First US Airways did away with snacks, then they added a $15 fee to check a bag, and now they’ll be charging $2 each for sodas, juices, bottled water and coffee in coach. Are you going to stand for this? Take our poll, inside.
New fee at US Airways: $2 soda [Philadelphia Inquirer]
(Photo: John Kit )
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fail at comments today? wtf?
anyway, 1 gal clear plastic bag filled with as many individual 3oz containers filled with koolaid as possible.
i am doing it.
Charging for water??? Someone could easily make a case that this is a health risk, especially on a long flight, given the extremely dry environment in a plane.
@james: I think you’re allowed to bring drinks on the planes now, you just have to get them after the security checkpoint. I’ve boarded many United flights recently with a large soda in hand and nobody seemed to care.
@Thunderpants: They will be charging for bottled water. This means that you should still be able to get tap water if you ask for it. I hope.
Umm, don’t know about you guys and your water woes, but I just bring an empty nalgene through security, and fill it up at the first water fountain I see. The only problems that I’ve had are where I’ve realized in the security line that I had a FULL nalgene, and have had to chug it.
I feel bad for the flight attendents. You know this is going to make people take it out on them.
Is beverage pricing really necessary?
Perhaps the CEO should get $1M/year less; I’m sure that’d appease stockholders, keep jobs, and eliminate these stupid additions that are just going to earn them less customers.
Crazy moon talk, I know.
I’m not going to stand for it. I’m going to sit for it.
@james: I just bring empty nalgene bottles with me, and I fill them up at a drinking fountain in the terminal. It’ll keep working until they remove the drinking fountains.
NameGoesHere: You’re unfortunately right. This is going to piss people off, because it’s going to be in their face when they’re in the worst mood.
I personally couldn’t care less if they canned the whole drink cart.
farcedude: “I’ve realized in the security line that I had a FULL nalgene, and have had to chug it. “
Thanks for doing your part to keep America safe from the terrists.
Yes, if I’m thirsty, but I’ll raise a stink.
I bring an empty bottle with me through security and fill it up at a water fountain before boarding. I’m not someone that has to have water with me at all times, but I don’t like the idea of being stuck on a plane without knowing I’ll have water available when I want it.
“Are you going to stand for this?”
That’s what next, no seats!
Purchase drinks at the terminal and bring them with you.
@dry-roasted-peanuts: I’m not sure that water is potable.
@dry-roasted-peanuts: One word…ewwwww! There are signs all over the place that the water in the lavatory is non-potable and they might even used bottled water for coffee (not sure about this, however).
US Airways is not a preferred carrier, but they had the best ticket prices for our Cancun vacation in August by more than $75 per seat. These nickel & dime charges are what kept us from flying Spirit (along with their tendency to cancel flights), but I think that it will end up being a wash when compared to the other legacy carrier options we had (primarily American). Will we pay $2 for onboard beverages? Probably not since we will have advance notice so that we can get something at the airport along with a decent sandwich for lunch.
@Franklin Comes Alive!: Yeah, actually, I have flown Southwest, more times than I like. It’s my only convenient choice if I want to get into Midway. What makes the experience sucky — even with A pass — is the human cattle that forms so that they can all rush to grab their favorite seats. You know what I do when I have a pre-assigned seat on every, single other airline? I enjoy myself. I sit and watch all the human cattle that forms up without understanding that they have assigned seats, and must be first in the line (or asswipes who have too much stuff and must claim every inch of overhead space before everyone else). If I don’t sit and watch the human cattle, then I’m browsing or buy in the shops. Or having lunch at a sit-down place. I’m not in line with all the people trying to best one another. I’m often the last through the gate. If I didn’t think that they’d close the doors on me, I’d wait even longer going through the gate, because inevitably, all of the jackasses take forever to stow their stuff, get their butts out of the aisle, and sit down.
So yeah, from repeated personal experiences, having to fly Southwest negatively affects my quality of life.
Oh hell no.
My mom brings an empty bottle through security and then fills it up at a drinking foutain. But after a couple hours, I get thirsty.
