Coin Operated Toilets on Airplanes

paul777 · 12-15-2005

If You Want That Pillow, You're Gonna Have to Pay
Facing steep fuel prices and tough competition, airlines aren't cutting costs so much as passing them on

Brad Tuttle
February 2006 issue
All it took was a few decades of bankruptcies, mergers, fare wars, and government bailouts for the message to finally sink in: The old airline business model just doesn't work.

Throughout the industry, carriers are concentrating on efficiency, and that often means free meals, magazines, and pillows are goners. Travelers today are greeted with all-new costs--$2 for curbside check-in, $5 for a sandwich, $25 to fly standby, and more. "If the airlines could get away with it, they'd charge us for the air we breathe," says Christopher Elliott, a consumer travel expert and editor of Tripso.com. "The planes would probably have coin-operated toilets."

A complimentary hot meal used to be standard on long-haul domestic flights, but now it's the exception. In 2003, US Airways started asking $7 for breakfast and $10 for lunch or dinner. The move proved unpopular enough for the airline to drop prices by a couple bucks, but most competitors eventually followed suit. These days, expect to pay for anything more than a teeny bag of chips. And sometimes, you don't even get that without forking over some cash--Northwest yanked its free half-ounce bags of pretzels last June, saving (according to the airline) $2 million a year. Its passengers now pay $1 for a bag of raisins and mixed nuts; $3 for a snack box with a granola bar, cookies, crackers, and cheese; and $5 for a sandwich. Menus and prices are similar on many American, America West, and United flights. Obviously, bringing your own food or eating before boarding eliminates the expense, and you get to control the menu. With all other factors equal, consider flying Continental. At this point, it's the lone holdout among major carriers, still serving full meals on the longer domestic routes and charging passengers nothing--though some people say that's what the food is worth

From Frommers Budget Travel Febuary issue

12-15-2005	#1 (permalink)
paul777 way into it Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Jackson Michigan Posts: 144	Coin Operated Toilets on Airplanes If You Want That Pillow, You're Gonna Have to Pay Facing steep fuel prices and tough competition, airlines aren't cutting costs so much as passing them on Brad Tuttle February 2006 issue All it took was a few decades of bankruptcies, mergers, fare wars, and government bailouts for the message to finally sink in: The old airline business model just doesn't work. Throughout the industry, carriers are concentrating on efficiency, and that often means free meals, magazines, and pillows are goners. Travelers today are greeted with all-new costs--$2 for curbside check-in, $5 for a sandwich, $25 to fly standby, and more. "If the airlines could get away with it, they'd charge us for the air we breathe," says Christopher Elliott, a consumer travel expert and editor of Tripso.com. "The planes would probably have coin-operated toilets." A complimentary hot meal used to be standard on long-haul domestic flights, but now it's the exception. In 2003, US Airways started asking $7 for breakfast and $10 for lunch or dinner. The move proved unpopular enough for the airline to drop prices by a couple bucks, but most competitors eventually followed suit. These days, expect to pay for anything more than a teeny bag of chips. And sometimes, you don't even get that without forking over some cash--Northwest yanked its free half-ounce bags of pretzels last June, saving (according to the airline) $2 million a year. Its passengers now pay $1 for a bag of raisins and mixed nuts; $3 for a snack box with a granola bar, cookies, crackers, and cheese; and $5 for a sandwich. Menus and prices are similar on many American, America West, and United flights. Obviously, bringing your own food or eating before boarding eliminates the expense, and you get to control the menu. With all other factors equal, consider flying Continental. At this point, it's the lone holdout among major carriers, still serving full meals on the longer domestic routes and charging passengers nothing--though some people say that's what the food is worth From Frommers Budget Travel Febuary issue

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