I have been reading the latest airline industry whining. Seems they are getting ready to charge for all carry-ons. No wonder people are not traveling as much. This nickle and dime attitude is getting real old real fast.

Anyone heard this as well?

I will bet their multi-billion dollar losses are getting real old to them real fast.

Well, when they started charging for check through bags, it was predictable that people were going to push the carry-on limits. So I'm not surprised they would eventually get around to charging for the carry-ons too.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I will bet their multi-billion dollar losses are getting real old to them real fast.

Probably so, they should then cut costs and charge more for the tickets, the idea of adding fees at every corner is what turns people off. I don't think too many people would bitch about or even notice an extra $100 per ticket, but getting nailed with extra fee after fee is what most find irritating. It would be like going to the theatre paying your ticket and then finding out a chair was an extra $5.

I'm going to just wear a weeks worth of clothes. Of course then I'll proabably get charged for taking up more than one seat.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve:
I'm going to just wear a weeks worth of clothes. Of course then I'll proabably get charged for taking up more than one seat.

Yeah, they have been charging obese people for two seats for years, I'm thinking a weeks worth of clothes would probably get you busted.

Who is charging for obese passengers? I want to write them, offer thanks, and patronize them.

Next, they will add a $50 surcharge if you actually show up to use your ticket.

If it gets any worse, you guys will be flying over here with just your pockets stuffed full of socks and skivvies. Then when you get here, you'll just go to the nearest Trappers to buy cheap hunting khakies which you can leave with the staff afterwards and you'll hire rifles..... still, the good news is that you won't have to waste any time in the baggage hall!

quote:

Originally posted by crane:
Who is charging for obese passengers? I want to write them, offer thanks, and patronize them.

Quite a few actually, I think it is just something most of us rarely hear about.

quote:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -- United Airlines, a unit of UAL Corp, will require obese passengers bumped from full flights to purchase two seats on a subsequent flight, matching the policy of some other carriers.

The change brings the Chicago-based in line with eight other airlines including Continental (CAL, Fortune 500), Delta (DAL, Fortune 500), JetBlue (JBLU) and Southwest, United (UAUA, Fortune 500) spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said Wednesday.

"Last year we had 700 complaints from passengers who had to share their seats," she said.

Under the new policy, obese passengers - defined as unable to lower the arm rest and buckle a seat belt with one extension belt - will still be reaccommodated, at no extra charge, to two empty seats if there is space available.

If, however, the airplane is full, they will be bumped from the flight and may have to purchase a second ticket, at the same price as the original fare, Urbanski said.

jcarr- Did not know that had happened. Fantastic. Thanks.

The airlines are their own worst enemy.

I think that airlines should charge by passenger's weight. Let’s say that 250 pounds (human weight+ luggage combined) is included in the ticket price. Anything extra - you pay. If you are not able to fit in one aircraft seat, than you have to pay for two. It is absolutely OK to charge more for 2X and 3X size clothes, but for some reason it is a discrimination to charge more for an oversized passenger. I had an experience of traveling with a big lady sitting on me for 6 hours. Well, I did not enjoy a single minute of it… Is it aging or what?

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana1:
The airlines are their own worst enemy.

Absolutely correct.

And don't forget the rediculous hassle one has to go through at airports either.

A while back I was flying out of Stockholm, Sweden.

I have a carry on bag with a computer and cameras in it.

As came to the security check, took out my computer and put it in a seperate tray, as the passengers in front of me was doing.

My computer went through, and my carry bag went through.

At the other side, the inspector asked me to open my carry on bag. I did, took both my camera and video camera out, and showed them to him. He put them back in the bag, carried back to go through the xray again.

After it came out, he wanted to look at the smaller bags inside it. In these I keep cables seperate from power adaptors, and all memory cards are still in a seperate bag.

I opened all the bags for him, each in turn. After he was happy with what he saw, we put everything back in the carry on bag, and he duly took it back to go through the xray a third time.

The passenger who went before me, was standing there laughing. He said "Do you think these guys know what they are doing?"

I said "Sure, it is their job to annoy passenger so much so we avoid flying at any cost.

The bag came through. He decided to take all the small bags out of it, leave them on the tabel, and put the empty carry on bag through the xray. By this time we had quite a line up at the security counter.

The bag went through, someone else sitting there sid something to the inspector I was dealing with, he looked at me and gestured that I can go now.

