Carry-on bag fees… are you *kidding* me?

Posted by Michael

Photo by Kvatch

By now you have all heard that Spirit Airlines announced fees of up to $45 for carry-on bags to be stowed overhead. This is in addition to the now-ubiquitous charges for checked baggage. I don’t even know what to say… it seems like someone is playing a joke but not getting to the punch line. This is the latest in a barrage of nickel-and-dime “initiatives” either imposed or proposed by air carriers. Fees for better seats. Fees for drinks and snacks. Fees for blankets. One airline is even planning to install pay toilets. It’s really almost beyond words.

I don’t envy the airline industry, it has to be the most difficult business to be in. But there are ways to solve business problems–or at least try–and there are ways to make them worse. Bilking people with small-view surcharges is no way to win hearts and minds.

As a frequent international traveler for 20 years, I never cease to be amazed by the differences between overseas carriers–particularly in the Far East–and our domestic airlines. There, even on the smallest, least “glitzy” airline, you’d be hard pressed to find an employee on the ground or in the air who doesn’t smile and isn’t eager to help. You’d have to work hard to be given grief about anything. You get a meal on virtually every flight, even a 1-hour hop. You don’t get nickel-and-dimed. For cripe’s sakes many of them even bow to the cabin before the saftey demonstration. Yes, the seats are just as small as ours (sometimes smaller), and the legroom is minimal (sometimes minimal-er), and the flights are always full. But guess what…. you don’t mind! That’s because everything else about flying over there is just fine. I don’t expect US flight attendants to bow to the passengers any time soon, but it’s amazing what a little kindness and customer care can do. It doesn’t hurt that over there they usually depart on time as well.

When I return to the US and get on a domestic flight–even on one of the “better” airlines–it’s like the part in The Wizard of Oz where it changes from vivid Technicolor back to black and white. There’s no place like home, indeed.

I think there are ways for the struggling US carriers to make inroads to their challenges without alienating (make that insulting and infuriating) the people who keep them in business. Instead of charging $20 for a checked bag, charge $20 more for the flight and allow people to “de-select” a checked bag and save $20. Don’t want a meal? take $5 off your ticket. Same exact results but with an entirely different message to the customer. We know that when we do business with a company we pay for everything, but it is all in the delivery. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes (which you’ll find in the gray bin). Be creative. Find ways to get the help your business needs without pissing off the people it can’t live without. And for gosh sakes, be nice to them and make them feel good about traveling with you, even (especially) if the traveling is costing them a little more. Just like flight 99 non-stop from Newark to Hong Kong, it goes an awfully long way.

Anyone have change for a dollar? I need quarters for the seat-belt activator.

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