The Flying Game, Nickel & Dime Style
You know the airline commercial I’m talking about? I think it’s for Southwest, where it spoofs the beleaguered flyer getting nickel & dimed at every turn – coin slots to operate the armrests, seatback tray, even the flight attendant call button. As the guy fumbles through his pockets for extra change to complete the next task, the kid sitting next to him asks, “First time flying, huh?”
That fictional sequence was the first thing that crossed my mind when Myrtle Beach’s second-largest carrier, Spirit Air, announced plans this week to not only start charging fees for baggage, but also for other traditionally free items like non-alcoholic beverages. The baggage thing I get; Spirit isn’t the only airline implementing charges for extra luggage. But a buck for a two-slurp cup of ice with a splash of Pepsi? What’s next, the coin slots?
Before I go completely Ralph Nader on them, let’s first consider the stated reason for the extra fees. Spirit says they’re doing it as part of a broad effort to hold down ticket prices. “People would prefer to have lower fares and this is one of the ways you can make that possible,” said Barry Biffle, Spirit’s chief marketing officer, in the USA Today piece.
Fine – but did they have to bury the news halfway down their press release, under a headline of “Great News!!!”? Always beware the gratuitous PR exclamation point.
These kind of tactics are a huge turnoff for many travelers, including me. But I also know that Spirit’s rates are regularly reasonable, and I get their e-mails several times a week for their “One-Cent Fare” sales and similar promotions that can make them really cheap. Their customer service is consistently good, and for as many times as I’ve flown them, I’ve never had the dreaded “nightmare experience” with them that I’ve had with a handful of major carriers.
I’ll reserve final judgment on this until I see how it plays out longer-term on Spirit’s fares. But right now, if it’s a choice between complaining about ponying up for the bag of cashews, or being able to fly round trip/nonstop from Myrtle Beach to Boston at the last minute for under $200, I’ll take the latter.
But that’s just me. What say you, Beach Bloggers?
Something tells me that Spirit won't be the only ones going this route in the near future. Whether we like it or not, I guess we'd better get used to it.
I would MUCH RATHER sae money on my flight and have to pay for the extras. I have a family of 5 so we try to save whenever possible!!!!
Sometimes we get so caught up in the little stuff, we forget the bigger picture. I'm with you -- lets see if Spirit really does keep their fares lower over time. If they don't, then you'll hear me howling at the moon with everyone else.
If its the difference between shelling out a buck for a pop or sitting on a runway for eight hours ... fine. Just keep the service decent, and the whiners will pipe down until they find something else to complain about.
