Nasty Airlines

I’ve had to do a lot more flying than I would have liked in the last couple of days. As I mentioned in my previous post, I don’t particularly enjoy it, unless I’m flying home to India in which case I have something to look forward to.

Airlines have become very creative in charging us for the most basic things, which they conveniently bracket as fuel surcharge. How about a fuel discount when crude oil dropped below $50 a barrel a couple of months ago? That seems unquestionable! What gets me the most irritated is the $2 charge for water/beverage. Checked baggage fee, curb-side check in fee, booking fee, refund fee, exit row seat fee, cancelation fee… the list goes on and on. Any service that was once included as part of your ticket, is now subject to charge (read the fine print!). I won’t be surprised if we soon hear about a lavatory fee.

My worst experience has been with the change/refund fee. United Airlines charges $150 for changing your itinerary or requesting a refund. How much is that going to leave you with? (They're hoping nothing.) And they are very happy to resell your seat for an exuberant price to another innocent customer.  

All this travel is doing me no good expect for the frequent flier miles that I collect. And rumor has it that those miles are worth less each day. So much for loyalty programs, customer service, and convenient flying. One tip that has come handy for me is to travel with very low expectations, that way you leave little room for disappointment. If I could start my own airline and show them how it’s done, I would. But until then I will blog my frustrations away…

P.S: Not all airlines have stooped to this level; I have to give credit to Southwest and Northwest for still serving their thirsty passengers with a free cup of water/soda.