Must Bring Cash

With summer, one of the biggest travel time of the year coming up, I thought this topic was appropriate.

Airlines are going a little fee crazy in an attempt to boost revenue. It used to be expected you would be charged extra for just alcoholic beverages and perhaps headsets aboard flights.

Now they nickle-and-dime every little thing possible. I think by now, all airlines charge you for any in-flight meals. Instead of getting the usual less then healthy and unappetizing airline food for free with your ticket, you get to hand over an additional $5-$12 for the delicacy.

Also pretty standard are the new weight restrictions. Along with them come heavy fees for going over the limit. As it is, even the light-weight luggage weighs anywhere from 10-15 lbs empty.

If you have ever tried to pack clothes for a week vacation (especially if you are going to a cold weather climate which necessitates packing heavy jackets, sweaters and boots) you know that you often need to be very creative with your packing or take more luggage then might really be necessary.

Think twice before doing even that. It looks like this solution might not be the smartest now that airlines are starting to charge for checking in more then one bag per person. If for some reason you need three bags, the fees are anywhere from $80 to $100 for each additional bag.

In a day when so many people carry credit and debit cards more then cash, it would behoove the airlines to be more customer-friendly and creative with their approaches at increasing their revenue.

I understand airlines are trying to stay price competitive with the ticket prices. Between the rising cost of gas and employee demands, it is also understandable for the airline business to want to find ways to earn more money. However, springing fees at every turn is a big turn off to most people, who all too often will pay whatever fees are necessary, but get a bad taste in their mouth when it is sprung on them.

A better option might be offering the choice when the customer pays for their ticket. Airline websites offer a lot of different online options now including the ability for customers to choose their seats or add on travel insurance. It would be beneficial for an airline to offer "additional services" to customers that they can purchase up until the day of their trip and can be printed as redeemable coupons the same way everyone prints their boarding passes - both online or at the airport. These coupons could include all additional expenses; meals, drink coupons and headsets.

I would also suggest, as an additional customer service bonus, that coupons not have a restrictive use for which flight they can be redeemed on, but instead have a 6 month or year time frame.

Heck, once you start charging for additional services, there is a whole slew of options you could offer customers. As long as they were offered before the trip, airlines might find a whole new revenue pool to dip into.

Other things some airlines are charging for:
Curbside check-in from $2 per bag
Seat assignments
Flying standby (in addition to the cost of the ticket)
Pillow & blanket
Redeeming reward miles for "free" flights or "free" upgrades