen 'official' confirmation of an official AA blog.
Quote:
Mr. Flanagan, who felt media coverage of the announcement and on some blogs was very fair, said American injected itself into conversations online only when inaccuracies were being reported. He said American hopes to have its own corporate blog operational within the next two quarters.
American Airlines is reducing capacity as much as 12% and laying off thousands -- moves The Wall Street Journal characterized as "drastic steps" that "many view as a greater threat to U.S. airlines than the industry crisis triggered by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." Yet those shifts were all but lost in the media coverage and PR backlash generated by a third move it's making: instituting a first-checked-bag fee of $15 each way.
Coming at a time when customer satisfaction with airlines declined for the third straight year, American knew what would be unwelcome news and tried to get out ahead of it with a detailed communications plan centered on talking points such as the impact of fuel prices, increasing competition, a detailed breakdown of the increasing cost of business and its fuel-conservation programs. Monitoring of the blogosphere also got under way immediately.
"We understood that consumers would be frustrated with another fee," said Mike Flanagan, senior VP at Weber Shandwick, American's public-relations shop of record. "Precisely for that reason; we did our best to communicate the full impact that oil is having on our business." Predictably, the public had little sympathy. Al St. Germain, director-airline practice at Landor, said that "the fuel crisis is so staggering for them internally that they have to take the PR hit." He added: "It's almost a no-win situation because customers don't want to hear about the problems of a giant corporation."
Programs: aa exp/5.8 mm, spg platinum, ual 643,415 air miles and no longer trying
Posts: 922
i sent a polite email to customer service when the 2nd bag fee went into effect asking whether my family would have to pay for a second bag if travelling with me on a saver award while i am on a paid ticket. as there is no way to mix award and paid tickets on the same pnr i wanted to know if this would fit into the exception for people travelling on the same reservation as an elite flyer ( my family does not have status ). i got a polite no back.
after the charge for the first bag came out i sent a less than polite email saying that in this situation i cannot believe they would make me pay for my family to check the first bag. in fact i said if this is the way they are going to treat travellers like me when travelling with their families then i will no longer buy tickets from aa when their fares are more expensive than other carriers ( which i do 99% of the time because i am loyal to aa and prefer them to wn or ua).
here is the response i got today:
Dear Mr. abk:
I've received your most recent email and am disappointed to learn that you are
still
upset with us regarding the new baggage policy implemented by our senior
executives
and Board of Directors.. At the same time, I'm glad you provided us with
additional
comments.
At American Airlines we are truly dedicated to making certain that our customers
have
a pleasant experience when flying with us. Your constructive criticism will
help us
meet that objective.
Sincerely,
Customer Relations
American Airlines
i am not quite sure what i expected but i would have at least thought a thank you for your business would be in order.
"The most obvious and most recent sign of a panicked retreat from the crisis is American's decision to charge for any checked luggage. Whether it spreads across the industry or not makes no difference: it is a bad service decision."
charging for bags is one thing but now they have really done it.
Reading this...and seeing all the responses in the DL forum to the news that DL will be adding a new type of beer to its in-flight beer selection...sometimes I think FT is where all the drop-outs from AA end up.
Programs: aa exp/5.8 mm, spg platinum, ual 643,415 air miles and no longer trying
Posts: 922
Quote:
Originally Posted by chicagorich
Reading this...and seeing all the responses in the DL forum to the news that DL will be adding a new type of beer to its in-flight beer selection...sometimes I think FT is where all the drop-outs from AA end up.
American Eagle will cut back its service out of San Juan from 55 flights a day to 33 flights a day this winter, but cuts will not made in flights between Miami and San Juan, according to a memo from American Eagle CEO Peter Bowler to employees Tuesday.
The reduced American Eagle schedule in San Juan comes because American is also reducing its San Juan operation this winter to combat high fuel prices, the memo says.
American Eagle will continue to serve the same destinations from San Juan, with the exception of Aruba and Samana, Dominican Republic.
''Eagle frequency to other Caribbean destinations will be reduced,'' Bowler wrote. ``Specific schedules will be published shortly.''
well i think mia connections are the most frequent? i think there were 3 or 4 a day from dfw and one from lax, if they cut those for me, id be connecting thru mia, otherwise ill be ok most planes from mia were full
to AA. Glad to see them fighting.
most planes from mia were full
