Baggage fees.. Tightening the Screws

[k ellis]

Oh and as for the supply and demand "Game" they play if I recall the airlines demand dropped drasticly when the economy collapsed. Instead of more seats being available for people and so forth the airlines responded to the overabundance of supply by cutting flights and squeezing people into even more cramped conditions.

If more people began to pay for their vacations by staying closer to home or driving then the airlines wont make it more affordable and comfortable with shorter lines and so forth they will just again cut more flights and thus force more people into yet again more tight conditions and the lines will be again long because everyone will show up at the same time to get on an over crowded aircraft.

The airlines will do what ever it takes to gouge the people of every red cent they can and when it looks like the people start getting a better deal then the airlines they will again cut the supply to continue to mile people for all they are worth. Air lines dont care about people and thats proven by simply filing a complaint with them over service. The bad treatment has been going on for decades and no one has ever complained? They simply do not care as long as people are foolish enough to keep paying money.

 

[Mossman]

The airlines will do what ever it takes to gouge the people of every red cent they can and when it looks like the people start getting a better deal then the airlines they will again cut the supply to continue to mile people for all they are worth. Air lines dont care about people and thats proven by simply filing a complaint with them over service. The bad treatment has been going on for decades and no one has ever complained? They simply do not care as long as people are foolish enough to keep paying money.

If you think it's foolish to pay money to fly on a plane, fine. It's your money. When I fly, I try to get the best arrangement for my money and then consider the money well spent as part of my vacation budget. If I thought it foolish, I'd spend the money on something else. If everyone thought it foolish, you're right, the airlines would all go out of business. Right now, however, there are apparently enough "fools" that pay the baggage fees, put up with cramped conditions and lousy service and long invasive security checks, and get "gouged out of every red cent" so they can go on vacation or whatever. I think people are fools for driving monster trucks, spending a fortune on golf clubs and greens fees, or tithing 10% to their favorite church. But it's their money, their pastimes. Me, I tithe 10% percent to my favorite airline and enjoy wherever it is that it takes me.

I'm curious why you feel people should get "a better deal than the airlines"? This isn't a casino where you try to beat the house. Airlines are in it for profit. If the customers are getting "a better deal" then of course the airlines are going to take steps to restore their profits. If you don't like that, fly Aeroflot or China Airlines or Cubana and bitch to the proper communist air travel authorities. If you don't like Continental's service, however, you have to make your voice heard over all of their shareholders because if you're getting a better deal, they're getting a raw deal. (For the record, I am no longer a CO shareholder, so don't complain to me!)

 

[k ellis]

I am no longer a CO shareholder, so don't complain to me!)

LOL I wont.

Continental is no friend of mine anyway. I have flown 3 times with them on non stop flights and they always loose my bags. I do prefer southwest but hey I dont fly as much as I used too. I drive and see America and enjoy the scenery and the huge savings that go with it.

 

[k ellis]

and as for why people should get a good deal. This is just my opinion with no flaming intended but America was founded for the people not the Elite. Nothing should be out of reach for those who try their hardest but never get a break.

 

[budaman]

however, there are apparently enough "fools" that pay the baggage fees, put up with cramped conditions and lousy service and long invasive security checks, and get "gouged out of every red cent" so they can go on vacation or whatever.


I'm a fool & ready to go right now! Now, if I can just get my boss to let me have time off......that's the real crime. Average vacation for Europeans is 30 days.....we're lucky to get two weeks!

Mike

 

[k ellis]

however, there are apparently enough "fools" that pay the baggage fees, put up with cramped conditions and lousy service and long invasive security checks, and get "gouged out of every red cent" so they can go on vacation or whatever.


I'm a fool & ready to go right now! Now, if I can just get my boss to let me have time off......that's the real crime. Average vacation for Europeans is 30 days.....we're lucky to get two weeks!

Mike

LOL that there are. I know what you mean about when you want to go you want to go. I wish my boss would let me off work too I only get 6 weeks off per year.

 

[DandyDon]

LOL I wont.

Continental is no friend of mine anyway. I have flown 3 times with them on non stop flights and they always loose my bags. I do prefer southwest but hey I dont fly as much as I used too. I drive and see America and enjoy the scenery and the huge savings that go with it.

I've had my experiences with Cont, a couple bad, mostly good. They've never lost my bags and when I needed to escape Coz before a Cat-5 hurricane was to hit, they flew in an empty plane just for evacuations and didn't charge me extra.

