27 August 2008

More Fees Please!

One in flight customer said he should wear a change belt to account for all of the additional costs he now encounters while traveling. HeÃ¢â¬â¢s not far off as it appears to be getting far worse not better, with fewer amenities offered and more fees charged.

David Stempler, the president of the Air Travelers Association advocacy group. Ã¢â¬ÅâœThis is the new era of a fee for every service. We should get used to it.Ã¢â¬~
Airlines will adjust its flight attendant staffing to the minimum level required by the Federal Aviation Administration and begin charging up to $9 for snacks on certain domestic and international flights in October.

Rising fuel costs have forced airlines to cut staffing in most employee groups and charge for a range of products and services that were previously considered part of the ticket price, as a way of extracting revenue from airline passengers.
Those who once grumbled at the small bag of complimentary pretzels once offered on United flights may now long for them wistfully as they too are their way out along with the pillow and blanket.

In a memo sent to flight attendants on Monday, United said it will no longer offer customers complimentary cookies and pretzels on certain flights and will expand its selection of snacks for purchase on flights lasting about two to three hours, effective Sept. 2, following testing in select markets.

In the memo, United said, "In the wake of high fuel prices and a challenging economic environment, we must continue to examine every aspect of our business and find new ways to improve our day-to-day operations through efficiencies that still meet our customers' expectations."

In October, the airline will raise prices of its snack boxes on longer flights. Shelf-stable items will see prices rise a dollar to $6, while fresh items will go up to $9 from $7.

The changes won't apply to customers traveling in the first-class cabin. However, those in business class will receive complimentary beverages only. They too will have to buck up and pay for any snack items.

United, in the latest attempt to curb losses caused by record-high fuel costs, will become the first U.S. airline to begin charging some passengers for meals on selected overseas flights.

The carrier will offer food for purchase on its flights to Europe originating from Washington D.C.Ã¢â¬â¢s Dulles International Airport, beginning on 1 October, noted a spokeswoman for the airline, Robin Urbanski.

This newest change extends the list of items that airlines are now charging for, which used to be offered as complimentary. The carriers are trying to combat the effects of a 52 percent increase in the cost of jet fuel this last year. United AirlineÃ¢â¬â¢s parent, UAL Corp., has reported net losses totaling $3.32 billion over the last three quarters. It is cutting 7,000 jobs and grounding a total of 100 aircraft to reduce its operating costs.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœInternational flights have historically been sacrosanct from these kinds of charges,Ã¢â¬~ said Stempler, of Air Travelers Association.

In June, US Airways Inc. became the first airline to charge for nonalcoholic beverages.

Several U.S. carriers, including United and US Airways Inc., have begun charging passengers a fee for the first checked bag on top of a higher fee for checking a second bag.

By Karen Loftus