American Airlines has truth on its side, still gets beaten up

Fort Worth Star Telegram ^ | Tue, Aug. 12, 2008 | TREBOR BANSTETTER

[nralife]

Tue, Aug. 12, 2008

American Airlines has truth on its side, still gets beaten up

By TREBOR BANSTETTER
tbanstetter@star-telegram.com

It sounds like another of those "greedy airline" stories that are always so popular around the water cooler: American Airlines is forcing soldiers heading to combat duty in Iraq to pay baggage fees for checking duffel bags loaded with military equipment.

It’s a great story, except that it’s largely untrue.

(snip)

[nralife]

"The airline also noted it doesn’t charge fees to soldiers traveling directly to duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. Those flights are operated as special charters for the military under the Civilian Reserve Air Fleet program and don’t operate under the same rules as commercial flights."

[hunter112]

Well, American Airlines has been screwing over people even more than most of the national airlines, the excuse for charging fifty bucks to use frequent flyer miles to upgrade to first class is "It costs more in fuel."

Well, my butt is just as heavy in coach as it is in first class! Glad I could make a swap for 25,000 AA miles for 50,000 Hilton Hhonors points this week, I'm getting five nights free lodging at a Hampton Inn on my next vacation back to the Portland area.

[nralife]

"Well, American Airlines has been screwing over people even more than most of the national airlines, the excuse for charging fifty bucks to use frequent flyer miles to upgrade to first class is "It costs more in fuel."

I hear ya. It's just that AA is the only legacy carrier that I'm aware of that hasn't filed for bankruptcy protection. Nor have they dumped their pension plans on the tax paying public.

"Well, my butt is just as heavy in coach as it is in first class! Glad I could make a swap for 25,000 AA miles for 50,000 Hilton Hhonors points this week, I'm getting five nights free lodging at a Hampton Inn on my next vacation back to the Portland area."

Yes, but only so many butts will fit in first class. I'm pretty sure AA would like people buying first class tickets, rather than upgrading with miles. Or if they do upgrade, AA thinks they need to generate some revenue.

They may end up in bankruptcy anyway...

[MARTIAL MONK]

Yeah, but the poor guys in coach have to get out and push.

[I see my hands]

"American Airlines has been screwing over people even more than most of the national airlines, the excuse for charging fifty bucks to use frequent flyer miles to upgrade to first class is "It costs more in fuel."

I say good. Even first class has been turning into the Greyhound experience with the upgraders. I'd like to see the airlines double their fares. And, hell yeah, charge for the bags. Jets are supposed to be human conveyances not Allied Van Lines.

[exit82]

22 years ago, the major airlines laughed at People Express.

Now they are People Express.

[trumandogz]

American is by far the worse of the major airlines.

[neb52]

I think it will boiled down to AA being the only US international and long haul carrier with The Cattle Car Company and Jet Blues of the industry filling in the shorter routes.

[cynwoody]

And, hell yeah, charge for the bags.

Not a good idea. I hate nuisance charges. Normal baggage should be included in the fare. You don't want to encourage pack animal behavior. It takes enough time already to load and unload the passenger cabin, with people carrying way more stuff than they can handle quickly. They should just bundle everything into the fare. And if the higher price relegates the riff-raff to the real Greyhound, well, that's just fine!

[I see my hands]

That's easy. Severely limit carry on. Very severely. Charge for it too.

[kmiller1k]

I fly a lot and and recently the absurdity of what people are carrying on is ridiculous. Three bags???? A garment bag (a carry on?), a wheelie bag and a computer bag. And of course they are too large to fit in the overhead bins so they get “tagged” by the flight crew at the plane door and put in stowage anyway. What gives? I carry on one bag and my purse. Carry on in the overhead and my purse under the seat in front of me. I am waiting for the airlines to now weigh, measure and limit how many “carry ons” one may have.

As usual, a few people stretching the rules will ruin it for the rest of us flying public.

[hunter112]

Frankly, I’d be happy to pay 10% more to sit in a non-kid section of coach. With the airlines charging for every little thing these days, you’d have thought they’d have upped the half-price fare (maybe to 75%) for the crumb-grabbers, and stop letting squalling seat-kickers on for free.

[nralife]

Bump!