Water should always be free. I hope.
I’ll just pay $2 for soda or water while I’m waiting for the plane which is something I always do anyway.
@MadameX:
Oh, that’s easy. They have no incentive. They know Uncle Sam will keep bailing them out for as long as they cry “Bankruptcy!”
If trains were a viable option in this country for long-haul travel, airlines would have serious competition and wouldn’t be pulling this nonsense — they’d have to run their business like, well, a business.
I probably decline the free beverage half the time anyways. I wouldn’t be happy about paying the $2, but if I needed something to drink and didn’t have something, what would the alternative be? So long as they don’t do what Spirit did and decline to accept cash, it’d be ok I guess.
Good thing USAir doesn’t have much of a market where I normally fly. I will never fly them. Soemthing needs to happen because if airlines keep adding stupid fees they won’t have any customers to pay the fees.
@balthisar: That has changed now that they’ve added numbers to the boarding passes for Southwest. If you get A20, you have to stand in the spot where number 20 is, no sitting in front of the gate for 2 more hours just because you wanted to be first. Now it depends on when you check in.
I’d consider paying $2 for soda and maybe coffee, but for water? fugheddaboutit!
the non-alcoholic drinks will still be free on transatlantic flights, because passengers pay enough on that service to justify it. I’m guessing they will get around people’s complaints about depriving them of water by serving cups of water from pitchers or something similar. If you want a bottled water, that will be $2.
[www.usairways.com]
@design_chick: Really? That’s not what the TSA is telling people. Could that “war on liquids” crap just be a plot to let the airlines gouge you? I’ll die of thirst first.
If I can bring my own drinks, then it’s not a problem. it’s only $2 anyway. The only problem I forsee is if passengers don’t bring cash or the airline can’t accept big notes or whatever. You don’t travel on the bus or train and expect free drinks, so why in the air? People are just getting used to the way things used to be. Things are changing, accept it and everything will be fine. Airlines need to make money and they are no longer giving away the freebies they used to be able to. If you’re the type to whine about paying for additional services above being flown to somewhere, then get over it. It’s not going to change soon and I don’t see why it should.
This would be less bad if it weren’t for the fact that USAir is the worst, worst airline. Even by airline standards. I had to start writing “NO USAIR!!!!” on my travel requests at work for a while until they got the idea that I like getting to my destination, you know, the same day I am supposed to arrive.
In addition to Southwest’s fuel hedging, I’m under the impression that they don’t have the debt load that Untied and the others are carrying, (as a result of the financing of leveraged buyouts.
Does anyone know if that is true – and if it is still true after an airline declares bankruptcy?
piss on it….i’ll fix ‘em…i just wont fly…..
Soon credit card scanners will be attached to the emergency oxygen masks.
I’d rather let them charge for sodas than for the first checked bag.
@shufflemoomin: Because on a bus or train I am not breathing poorly recycled air for 3+ hours. Flying is a dehydrating experience. Riding on a bus or train is not.
The checked bag fees are worse since it just encourages people to carry on which makes the battle for overhead space more fierce and makes going through security take longer.
I hope they start charging by weight. Instead of searching for total fare you will search for fare per pound. As a thin person who knows how to pack light I would save a ton.
If this was fark I would make some comment about how you could always bring an empty water bottle through security and fill it at a water fountain. However, it is Consumerist so I will refrain.
The SWA zealots are a lot like the credit union or USAA zealots in the bank threads. Not everyone can fly SWA.
i’d bring an empty water bottle and fill it up with water from the bathroom tap. i’m that cheap!
Will I be paying $2 for drinks?
No, because I will not be flying US Airways.
@badgeman46: On what planet are individuals going to be able to afford $17,700 (even split three ways) to fly from, say, Nashville to D.C.? Luckily, Linear doesn’t charge fuel surcharges – wow!
I’m not flying US Air (Fomerly known as Agony, I mean Allegheny Airlines).
I’m flying at the end of this month, and I’ll be flying Business class (thanks to my wife’s upgrade vouchers). I really can’t see flying 18 hours to South Africa any other way.
