No sympathy from me
Flying the dirt-cheap skies
I have one word for this: karma.
Airlines are seeing passenger demand plunge, and they had this coming to them. It's not just the bad economy; the airlines have, quite frankly, made flying less and less pleasant all the time. The number of airlines I refuse to fly is now greater than the ones I will fly, thanks to the airlines becoming like banks and cell phone companies in the way they nickel and dime us. Southwest and JetBlue are about the only good ones left, and thank God Southwest will begin servicing Boston Logan Airport later this year.
I saw a real contrast in my recent travels between the airlines and hotels. The latest example of things with the airlines came right away, as I checked in for my flight and was unpleasantly shocked to see that I was being charged for the first checked bag. This airline never sent a communication to its frequent flyer members, of which I am one, so I was livid as I paid up. I didn't have a choice; there was no way I'd get them on. That had me already figuring out how I can check just one bag coming home so that they only get a fee for one checked bag out of me. As it turns out, it didn't matter since I flew first class for the first time in my life, as I used a free upgrade I had since it was a long flight at the end of a busy trip, plus it was going to be my last-ever flight on AirTran.
As has been the case with other airlines I refuse to fly because of this, it's not about the money. It's the principle. And with AirTran, as well as Delta, they haven't communicated this with their frequent flyer members. I had to find out the hard way with the former, and because of that I investigated the latter to find out that they nickel and dime us, too. So you can add them to American, Continental, US Airways and United - and pretty much everyone else, according to this chart.
Notice that only four airlines don't charge for the first checked bag. Yes, there are exceptions with each, but naturally, they're for the rich folks who can fly first class or can fly enough to reach elite status in the frequent flyer programs. Neither describes yours truly.
And it's because of this that the ATA chief shouldn't delude himself into thinking this is merely the economy at work. I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to find other ways to get luggage to a destination and not give the airlines money just out of principle. In contacting each airline after they started charging for the first checked bag, I pulled no punches in blasting the management of the airlines, and said we'd all understand if fares were raised again, but they instead opted to try and insult our intelligence and annoy us by nickeling and diming us, which we get enough of from banks and cell phone companies, just for starters.
Fact is, fares may be plunging, but that doesn't tell the whole story - with the nickeling and diming ways of the airlines, there's probably not much change in the real cost of flying. My round-trip to Atlanta cost $169.20 if you just go with the fare alone, which is a great deal - but you have to add in $40 to realize that the cost is over $200, and if not for my upgrade, you would have to add another $15, which would put the total cost at $224.20. I'd have to really hunt, but I think the last time I flew to Atlanta, which was over six years earlier, I didn't pay that much.
On the other hand, the hotels were different on this trip, and I stayed in five different hotels. I got a great deal on the first one, and the two nights were excellent. The next one had a boiler problem and had to send me across town to another in the same chain; I got the same rate, and while the location wasn't as good since there weren't several good restaurants like there was at the one I was supposed to stay, it wasn't bad.
It got even better in Atlanta. The first one, the Courtyard in Midtown right by Georgia Tech, had a shuttle that was incredibly valuable, especially since the main road near it was closed off and I didn't keep a rental car while there. It came in especially handy getting to the Georgia Dome one day, and they were also nice enough to bring me to the next hotel, the Renaissance Downtown. There, I got a treat right away - thinking I'd have to leave my bags at the front desk for much of the day and perhaps make a run over there to check in during the break between sessions, they instead told me my room was ready. This was before 11:30 AM, mind you - amazing. My last night was spent at an airport hotel, and I was able to leave bags at the front desk for much of the day and check in later.
And of course, Marriott had just a short time earlier done something to gain my undying loyalty. I wound up well short of the number of nights needed to maintain Gold status in Marriott Rewards last year. Even before I got laid off, I was cutting back, largely as a new homeowner. I figured I was back to Silver status, which I'll always have since I have a credit card that gives me enough nights to guarantee that. But I got a very pleasant surprise when my new membership card for 2009 came and it was Gold - I didn't ask for it and they sure didn't have to do that for me.
As a Gold member, there are some specials that save me a lot of money, and I'm taking full advantage. Marriott gets my business, and now I have all the more reason to select them over Hilton family hotels. They've continued to make it easier to book hotel stays online, including reward stays, as well as view things with my membership, and now this.
It's probably not a bad thing that the hotel reward program is the best there is, while the airlines keep making frequent flyer program membership practically worthless. After all, most of my hotel nights come on trips where I drive, not fly. But the contrast between them is stark, and it was never more evident than on this last trip.
