Paying an airline fee not to pay
If you haven’t already had headaches from new airline fees, the latest may make you reach for the aspirin: If you pay American airlines for a new US$9-19 Boarding and Flexibility Package, you don’t have to pay a fee for priority boarding or getting on a standby flight.
Now American Airlines is selling customers "Boarding and Flexibility" packages that allow regular domestic coach passengers to board planes ahead of others, fly standby and pay half the normal $150 fee for changing a flight itinerary.
Introductory prices under American’s "Your Choice" program range from $9-$19 each way, depending on the route. The cost is $38, for example, for round-trip flights between Seattle and New York or Dallas. Here’s what the new package includes:
• A place in Group 1 of general boarding, which American says "allows you to be one of the first groups to board the plane … immediately following Priority AAccess customers."
The main advantage presumably is first crack at overhead bin space, which has grown tighter as more people carry on bags to avoid checked bag fees.
• A $75 discount on flight-change fees. American typically charges $150 for this service on most types of tickets. Some airlines, such as Southwest, which also has no bag fees, charge no change fees.
• The option to go on standby for an earlier flight on your day of departure. American earlier eliminated standby for all except its premium customers. It sells a "Confirmed Flight Change" option for $50 that entitles a passenger to get a confirmed seat and boarding pass for another flight on the same day of travel.
In addition, the airline said that later this summer it will offer a stand-alone option for passengers to join the Group 1 priority boarding line for an extra $10 each way. The option will be available for purchase up to one hour before a flight’s scheduled departure.
"There really is no ‘free’ lunch in any business," said Jay Sorensen, vice president of Milwaukee-based IdeaWorks, a company that advises airlines on ways to generate new revenue. "This allocates the benefit to those willing to vote with their dollars."
By David Wilkening
David
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