Free drinks in the Red Carpet Club! Yeah! Sounds great, doesn't it?

Not from my perspective.

I'm flying down to Sydney tonight in business class. I order a "premium" beer (i.e., not Budweiser) at the bar and am told it's $6.00. Seems a bit dear for a "free" drink.

I put the order on hold and go to the check-in desk and ask for a couple of drink coupons. "We don't hand those out any more."

Last week I would have gotten a free "premium" beer with the drink coupons. Now with "free" drinks in the Red Carpet Club, I get to pay $6.00 for a drink.

If this is what we have to look forward to with the merger, I sure wish it hadn't gone through.