I have been through other airports where other passengers are given the royal treatment. jackets, shoes, belts, are all off. And I get waived through without any question!

quote:

Originally posted by aholz: If you are not able to fit in one aircraft seat, than you have to pay for two.

That'll be a great idea until the money grabbing airlines realise how much additional revenue they can gain by making the seats smaller!

Before you know it, the bastards will have 35% more seats on the aircraft and each one will only be big enough to take a 12 year old and we're all having to pay for half a row of seats each!

Actually, aircraft seats have become gradually smaller, because the airlines have been bribing politicians to allow them to do that.

I gotta say that sometimes it's an advantage to be the shortarse I am.

I'd hate to be one these big 6 foot odd buggers and have to sit in one of those economy seats for umpteen hours at a stretch.

No kidding, I saw a show where there was talk of charging for the bathroom on board domestic flights! It is geting bad

quote:

Originally posted by aholz:
I think that airlines should charge by passenger's weight. Let’s say that 250 pounds (human weight+ luggage combined) is included in the ticket price. Anything extra - you pay. If you are not able to fit in one aircraft seat, than you have to pay for two. It is absolutely OK to charge more for 2X and 3X size clothes, but for some reason it is a discrimination to charge more for an oversized passenger. I had an experience of traveling with a big lady sitting on me for 6 hours. Well, I did not enjoy a single minute of it… Is it aging or what?

It's perfectly logical.......that's the way it should be, but imagine the "obese people's" lobby, squealing.........

I noticed on my last flight coming home from the west coast that the rather large woman sitting in my row had to buy two seats and this was on Delta. The flight was totally full except for the seat between us and that was lucky as she took up 2/3 of that seat.

Years ago on a 2 hour flight I was stuck in the middle seat and had a large passenger on one side and an even larger passenger on the other. I think I had a total of 6 inches of seat room for me. Thankfully in my younger days I was smaller and more flexible, but that flight seemed like the longest I had ever been on. It didn't help that once I got off the plane I had to wash all the pig sweat off of me.

David,

I was in a similar situation a few years ago and I just went to see the cabin director and suggested he take a walk down the aisle and take a look at where I was expected to sit and then come back to the galley where I would be waiting. When he did, I told him I wasn't prepared to sit in that seat for 10 hours and he could either offload me and my baggage from the flight and put me on the next flight or he could find me a different seat.

He saw my point and gave me an upgrade.

Shakari,

I'm big enough they stopped giving me the kid rate places when I was 11. At 6'2" and 220, I take up all of my assigned/paid for seating space. I usually make sure I keep the armrest down if I have a "chubbo" on either side of me flying.

I think the answer these days is to just pack one extra set of clothes and do as Shakari suggests; buy safari clothes and leave them with the camp crew. Now, to find one my size!
What fun we are having...

Rich
Buff Killer

I am surprised they just don't weigh all the luggage, carry-on or in cargo and charge by weight,, just like we pay for freight. My carry-on sometimes weighs more than what is in the cargo hole....I bet people would pack less, weights would be down and less fuel used to carry all the crap we really didn't need to fly with,,

Idaho Sharpshooter,

Your size wouldn't be a problem at all here. The Afrikaans population who are mostly bloody giants means large sizes are readily available in stores like Trappers Trading etc.

I actually think it's quite a good option to buy a bunch of hunting clothes when you arrive. The excess baggage charges now are soooo horrendous it's probably cheaper to bring your boots, socks, skivvies and washkit plus your rifles and ammo, then just buy the rest here and give it away at the end of your hunt.

There is one obvious option: fly Business Class.
Loads of seatroom and they never care how much luggage you have, what dimentions they are, or how much carry on you have.
More relaxing and you don't have to whinge on AR!

quote:

Originally posted by DAL:
There is one obvious option: fly Business Class.
Loads of seatroom and they never care how much luggage you have, what dimentions they are, or how much carry on you have.
More relaxing and you don't have to whinge on AR!

What persay is "whinge"? I would love to but for the fact that one can nearly purhcase a 10 day PG hunt for the cost of the upgrade to 1st or business class. No, I shall save my $$ for hunting and "whine" just a bit here and there about the uncomfortable flights, that are so easily forgotten on the next hunt. But DAL, should I ever win the lotto, the back of the plane can kiss my ass for good .

If you take Steve's advice literally, you could then go back home in your boots, skivies and socks, carrying your washkit, rifle and ammo in hand.