Airlines May Start Treating Passengers `Like Freight'

[Chris_]

Airlines May Start Treating Passengers `Like Freight'

June 3 (Bloomberg) -- Imagine two scales at the airline ticket counter, one for your bags and one for you. The price of a ticket depends upon the weight of both.

That may not be so far-fetched.

``You listen to the airline CEOs, and nothing is beyond their imagination,'' said David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group. ``They have already begun to think exotically. Nothing is not under the microscope.'' He declined to discuss what any individual airline might be contemplating, including charging passengers based on weight.

With fuel costs almost tripling since 2000, now accounting for as much as 40 percent of operating expenses at some carriers, according to the ATA, airlines are cutting costs and raising revenue in ways that once were unthinkable. U.S. Airways Group Inc. has eliminated snacks. Delta Air Lines Inc. is charging $25 for telephone reservations. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines last month became the first U.S. company to charge $15 for one checked bag.

This sort of disenfranchisement will be the topic of heavy discussions.      

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[bijou]

Airlines May Start Treating Passengers `Like Freight'

June 3 (Bloomberg) -- Imagine two scales at the airline ticket counter, one for your bags and one for you. The price of a ticket depends upon the weight of both.

That may not be so far-fetched.

``You listen to the airline CEOs, and nothing is beyond their imagination,'' said David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group. ``They have already begun to think exotically. Nothing is not under the microscope.'' He declined to discuss what any individual airline might be contemplating, including charging passengers based on weight.

With fuel costs almost tripling since 2000, now accounting for as much as 40 percent of operating expenses at some carriers, according to the ATA, airlines are cutting costs and raising revenue in ways that once were unthinkable. U.S. Airways Group Inc. has eliminated snacks. Delta Air Lines Inc. is charging $25 for telephone reservations. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines last month became the first U.S. company to charge $15 for one checked bag.

This sort of disenfranchisement will be the topic of heavy discussions.      

MORE

It will prompt much pounding of keyboards at DU.

[Chris_]

Airlines May Start Treating Passengers `Like Freight'

June 3 (Bloomberg) -- Imagine two scales at the airline ticket counter, one for your bags and one for you. The price of a ticket depends upon the weight of both.

That may not be so far-fetched.

``You listen to the airline CEOs, and nothing is beyond their imagination,'' said David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group. ``They have already begun to think exotically. Nothing is not under the microscope.'' He declined to discuss what any individual airline might be contemplating, including charging passengers based on weight.

With fuel costs almost tripling since 2000, now accounting for as much as 40 percent of operating expenses at some carriers, according to the ATA, airlines are cutting costs and raising revenue in ways that once were unthinkable. U.S. Airways Group Inc. has eliminated snacks. Delta Air Lines Inc. is charging $25 for telephone reservations. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines last month became the first U.S. company to charge $15 for one checked bag.

This sort of disenfranchisement will be the topic of heavy discussions.      

MORE

It will prompt much pounding of keyboards at DU.

Yes, their complaints will be heard far & wide.   

[jtyangel]

I predict DU will be HEAVY with worry. 

[RobJohnson]

I would not mind, paying by the lb....if I could get a larger seat with some leg room!

[Happy Fun Ball]

And in related news, the sales of helium balloons rose sharply today.

[Chris_]

Start???

Hell, they have been treating us, even their best customers, like freight for years.

[Uhhuh35]

This should have been done long ago. An Aircraft can only lift so much weight and the fatter people get, the fewer people an aircraft can carry.
Bigger and heavier packages sent from the post office cost more, so should a seat on an airliner.

[Chris_]

This should have been done long ago. An Aircraft can only lift so much weight and the fatter people get, the fewer people an aircraft can carry.
Bigger and heavier packages sent from the post office cost more, so should a seat on an airliner.

But the seat should adjust to the price.  It isn't fair to medium build people like me to end up with someone in the next seat who is overflowing into my seat -- essentially stealing what I paid for.

[Uhhuh35]

This should have been done long ago. An Aircraft can only lift so much weight and the fatter people get, the fewer people an aircraft can carry.
Bigger and heavier packages sent from the post office cost more, so should a seat on an airliner.

But the seat should adjust to the price.  It isn't fair to medium build people like me to end up with someone in the next seat who is overflowing into my seat -- essentially stealing what I paid for.

Hmm, good point. Perhaps aviation can design a bench seat with sliding arm rest dividers? Or maybe the fatties can be seated all together closer to the planes center of gravity so they can deal with each other. Plus we wouldn't have to put up with their weezing and bologna smell.

