WestJet recently sent out a survey to its readers to look at a list of $10 fees and respond which they were okay paying with. One of them was a $10 fee for not having to sit near screaming babies and small children. The airline also wanted to know if customers would be interested in $10 savings for putting up with or giving up certain things, like savings for not earning frequent flier miles or savings for having a seat that doesn’t recline. Brilliant business move or deceptive fare increase? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
FEE – $10 more for:
- Priority boarding (getting on the plane first)
- Priority disembarking (getting off the plane first)
- Expedited baggage delivery
- Priority rebooking in case of flight cancellation
- Complimentary meals/hotel accommodations when a flight is either cancelled or substantially delayed
- In-flight Internet access
- Guaranteed space in the overhead bin
- In-seat power
- Premium snack/meal offering
- A freshly laundered pillow/blanket set that you may keep after the flight
- An amenity kit with earplugs, eyeshades and toiletries to keep you refreshed on the plane
- A wait of 10 minutes or less to clear security checkpoints
- Sitting away from parents traveling with babies/small children
SAVINGS – $10 off for
- Savings for not checking bags
- Savings for not earning frequent flier miles
- Savings for only bringing aboard one small piece of carry-on baggage (e.g., only a purse or computer bag)
- Savings for being the last to board
- Savings for using online check-in instead of a kiosk
- Savings for using either a kiosk or online check-in instead of a human agent
- Savings for having my checked luggage to be among the last to be delivered
- Savings for sitting in a middle seat
- Savings for making no changes to your ticket prior to departure
- Savings for not getting free water, coffee/tea, juices or soft drinks in flight
- Savings for having a seat that does not recline
- Savings to sit close to parents traveling with babies/small children
How about a $10 savings for helping out fellow sleepy passengers…
Airline considers $10 surcharge for baby-free seating, priority disembarking [ELLIOTT] (Image: Getty)
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I think Air Canada already gives you $3 off for not checking any baggage if you fly their Tango package. Although, I’d gladly take the $10 discount for being a light traveler, I’m sure it’s not really a discount, so much as they would just inflate normal fares to compensate.
I’d pay to sit away from kids. I’d also love getting overhead compartment space above my actual seat. I think they’re all pretty good ideas, really…
you save $10 for not checking a bag, yet get charged anywhere from $15-$50 for checking the bag. Not exactly a 1 to 1 exchange rate.
Also – I would bet it’s $10 for each of those things – not all of the above. Otherwise 90% of the people would buy the ‘perks’, and then so much for priority anything. The guy who doesn’t pay or save anything ends up getting on last, getting off last, with 5 babies in his lap, no in flight snacks, and no options.
Interesting to think… can parents pay the $10 not to be next to their own children? And if 90% of the people pay not to be next to children, then do they herd them all to the baggage chamber?
I’ve spent more on lunch, so hell yeah I’d spend that for 90 minutes or possibly more of peace (or at least distance)!
Hey airlines! You got my suggestion backwards! Charge a hefty $10 per min. crying baby fee. Don’t charge me more to sit away, charge the perps for noise pollution! You’re penalizing the victim here!
I’d rather the $10 go to teaching the Stewards that they are there to serve and not to judge.
What if everyone pays this fee? Does the airline put the child and parent on another plane?
What was the survival rate for passengers on the Titantic with sleeping quarters below the water line?
# A freshly laundered pillow/blanket set that you may keep after the flight
if i could pay this on the plane, when i decide i need it… it’s much better than paying for the dirty blankets that you don’t het to keep
# A wait of 10 minutes or less to clear security checkpoints
would be worth $25 to 30 at christmas time… last christmas, we were 10 minutes from departure and still about 15 minutes to the end of the security line, so we paid a family $40 to let us jump in front of them… (we made our flight with about a minute to spare)
# Savings for using online check-in instead of a kiosk OR
# Savings for using either a kiosk or online check-in instead of a human agent
seeing as i always ceck in the night before, so i cna make sure i get the seat i want, this would be a non-issue
# Savings for not getting free water, coffee/tea, juices or soft drinks in flight
how is this different from charging for drinks?
This seems very Jasper Fforde / Thursday next.
However, I would pay up to an additional $50 to be seated away from them or take $100 discount to sit near them.
How about paying 10$ to be away from parents who are behaving worse than their children?
While we all know there are misbehaving children out there what about the adults who behave worse than children? If we have the choice to pay 10$ to be seated away from children we should have the choice to pay 10$ to be seated away from adults who act like children or worse.
I don’t fly but the only way I can see the kid thing working is if they have child-free flights, because the sound of the kid or baby will be heard throughout the entire flight regardless.
“Savings for sitting in a middle seat” -This is the only thing on that entire list that doesn’t seem like a way to raise fees on everything your passengers do.
Next thing we know, there will be a “$10 fee for the right to sneeze,” “$10 discount to not take a piss,” “$30 fee for the right to fart loudly in the middle of the plain making every one suffer for the chili you ate during your layover,” and “$10 discount to sit next to the guy that farted.”
