Is it safe?
I never challenge an airline on safety. That’s one thing I
won’t do,
because I know the airlines are
concerned
about
safety. But
you do
have
to ask: When
you cut and cut
and cut, isn’t there
eventually going to be a
cut made where
it shouldn’t
be? When
does
fatigue set in for a
mechanic? Or when
the
guy
is at
work, is
his
mind on that bill
collector who
just called
at home?
Charging for pillows?
I think we’re very close to paying for checked bags. They might give you one and charge for the second, but I believe that this year, you’re going to see more and more airlines start to charge for bags. And I think we’ll see charging for sodas, also beginning this year.
I think we’ll see Southwest charging for seat assignments. And we’ll see other airlines doing similar things. Northwest doesn’t currently charge for seat assignments, but it does give you the option to pay more to get an aisle seat in certain rows or in the emergency exit rows. There’s not a single airline right now that has met a revenue source it doesn’t need.
I have said to some airlines, ‘Look, what if you raised the price of your tickets $20 higher than everyone else. Then you go to your employees and say, “OK, rather than lay you off or cut your wages, we’re going to increase every one of our fares by 20 bucks. What are you going to do, personally, to make sure that customers will pay $20 more to fly our airline?”’ I’ve said, ‘Won’t you at least try?’ No way. Everyone is convinced that the lowest fare wins, period.
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A Trippler Media Note: What else is cheaper today than 25 years ago?
Cities were strictly chosen at random.
Mpls.–St. Paul to Chicago Mpls.–St. Paul to Dallas–Fort Worth Mpls.–St. Paul to Des Moines Mpls.–St. Paul to Fargo Mpls.–St. Paul to Los Angeles Mpls.–St. Paul to Milwaukee Mpls.–St. Paul to New York Mpls.–St. Paul to Orlando Mpls.–St. Paul to Sioux Falls |