[Chris_]

This should have been done long ago. An Aircraft can only lift so much weight and the fatter people get, the fewer people an aircraft can carry.
Bigger and heavier packages sent from the post office cost more, so should a seat on an airliner.

But the seat should adjust to the price.  It isn't fair to medium build people like me to end up with someone in the next seat who is overflowing into my seat -- essentially stealing what I paid for.

Hmm, good point. Perhaps aviation can design a bench seat with sliding arm rest dividers? Or maybe the fatties can be seated all together closer to the planes center of gravity so they can deal with each other. Plus we wouldn't have to put up with their weezing and bologna smell.

Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there?

[Splashdown]

Imagine if the government stopped bailing the airlines out...Then they'd have to compete on the basis of customer service and -- gasp -- ticket prices. 

[NHSparky]

It's getting to the point where we ARE treated like cattle.  I try to get an aisle seat wherever I can because even though I'm not a huge guy (under 6' and 200 lbs) I'm shoved over by the folks in the middle and window seats until I feel like I have to do a "one-cheek sneak" to shoehorn my ass into the seat.  Oh, and forget about that armrest or six inches into MY seat.

Or maybe it's just because the woman in the middle seat coming back from Vegas was an obnoxious space hog.

[Chris_]

It's getting to the point where we ARE treated like cattle.  I try to get an aisle seat wherever I can because even though I'm not a huge guy (under 6' and 200 lbs) I'm shoved over by the folks in the middle and window seats until I feel like I have to do a "one-cheek sneak" to shoehorn my ass into the seat.  Oh, and forget about that armrest or six inches into MY seat.

Or maybe it's just because the woman in the middle seat coming back from Vegas was an obnoxious space hog.

I don't know what you mean by "shoved."  Once you have a seat, you have a seat.  Even on Southwest.

[NHSparky]

It's getting to the point where we ARE treated like cattle.  I try to get an aisle seat wherever I can because even though I'm not a huge guy (under 6' and 200 lbs) I'm shoved over by the folks in the middle and window seats until I feel like I have to do a "one-cheek sneak" to shoehorn my ass into the seat.  Oh, and forget about that armrest or six inches into MY seat.

Or maybe it's just because the woman in the middle seat coming back from Vegas was an obnoxious space hog.

I don't know what you mean by "shoved."  Once you have a seat, you have a seat.  Even on Southwest.

I mean when she elbowed me in the ribs for two hours.  There, that clearer?

[Chris_]

It's getting to the point where we ARE treated like cattle.  I try to get an aisle seat wherever I can because even though I'm not a huge guy (under 6' and 200 lbs) I'm shoved over by the folks in the middle and window seats until I feel like I have to do a "one-cheek sneak" to shoehorn my ass into the seat.  Oh, and forget about that armrest or six inches into MY seat.

Or maybe it's just because the woman in the middle seat coming back from Vegas was an obnoxious space hog.

I don't know what you mean by "shoved."  Once you have a seat, you have a seat.  Even on Southwest.

I mean when she elbowed me in the ribs for two hours.  There, that clearer?

Yes -- I thought you meant they moved you out of your seat.  There are techniques available for such things.  The most important move is to claim the armrest and never, ever, let it go.  Next up, wear a heavy jacket (or like me, a special travel vest) -- it acts as a shield.  If you can't do that, grab the airline magazine and make a barrier between you and the interloper.  You can put it between your side and the armrest.

If all else fails, tell her "excuse me -- please stop elbowing me. Your seat ends there and not 3 inches into mine."

[Uhhuh35]

It's getting to the point where we ARE treated like cattle.  I try to get an aisle seat wherever I can because even though I'm not a huge guy (under 6' and 200 lbs) I'm shoved over by the folks in the middle and window seats until I feel like I have to do a "one-cheek sneak" to shoehorn my ass into the seat.  Oh, and forget about that armrest or six inches into MY seat.
Or maybe it's just because the woman in the middle seat coming back from Vegas was an obnoxious space hog.

Please, I don't want anyone to think I hold a grudge against fat people. Loud people piss me off too.
Last November I flew to Japan and had the pleasure to sit aisle seat with two old, loud Chinese women who wouldn't shut up. As we climbed to altitude I figured the higher cabin altitude would put them to sleep but no, they just kept on yappin. "Schwee, schwaa schwar, har har!" and "Har har, schar schwaa schwee?" Arrrrgh!
Finally, I leaned over and very loudly gave them the universal "shush" sign. That did it. The louder one moved to another seat six rows back but I could still hear her.
I gave up long ago trying to get any assistance from the "stewardesses".

[NHSparky]

Funny thing is, she WASN'T fat.