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Airlines

Airline Fees and Why We Pay Them

August 17, 2008 at 1:05 PM | 3 Comments

At the deli by our office, a turkey sandwich used to be four dollars even. Then, about two years ago, they started adding sales tax on top of that, when it used to be included. Not long after that, a couple slices of tomato suddenly cost an extra fifty cents. Within weeks they came for the lettuce: another fifty cents. What's next, a quarter for a squirt of mustard? The underlying justification here, of course, suggests a redefinition of the sandwich. For the purposes of the JY Deli, a sandwich consists of lunch meat on bread with your choice of butter, mayo, or mustard. Everything else - lettuce, tomato, pickle - is ancillary, and thus, costs extra. It's an à la carte approach, designed to mask the creeping prices under the pretense of giving the customer more control over their order. After all, some people don't like lettuce. Why should they be forced to pay for it?

The airline industry seems to have taken a page from the deli book. Using the same à la carte sales philosophy, they've been tacking on extra fees for luggage, blankets, legroom, and even beverages, which were once seen as the one sacrosanct right of all travelers. An interesting story in the New York Times this weekend has an in-depth analysis of all the extra fees, and why the flying public is more or less okay with paying them. The gist of it is, it's seen as unavoidable, and much too profitable for the airlines to stop now. After all, the definition of a flight these days is little more than a seat on an airplane. In-flight amenities - and even checked luggage - now cost extra.

There are a few holdouts, though. Southwest Airlines advertises "freedom from fees," and Delta doesn't yet charge for the first checked bag. And in a move that could almost be described as Orwellian, there's talk about introducing higher all-inclusive fares that include the things that were, until recently, included in regular fares. But whatever the airlines are charging, the traveling public will likely pay up, given the lack of good transportation alternatives. Just like we keep paying six bucks for a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and mustard.

Related Stories:
· At Least the Airsickness Bags are Free [The New York Times]
· Airline News Coverage [Jaunted]