Another time they had to ground their first departure out of Lubbock for mechanical problems, so to make sure I still got to Coz that day - they asked American to take me, no extra charge. Southwest will never be able to do that. Then there is the time they had to ground the last flight back to LBB but they took care of my hotel - at the Marriott, not some fleabag miles away. I only hope they remain as good with United.

 

[k ellis]

I've had my experiences with Cont, a couple bad, mostly good. They've never lost my bags and when I needed to escape Coz before a Cat-5 hurricane was to hit, they flew in an empty plane just for evacuations and didn't charge me extra.

Another time they had to ground their first departure out of Lubbock for mechanical problems, so to make sure I still got to Coz that day - they asked American to take me, no extra charge. Southwest will never be able to do that. Then there is the time they had to ground the last flight back to LBB but they took care of my hotel - at the Marriott, not some fleabag miles away. I only hope they remain as good with United.

LOL I got grounded once and all they gave me was a pillow. They told me they were not responsible for the fact the plane was having some issues to where they could not land on time. American has to date not let me down nor has united. With the gouging they are doing now I have found it more relaxing to get a group of friends together to team drive and go to Florida and see some great diving there. If you do the math it may take say 400 dollars round trip and if you got 3 friends going paying their way I have now transported all of our bags, do not need a rental car and also as well we are constantly making progress.

Yes it takes longer but what is it worth? My life savings or enjoying the vacation to the fullest once I arrive. There are exceptions to every rule and some of them you have little choice but to hand over your 401K to the greed mongers but again its like others have stated too. Is it worth living a good life and enjoying life or surrendering thousands for the beniefit of arriving a few hours ahead of time.

For the single person flying may be in the ball park of driving but for a family of 4 it just does not make enconomical sense to just burn money in my opinion. For this reason I usually cruise to Cozumel for around what it would cost the flight alone. I lose the beniefit of having extra time but gain the beniefit of being able to travel for 6 weeks out of the year and comfortably enjoy diving some of Americas most beautiful dive sites!

 

[cvchief]

and as for why people should get a good deal. This is just my opinion with no flaming intended but America was founded for the people not the Elite. Nothing should be out of reach for those who try their hardest but never get a break.

I am impressed constantly that 'ordinary' Americans can afford to travel on vacation to exotic places like Mexico. I bet if you could drag the founders forward in time and tour a few people's homes today and listen to their stories they would say, "Holy C$%P, this whole thing worked out pretty well." On the other hand the Revolution was a lot of people B$%^ing about parting with their money, so that tradition continues.... Course Ben Franklin's print shop supplies beer during the working day, so some things are definitely worse.....

 

[Mike]

Oh and as for the supply and demand "Game" they play if I recall the airlines demand dropped drasticly when the economy collapsed. Instead of more seats being available for people and so forth the airlines responded to the overabundance of supply by cutting flights and squeezing people into even more cramped conditions.

If more people began to pay for their vacations by staying closer to home or driving then the airlines wont make it more affordable and comfortable with shorter lines and so forth they will just again cut more flights and thus force more people into yet again more tight conditions and the lines will be again long because everyone will show up at the same time to get on an over crowded aircraft.

The airlines will do what ever it takes to gouge the people of every red cent they can and when it looks like the people start getting a better deal then the airlines they will again cut the supply to continue to mile people for all they are worth. Air lines dont care about people and thats proven by simply filing a complaint with them over service. The bad treatment has been going on for decades and no one has ever complained? They simply do not care as long as people are foolish enough to keep paying money.

Here is the problem - airlines and just about any business offer a product to an existing market with existing conditions, few businesses make a new market.

If the market was there, you'd see airlines playing off the weeknesses of what is going on with their competitors by diferentiating their product. Basically an airline for example would enlarge coach seating noticably and market their airline product as "We have way bigger seats", an airline would start serving great free meals and market their product as "We serve great free food", an airline would start not charging for bags or give you 100 lb allowances and market their product as "Bring as many bags as you want, we don't care, we won't treat you like the other guys"

Why don't you see an airline doing this yet? Because the market isn't there to pay for the offset in an increased ticket price to allow them to provide those things. They can't be done without a cost involved, this isn't magic and its not about being a 'good' business, it's simple mathmatics so don't even go there. To offer more you're going to have to charge more, and obviously the market isn't there, because while I'm pretty smart, but I'm not a genius that has this figured out and no airline has thought of this.

Problem is the market - the american flying public still hasn't reached the squeeling point where enough is enough yet. They (or you all) are still willing to put up with less and less as long as the you get a low priced ticket. You'll still bitch about it without a doubt, but you won't pay more to get more. Not yet anyways.