Years ago, liquor & beer, meals, and other amenities all used to be “free” with your ticket purchase. Only they weren’t really free, they were embedded in the ticket price. As profit margins shrunk, airlines started to charge for these things too, to make up for lost profits. You got used to paying extra for these; you’ll get used to paying for soft drinks too.
Wouldn’t the more appropriate question be “Are you going to stop flying US Airways?” I’d pay it if I were really desperately thirsty.
“Hello, this is your captain speaking. As you know, this is a “metered” flight. Please deposit $50.00 in the seatback bill slot if you wish to get to your destination.”
Oh, and yes, I already stopped flying US Air, Continental, and United. About the only airline left worth flying is Southwest.
This is at least halfway due to weight/fuel concerns. They’ll have to carry less soda etc. because demand will drop if a small fee is charged. Those who really want it will still have it available, etc.
I’d buy my drinks at the gate. Who wants to pay $2 for warm soda anyhow? About half the time I fly, my ice tastes like chemicals. I don’t like ice anyway. It dilutes my precious caffeine.
I’d pay $2 for a full can of soda if I actually wanted it – if we’re talking mini cans, or the “fill your cup 3/4 with ice and 1/4 with soda, but not give you the can” deal, not so much.
Either way, I fly Delta, so this doesn’t apply to me…yet, anyway.
Bring water bottle, fill it up at a water fountain in the terminal. As long as you’re not flying out of East Nowhere, Africa, the water is safe.
stoners everywhere gasp in a sea of paranoia…this takes cotton mouth to a whole new level
Do we tip now that were paying 2$ to be served a 35 cent can of soda or a 4$ sandwich you can get for 1.75 @ 7-11.
You INSULT the passengers who know what these things cost and make the airlines seem that much greedier.
Are these flying snack bars subject to licensing and inspections just as if they were on the ground?Can you get a refund if they screw up your order.This is worst than the subliminal salt and popcorn pictures in movies.It’s called airplane AIR.
Just build the fraken prices into the ticket instead of trying disguise it or make it SEEM more fair.Every ticket,just raise it by let’s say 5$,EVERY TICKET:just build it into the price.
No, I won’t pay $2 for a soda. Why? US Airways doesn’t actually fly out of my local airport, only via Mesa Airways. I’d rather take Airtran/Frontier, anyway.
Seems like there could be a great business opportunity here by purchasing beverages in the concourse in bulk and undercutting the airline. Hell, I might take a loss in the sales price and profits just to see the look on their face as I followed them down the aisle offering to sell the same beverages for $1.50. Granted it would probably get me arrested but I’d definitely get my own consumerist article.
But really, how long before they begin to cut off water to the bathroom sinks when they realize that people are bringing in empty bottles and filling them on their own? On that day I will wear a full body condom when traveling because there will be a lot of unwashed hands all over that aircraft…
I’ve been bringing my own food and drinks for years when traveling. Camelbak is your friend, just make sure it’s empty before going through security, then fill it from a drinking fountain or restroom sink in the terminal. I usually fly with 2-6 high quality sandwiches in the pockets of my vest (enough to share with family/friends). Adding a couple cans of post-security soda is not much of an added burden.
The vest neatly hold sandwiches, a couple cans of soda, a couple books to read on the flight, my bag of trail mix for snacking, my umbrella, a poncho, wallet, ticket, passport, keys, gum, earplugs, mini-first aid kit (nothing sharp), windbreaker, and even has room left over for pocket lint.
One easy way is to show up at the airport with an empty bottle, go through security, and then fill the bottle at a water fountain or in the rest rooms. No fuss, no muss, and no $2. BTW, I fly SWA almost exclusively and will drive an extra 15 miles to book a flight at an airport that Southwest serves. Are they the greatest airline? Not by a long shot, but they sell basic transportation with no frills and they get you there, generally on time or close to it. Some of the international airlines are pretty good but for domestic travel, I either use SW or try to set up a video conference so that no one has to be subjected to the domestic airlines.