I have one word for this: karma.
Airlines are seeing passenger demand plunge, and they had this coming to them. It's not just the bad economy; the airlines have, quite frankly, made flying less and less pleasant all the time. The number of airlines I refuse to fly is now greater than the ones I will fly, thanks to the airlines becoming like banks and cell phone companies in the way they nickel and dime us. Southwest and JetBlue are about the only good ones left, and thank God Southwest will begin servicing Boston Logan Airport later this year.
I saw a real contrast in my recent travels between the airlines and hotels. The latest example of things with the airlines came right away, as I checked in for my flight and was unpleasantly shocked to see that I was being charged for the first checked bag. This airline never sent a communication to its frequent flyer members, of which I am one, so I was livid as I paid up. I didn't have a choice; there was no way I'd get them on. That had me already figuring out how I can check just one bag coming home so that they only get a fee for one checked bag out of me. As it turns out, it didn't matter since I flew first class for the first time in my life, as I used a free upgrade I had since it was a long flight at the end of a busy trip, plus it was going to be my last-ever flight on AirTran.
As has been the case with other airlines I refuse to fly because of this, it's not about the money. It's the principle. And with AirTran, as well as Delta, they haven't communicated this with their frequent flyer members. I had to find out the hard way with the former, and because of that I investigated the latter to find out that they nickel and dime us, too. So you can add them to American, Continental, US Airways and United - and pretty much everyone else, according to this chart.
Notice that only four airlines don't charge for the first checked bag. Yes, there are exceptions with each, but naturally, they're for the rich folks who can fly first class or can fly enough to reach elite status in the frequent flyer programs. Neither describes yours truly.
And it's because of this that the ATA chief shouldn't delude himself into thinking this is merely the economy at work. I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to find other ways to get luggage to a destination and not give the airlines money just out of principle. In contacting each airline after they started charging for the first checked bag, I pulled no punches in blasting the management of the airlines, and said we'd all understand if fares were raised again, but they instead opted to try and insult our intelligence and annoy us by nickeling and diming us, which we get enough of from banks and cell phone companies, just for starters.
Fact is, fares may be plunging, but that doesn't tell the whole story - with the nickeling and diming ways of the airlines, there's probably not much change in the real cost of flying. My round-trip to Atlanta cost $169.20 if you just go with the fare alone, which is a great deal - but you have to add in $40 to realize that the cost is over $200, and if not for my upgrade, you would have to add another $15, which would put the total cost at $224.20. I'd have to really hunt, but I think the last time I flew to Atlanta, which was over six years earlier, I didn't pay that much.
On the other hand, the hotels were different on this trip, and I stayed in five different hotels. I got a great deal on the first one, and the two nights were excellent. The next one had a boiler problem and had to send me across town to another in the same chain; I got the same rate, and while the location wasn't as good since there weren't several good restaurants like there was at the one I was supposed to stay, it wasn't bad.
It got even better in Atlanta. The first one, the Courtyard in Midtown right by Georgia Tech, had a shuttle that was incredibly valuable, especially since the main road near it was closed off and I didn't keep a rental car while there. It came in especially handy getting to the Georgia Dome one day, and they were also nice enough to bring me to the next hotel, the Renaissance Downtown. There, I got a treat right away - thinking I'd have to leave my bags at the front desk for much of the day and perhaps make a run over there to check in during the break between sessions, they instead told me my room was ready. This was before 11:30 AM, mind you - amazing. My last night was spent at an airport hotel, and I was able to leave bags at the front desk for much of the day and check in later.
And of course, Marriott had just a short time earlier done something to gain my undying loyalty. I wound up well short of the number of nights needed to maintain Gold status in Marriott Rewards last year. Even before I got laid off, I was cutting back, largely as a new homeowner. I figured I was back to Silver status, which I'll always have since I have a credit card that gives me enough nights to guarantee that. But I got a very pleasant surprise when my new membership card for 2009 came and it was Gold - I didn't ask for it and they sure didn't have to do that for me.
As a Gold member, there are some specials that save me a lot of money, and I'm taking full advantage. Marriott gets my business, and now I have all the more reason to select them over Hilton family hotels. They've continued to make it easier to book hotel stays online, including reward stays, as well as view things with my membership, and now this.
It's probably not a bad thing that the hotel reward program is the best there is, while the airlines keep making frequent flyer program membership practically worthless. After all, most of my hotel nights come on trips where I drive, not fly. But the contrast between them is stark, and it was never more evident than on this last trip.