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Enjoy drinks on a flight? It's going to cost you
While you're saving for your day of air travel, keep a few dollars tucked into your wallet. You'll need them if you don't want to be sucking like a guppy out of a fish bowl when you get to your destination.
The latest trend in the pay-as-you-go flight experience is to charge for drinks. So far, credit cards won't cut it. It's cash only.
On August 1, U.S. Airways will start charging $2 for soda, water, tea, juice and coffee and up the cost for alcoholic beverages from $5 to $7 to passengers flying economy class.
Oh, woe is me. There goes my "Could I have an orange juice, club soda AND coffee?" routine. As trends go, considering carriers have jumped on the charge for all checked bags scenario, I expect the drink charges will also follow suit.
Just great. I've been on this kind of flight before. It was called SkyBus, and we know how that airline turned out. We flew to Seattle from Columbus. Since our flights cost $330 a piece already, we didn't spring for the drinks until the flight back. Then it was one tea and an orange juice. A few months later, on a Delta flight to California, I thought how hospitable it felt to be given something to drink. I even sprang for the wine.
It may not seem like a big deal to have to pay for drinks on a flight, but personally, with airlines acting like they are relatives to a discount grocery store, the kind that just opens cardboard boxes up to save on shelving costs, whatever excitement there was taking a flight is now gone. People shop at grocery stores where food is artfully displayed, partly for the experience.
Where drinks are concerned, particularly since you can't take liquids through TSA and airport prices are expensive, I'd rather have $5 tacked to the price of a ticket and let me think I'm being treated like a welcome guest. Would you let guests come to your house and not even offer them water, particularly on a day when it's 90 degrees outside?
I wonder if this coffee pictured here on my last flight from San Diego to Columbus was my last free drink? If I had known, I would have savored it more. As the trends are going, I'd rather take Greyhound for anything that will take me just a day to get there. [Read Washington Post article]
Filed under: Business, Food and Drink, Airlines, Transportation, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BrianM Jun 13th 2008 12:55PM
How long till they charge for the air to breathe, padding on the seats, window shades on the windows and finally, are we going to just be loaded into easily stacked "pods" and loaded on a Cargo plane?
Time to call off flying for the next couple of years.. let the airlines get things worked out (economy, no nothing flights and "full service" flights with appropriate differences in prices), and I'll just make sure to choose the full service flight, pay a little more and plan the trip a LOT better so as to not waste the awful experience of flying on a mediocre trip.
Drew Jun 13th 2008 1:13PM
Southwest's free drinks are still free.
Nick Jun 13th 2008 1:45PM
Sounds like a bigger scam than just decreasing revenues -- I wouldn't be surprised if the airline wasn't in cahoots somehow with the food service operators of the various airports. Since you can't bring your own bottle of water, juice, soda, alcohol, etc. through the TSA checkpoints, you're forced to buy something either in the air, or at one of the overpriced vending machines / stores at the airport.
Maybe bring your own empty water bottle and hunt for a non-existent water fountain on your concourse and fill it up before flying?
sheesh.
Moody75 Jun 13th 2008 2:12PM
Nick, that is exactly what I do. Bring an empty bottle and fill after security.
The real scam is not in the drinks....its the fact that you *have to* put toiletries in checked luggage....that costs $15 for the first bag.
Mikael Jun 13th 2008 2:47PM
Is it only American airlines that add these extra fees for bags, drinks, food etc? I haven't heard anything from regular European airliners (although LCCs have been doing this for years).
TravelBot Jun 13th 2008 3:09PM
So, if airlines are charging for everything you come to expect in a flight - what the heck is the fare for? Very puzzling!
Darren Jun 13th 2008 5:42PM
Surely this doesn't apply to all flights? 8+ hours without a drink...?
Mike Jun 14th 2008 6:21AM
Heck, let's just put in vending machines and fire all the flight attendants! THAT will save some money...
Heather Jun 14th 2008 1:14PM
Hey Mike,
And then who will save you if that time ever comes? The vending machine? Is the vending machine going to give you CPR? Or evacuate the airplane? Need I remind you of the crash last week? FA's are not onboard to serve you, they're onboard for your safety (1 FA per certain amount of passengers) and while we're there -for your safety - we'll serve you a drink.
Heather Poole
One of the "vending machines"
Ewrflyer Jun 17th 2008 11:01PM
Cheers to you Heather. Seriously people, think before you make silly comments.
Tom Jun 18th 2008 9:08AM
NEW AIRLINE RULES
Attendant: Welcome aboard Ala Carte Air, Sir. May I see your ticket?
Passenger: Sure.
Attendant: You're in seat 12B. That will be $5, Please!
Passenger: What for?
Attendant: For telling you where to 'Sit'.
Passenger: But I already knew where to sit.
Attendant: Nevertheless, we are now charging a seat locator fee of $5.
It's the Airline's new Policy.
Passenger: That's the craziest thing I ever heard. I won't pay it.
Attendant: Sir, Do you want a seat on this flight, or not ?
Passenger: Yes, yes. All right, I'll pay. But the airline is going to
hear about this.
Attendant: Thank you. My goodness, Your carry-on bag looks heavy. Would
you like me to stow it in the overhead compartment for you?
Passenger: That would be Swell, Thanks.
Attendant: No problem. Up we go, and done! That will be $10, Please.
Passenger: What ?
Attendant: The Airline now charges a $10 carry-on assistance fee.
Passenger: This is extortion. I won't stand for it.
Attendant: Actually, you're right, you can't stand. You need to sit, And
fasten your seat belt. We're about to push back from the gate. But,
first I need that $10.
Passenger: "No Way! "
Attendant: Sir, if you don't comply, I will be forced to call the Air
Marshal. And you really don't want me to do that.
Passenger: Why Not? Is he going to 'Shoot me'?
Attendant: No, But there's a $50 Air-Marshal hailing fee.
Passenger: Oh, all right, here, take the $10. I can't believe this.
Attendant: Thank you for your cooperation, sir. Is there anything else I
can do for you?
Passenger: Yes. It's stuffy in here, and my overhead fan doesn't seem to
work. Can you fix it?
Attendant: Your overhead fan is not broken, Sir. Just insert two
quarters into the Overhead coin slot for the First Five minutes.
Passenger: The Airline is charging me for Cabin air?
Attendant: Of course not, sir. Stagnant cabin air is provided free of
charge. It's the circulating air that costs 50 cents.
Passenger: I don't have any quarters. Can you make change for a dollar?
Attendant: Certainly, Sir! Here you go!
Passenger: But you've given me only three quarters for my dollar.
Attendant: Yes, there's a 'change making fee' of 25 cents.
Passenger: For cryin' out loud. All I have left is a lousy quarter ?
What the heck can I do with this ?
Attendant: Hang onto it. You'll need it later for the lavatory.
w67 Jun 19th 2008 4:12PM
@ tom
funny new rules ...
what about that ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSJwzYiB_Pc&feature=related