United tries $249 fee to check luggage for a year

[minitour]

You get to jumpseat, thats great, but I was talking about paying passangers who are at the airline's mercy when something goes wrong.

I do?

All this time, I thought the company bought me a ticket for travel. I knew I was doing something wrong.

But like you said, what do I know about FL being superior to UAs domestic product, I don't work around it or anything and see how they treat their passengers. Oh wait, I do.

Good for you. I still don't see why that means you get to decide that "A is better than B". That may be true for some passengers (ie, they may agree with you), but certainly not all of them. For me, it's about getting me where I need to go in the fewest possible legs in the most comfortable seat. If I can't get to where I need to go on AirTran, but I can on United, how would I honestly be able to say that AirTran has a superior product for me at that time?

To put it another way, it's like saying "Yellow is the best color". Okay, that's nice...but my favorite color is Red. You can't quantify something like this for each and every person out there. Some people (my MIL) despise AirTran. Some people can't stand flying United. Some can't stand American. Some won't fly a "regional". Some won't fly a prop of any kind (the pax we're picking up later today). If I showed up today with a King Air, while it fits the mission and is no doubt more "roomy" for the pax, they would still think that xyz charter company is a superior product because they brought them down in an Eclipse jet. It's too subjective.

-mini

 

[ChasenSFO]

Well I respect your opinion then. If all you care about is a comfy place to sleep and a non-stop flight, then obviously you aren't going to care about what goes on while you're sleeping. I look into more factors than that. I was just giving my opinion, I'm sure there are people who like United better. I for one think AirTran is much better when compared to UA. Everyones different.

 

[derg]

I'm all about customer service.

If $10 to $40 is going to break the bank, chances are I shouldn't be flying anyway.

Besides, if I choose the Marriott brand over Motel Six, why in the world would I not choose an airline for customer service?

 

[minitour]

Everyones different.

Exactly. Which is why I asked how you figured FL is "superior". Different strokes for different girlfriends..er...folks.

For some people it's about in flight amenities. For some, it's customer service. For some, it's assigned seats. For me...if they can keep me comfy and not let the brat behind me kick my seat and scream the whole flight while getting me where I want to go, I'm a happy camper.

Free :beer: wouldn't be bad either.

...then there's my wife's Grandparents. The won't get on a flight if the plane doesn't seat over 100 people. They, too, think I'm dangerous for flying these "little planes". To each their own, I s'pose.

-mini

 

[ChasenSFO]

I'm all about customer service.

If $10 to $40 is going to break the bank, chances are I shouldn't be flying anyway.

Besides, if I choose the Marriott brand over Motel Six, why in the world would I not choose an airline for customer service?

Thats how I think too, but I've learned most people don't care. Whereas in Europe people will complain that the freshly prepared fettichini Alfredo they get on a CRJ-200 on a 1.5 hour flight is cold, and they will go with another airline next time. I wish we had that option here in the states.:drool:

 

[minitour]

Thats how I think too, but I've learned most people don't care. Whereas in Europe people will complain that the freshly prepared fettichini Alfredo they get on a CRJ-200 on a 1.5 hour flight is cold, and they will go with another airline next time. I wish we had that option here in the states.:drool:

Meals on a 1.5 hour flight? Last time I was awake for a 1.5 hour flight, we didn't even get drinks...and I was hella thirsty.

-mini

 

[ChasenSFO]

I know right? Here ya go, courtesy of Airlinemeals.net. This is what travel is like in EU.

Lunch on an LH Cityline CRJ200 on a 1.5 hour flight. Business class.

LH RJ85 on a 1 hour flight.

1 hour flight on an Austrian Arrows CRJ-200.

1 hour flight on an Austrian Arrows Q400.

1 hour flight on an Air France Regional Emb-120.

And...of course...

3 hour flight in FIRST CLASS on Skywest/UAX.

Seeing is believing, gentlemen.

 

[wheelsup]

I'm all about customer service.

If $10 to $40 is going to break the bank, chances are I shouldn't be flying anyway.

Besides, if I choose the Marriott brand over Motel Six, why in the world would I not choose an airline for customer service?

That's your decision. You choose to stay in a Marriott, when I go somewhere we stay in La Quintas. Does that mean if we can't afford the Marriott $200/night (or don't want to compromise elsewhere) we shouldn't stay in a hotel?

Saving a few bucks on the airline tickets, a few bucks on the car rental, a few bucks on the hotel, and a few bucks on eating out (my family typically bought groceries on their Hilton Head vacations) and it all adds up to a lot of savings for the average middle class family who has to save all year for a vacation.

 

[derg]

That's your decision. You choose to stay in a Marriott, when I go somewhere we stay in La Quintas. Does that mean if we can't afford the Marriott $200/night (or don't want to compromise elsewhere) we shouldn't stay in a hotel?

Saving a few bucks on the airline tickets, a few bucks on the car rental, a few bucks on the hotel, and a few bucks on eating out (my family typically bought groceries on their Hilton Head vacations) and it all adds up to a lot of savings for the average middle class family who has to save all year for a vacation.

Of course it's my decision. I like clean towels, orderly clientele and being able to pick up the telephone when somehting isn't correct with my room and have it rectified rather than Atlantatude when the front desk presumes I'm trying to eek out a freebie.

