American Airlines has a new kind of fee
You can now pay more for your ticket to avoid fees for checking your first bag or changing your reservation.
Just when you thought you had the multitude of airline fees figured out, American Airlines has upended the game by introducing a new way to price tickets.
As of today on AA.com, you can pay an extra $68 or more for round-trip tickets to prevent you from having to spend $150 later if you need to change your flight. The new add-on fees are a bit like buying insurance.
American Airlines, which is working its way through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, says it's responding to what its customers want. (Companies always say that, don't they?) The Chicago Tribune put it another way: "The move is consistent with an airline industry movement toward more fees and upselling extras." In other words, they've come up with another way to get more money out of us.
These new choices are available only on flights in the lower 48 states and only if you book through AA.com or a travel agent:
- Choice tickets. You pay for your ticket, and you're charged extra fees to check a bag or change a flight.
- Choice Essential. For an extra $68 round trip, you get "Group 1" boarding, one free checked bag, and no extra fee if you need to change your reservation.
- Choice Plus. An extra $88 on top of your round-trip fare will get you all the pluses that come with Choice Essential, plus bonus frequent-flier miles, a free "premium beverage," and "same-day travel flexibility."
Another option, called "Fully Flexible," makes your fare fully refundable, with the cost depending on the flights.
The benefits of these new choices to members of AAdvantage and other elite flier groups are different because those fliers already get special perks.
So, are these upgrades worth the money? The first checked bag on AA's domestic flights is $25 each way. Group 1 boarding can be purchased for $9. A beer is $6, and other alcoholic drinks cost $7.
If you're the type who just can't seem to stick with your travel plans, it could be the way to go. On the other hand, if you've never had to pay a change fee and you don't check bags and refuse to pay those inflated airline drink prices, it's probably not worth it.
U.S. airlines collect $3.4 billion in checked-bag fees and $2.4 billion in cancellation and change fees a year. How much have you contributed to that?
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Wow! Yes! what a ripoff! Everybody is a ripoff! Now, if you will figure it carfully you will find it is actually cheaper to fly than drive. If your time is worth nothing, and you do not mind sitting behind the wheel for hours on end, and your car was free, and all you have to do is buy gas, airline tickets are often less than just fuel. Even though jet fuel is $6.00 a gallon. A 737 costs 10 million bucks.
Those of you whining are whining about everything. So, why do you not just drive yourself to a deserted island and cry to yourself .Or, since the airlines are raking in sooooo much money and ripping you off, WHY NOT JUST BUY YOUR OWN AIRPLANE AND FLY IT YOURSELF !!!! News flash!!!! THIS IS THE UNITED STATES. NO ONE FORCES YOU TO BUY A TICKET. You can do what ever you want! You can smoke pot, gamble away your paycheck, have sex with anybody you want and no one can stop you !!! So, then, GO BUY AN AIRPLANE Its pretty easy, just turn the key and start 'er up. Blast offf into the sky. pull back to go up, push foreward to go down.
American Airlines should not be in any bankruptcy proceedings, its fights are always packed and I am grateful to report, their in- flight service is great. The fight attendants, which provide the airline with a human face are really great at their job--says I-- and make long flights easier to complete.
That extra charge is a hook you can swallow or not, I never do.
1. Provide for the common defense. Maybe, seems more like they're making a target out of ex-pat Americans.
2. Promote the general welfare. Clear failure unless you interpret this to mean "Increase the welfare roles".
3. Secure the Blessings of liberty. Not only is this a clear failure but our gvt is actually enacting policy/legislation to destroy our liberties (i.e. DHS, TSA, Patriot act, "Corporations are People", etc.).
So is there a way to fix this w/o a violent apocalypse?
Just raise the damn ticket prices to a resonable level where you can make a profit and include the stuff that was always included before...charging for checked bags..sheesh. Charging a fee so that you could possibly avoid being charged another fee. If the FAA would allow it American would charge to use the toilet like Ryanair.
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