Pattis, this is as easy as pie...
First of all, the day I have to start reading all of the fine print on an airline ticket (and there is already a ton of it) is the day I stop flying.
Look, it's really very simple - if the airlines are really trying to be upfront about this they WOULD ADD THE COST TO THE TICKET PRICE like they have in the past. Anyone who has purchased a car can tell you how ****** they are when they find out the real price after all of the extra charges have been added. That's why car salesmen and auto dealerships consistently rank at the top of most mistrusted lists. Is that what the airlines want too? I'm OK with the extra charges if they're warranted (really I am) but THEY SHOULD BE UP FRONT AND ADD IT TO THE PRICE OF THE TICKET!!!
Using your "pay per use" argument they should start weighing that fat guy that always sits next to me on the plane that is 200+ pounds overweight and oooozes into my seat. Can you image scales at the airport for baggage AND passengers! Come on, admit it....the airlines are trying to do this under the radar so passengers don't revolt. Even so, once everyone figures out where this is going people will be even more ******. I stood in line for about 40 minutes yesterday (behind only 10 people) at an airport checking baggage because the attendants from the airlines were billing everyone for luggage. That's all we need is something else to slow down the process at the airport.
I'm telling you from what I saw there, people are ****** and are at the point where they're trying to justify if it's worth all the time and hassle. People that are going on vacation will avoid flying and stay closer to home and anyone that has to travel anywhere that's within 10-12 hours driving distance is going to think twice about flying. By the time you drive to the airport, find reasonable parking, check your bags and go through security you can easily burn 3 or more hours. Add that to the back end of your trip and the flight time and it's hardly worth it. I really don't think the airlines have factored all that in or will be able to afford the lost revenue. You can't charge your extra fees if travellers don't buy tickets in the first place.
Well Pattis, I wish you luck but I think your job is in serious jeopardy if the airlines continue down this path. Ask people that fly....they're not as ****** about the price as they are about the way this is all being handled.
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