Which is why I was with AT&T and Tmobile rather than Boost "Where you at, dawg" Mobile -- I want reliability, customer service and network performance.

If I'm putting my life into a flight crews hands for up to 15 hours at a time, I'm not going to go cheap and fly Tower Air rather than a reliable international carrier. All airlines are not the same customer service or safety wise and if it's that important that I save a significant amount on a ticket to make a vacation work, it's staycation time.

Rental cars, I'm an AVIS and Budget guy. I saved some money by going with Payless in MCO a few months ago, the car smelled like fetid, naughty chimpanzee, pre-existing damage and I got tired of the "upsell".

"You know sir, if you damage this (already damaged) car, we will charge you the full amount. I'm concerned that well, Orlando is a dangerous place and if anything happens to the car, baby Jesus is going to cry and fire and brimstone will rain on your credit card, blah blah blah."

 

[pullup]

Of course it's my decision. I like clean towels, orderly clientele and being able to pick up the telephone when somehting isn't correct with my room and have it rectified rather than Atlantatude when the front desk presumes I'm trying to eek out a freebie.

Which is why I was with AT&T and Tmobile rather than Boost "Where you at, dawg" Mobile -- I want reliability, customer service and network performance.

If I'm putting my life into a flight crews hands for up to 15 hours at a time, I'm not going to go cheap and fly Tower Air rather than a reliable international carrier. All airlines are not the same customer service or safety wise and if it's that important that I save a significant amount on a ticket to make a vacation work, it's staycation time.

Rental cars, I'm an AVIS and Budget guy. I saved some money by going with Payless in MCO a few months ago, the car smelled like fetid, naughty chimpanzee, pre-existing damage and I got tired of the "upsell".

"You know sir, if you damage this (already damaged) car, we will charge you the full amount. I'm concerned that well, Orlando is a dangerous place and if anything happens to the car, baby Jesus is going to cry and fire and brimstone will rain on your credit card, blah blah blah."

Those examples don't exactly carry over to my needs. I agree 100% with wheels that every little bit helps. Hell, I just took a drivers insurance reduction course to save $20/month. Free money. Most of my flights are under 3 hrs, so what kind of customer service am I expecting in steerage? None really. Point me to my seat, crack open a Pepsi and pick up my trash. Trips over before it really starts. You can't point to safety as a factor since all major carriers are pretty much even. $10-$40 is not breaking the bank by any means but it means 1/4-full gas tank for "free". International flights I would look for a little more quality of CS but still I am only expecting to get from point A to B safely and reasonably on time.

 

[wheelsup]

If I'm putting my life into a flight crews hands for up to 15 hours at a time, I'm not going to go cheap and fly Tower Air rather than a reliable international carrier. All airlines are not the same customer service or safety wise and if it's that important that I save a significant amount on a ticket to make a vacation work, it's staycation time.

I guess I have more faith in UAL, US Air, AA etc. crews vs. DAL than you do then. It all adds up. Coach is the same for pretty much every American carrier these days. And if it's not, the small difference in service doesn't make up for saving that money in most peoples budgets.

 

[Polar742]

If I'm putting my life into a flight crews hands for up to 15 hours at a time, I'm not going to go cheap and fly Tower Air rather than a reliable international carrier. All airlines are not the same customer service or safety wise and if it's that important that I save a significant amount on a ticket to make a vacation work, it's staycation time.

It's funny. I fly with several ex-Tower Air guys. All are good pilots.

I was talking with one yesterday, and he said all the time he apologizes for them not putting out a good cabin product.

He also mentioned that the CAs were over 200k year, some even got into the 300s and FOs easily cleared 100k. Granted, it's not the crazy money some others were making, but not bad for a place known as a bottom feeder and even better considering today's "going rates"

First hand info.

Sorry for the derail....

 

[ChasenSFO]

Sounds like the Tower Air guys had a good thing going for them, too bad the people who ran the airline couldn't have done it much worse as far as customer service and baggage handling went. Didn't they have one of the worst lost/mishandled bag percentages of all time?

 

[Polar742]

Sounds like the Tower Air guys had a good thing going for them, too bad the people who ran the airline couldn't have done it much worse as far as customer service and baggage handling went. Didn't they have one of the worst lost/mishandled bag percentages of all time?

I wouldn't doubt it.

...and for complete disclosure, they said it was blood money. They definitely worked for it.

They did have a cool work rule. If the company took and reduced your overnight under what it was scheduled, they'd look back and forward for the whole trip and you'd make like 1.5X your hourly rate.

One guy I talked with made 10k one month as a first year FE.

 

[MikeD]

It's funny. I fly with several ex-Tower Air guys. All are good pilots.

I was talking with one yesterday, and he said all the time he apologizes for them not putting out a good cabin product.

He also mentioned that the CAs were over 200k year, some even got into the 300s and FOs easily cleared 100k. Granted, it's not the crazy money some others were making, but not bad for a place known as a bottom feeder and even better considering today's "going rates"

First hand info.

Sorry for the derail....

I can still remember sitting #1 at RKSO waiting to go, and watching a Tower Air 747 on long final and ATC reporting that he's losing parts off his engine cowlings. Plane landed safely and was promptly grounded for the maintenance probs that were found with it.