What about the loud obnoxious sales guy talking on the cell phone until the last possible second before turning it off (under threat of getting thrown off by the flight attendant),who then has to repeat the entire conversation to his seat mate, and then has the phone on as soon as the plane tires scuff the concrete upon landing…
@econobiker: I’d pay $10 not to hear the symphony of: “Hey. We just landed. I’ll meet you at baggage claim.” OF COURSE you are going to meet at freakin’ baggage claim. However in the world did we find our rides at the airport before cell phones?
Once again I’m amazed at all the people complaining about children. I’m guessing all of you were birthed as fully grown adults? None of you ever annoyed anyone when you were a toddler, right?
On topic: I’d gladly pay $10 not to sit next to someone who is morbidly obese.
@joemono: i’m pretty sure i made this comment previously…i never understand it myself.
@joemono: I think most people realize a baby will cry on occasion, and have more of a beef with inconsiderate parents. If more parents made an effort to offer earplugs to surrounding passengers as a gesture of good faith, the general public would probably be more forgiving in these situations.
Another example is the set of parents who decided to keep an unfolded stroller in the common area of our building without asking anyone. When I left a note explaining that an unfolded stroller could affect some people’s fire escape route, they became incredibly defensive.
@joemono:
It’s not that people expect a baby to be silent- it’s that it really, REALLY SUCKS to have to listen to the little accident screech for multiple hours just because hippie-mom doesn’t believe in benadryl.
Too damn many people believe their children are somehow SPECIAL and should be worshipped and revered by all. Newsflash- your brats are loud, ugly, smelly, and they annoy everyone around them. They are NOT cute, they are NOT sweet, they are NOT miracles. They are nothing but a nuisance, and if 99% of parents didn’t have their uppity heads up their perfumed asses, they’d realize JUST how much they’re asking people to put up with when they refuse to control their children.
Most people will grit their teeth & bear it, but I for one do not hold back with undisciplined brats. If your precious little angel comes anywhere near me smelling like syrup and yelling in my ear, I WILL kick him. And if you say ANYTHING to me about it except, “I’m sorry my child bothered you, ma’am”, I will kick YOU too.
And for the record, no- I do not have any children, and never will. I would rather have cancer.
With this new fee, how much would I get for traveling with my baby? I certainly want to be compensated for creating another revenue stream for the airlines. Hell, I’ll even make my daughter cry the entire time so people feel like they’re getting their money’s worth.
Priority boarding (getting on the plane first) No
Priority disembarking (getting off the plane first) Sometimes
Expedited baggage delivery No
Priority rebooking in case of flight cancellation No
Complimentary meals/hotel accommodations when a flight is either cancelled or substantially delayed No
In-flight Internet access Yes
Guaranteed space in the overhead bin No
In-seat power Yes
Premium snack/meal offering Depends on what it is.
A freshly laundered pillow/blanket set that you may keep after the flight No
An amenity kit with earplugs, eyeshades and toiletries to keep you refreshed on the plane No
A wait of 10 minutes or less to clear security checkpoints Yes
Sitting away from parents traveling with babies/small children Depends on details
SAVINGS – $10 off for
Savings for not checking bags Yes
Savings for not earning frequent flier miles Yes
Savings for only bringing aboard one small piece of carry-on baggage (e.g., only a purse or computer bag) Yes
Savings for being the last to board Yes
Savings for using online check-in instead of a kiosk Yes
Savings for using either a kiosk or online check-in instead of a human agent Yes
Savings for having my checked luggage to be among the last to be delivered Yes
Savings for sitting in a middle seat Yes (I’d still try not to get one)
Savings for making no changes to your ticket prior to departure Yes
Savings for not getting free water, coffee/tea, juices or soft drinks in flight No
Savings for having a seat that does not recline No
Savings to sit close to parents traveling with babies/small children No
$50 savings for taking your meds and not having a screaming panic attack at 32,000 feet?
@bagumpity: Nice! This happens more often than you’d think, and it’s incredibly annoying.
This is a very odd questionnaire considering WestJet has been advertising that they don’t nickle and dime their customers to death… that is what sets them apart from the competition… that is the reason to fly WestJet.
I also pray that the sale’s guys and bean counter’s don’t get the results of this questionnaire. This is the last North American airline I am willing to fly with. If these sorts of fees get initiated then all my domestic travel will be by car or rail.
Also, they will have a hell of a time implementing some of this… like getting your luggage out first… does this mean they will hold up all the other luggage until priority luggage is on the carousel? Unlike now where the luggage is basically on a LIFO system (last in first out) rewarding those who check in last and penalizing those who check in early. In the new system no luggage will show up until it is all off the plane?
Airports and airtravel is just like the army… Hurry up and wait… hurry through this area to line up for check in… run to security to line up for a groping… hurry to departures to line up to be a sardine in a can… land and the seatbelt sign goes out everyone stands to line up in the isle to get off… run to line up at immigration… run to wait for your bags… line up in the can… line up at the car rental…
Nuts to all of this… take the scenic route… take the train.
Priority boarding (getting on the plane first) NOPE
Priority disembarking (getting off the plane first) YES
Expedited baggage delivery YES
Priority rebooking in case of flight cancellation NOPE
Complimentary meals/hotel accommodations when a flight is either cancelled or substantially delayed NO YOU BETTER PAY FOR IT ANYWAY
In-flight Internet access ABSOLUTELY YES
Guaranteed space in the overhead bin NOPE
In-seat power YES YES YES YES
Premium snack/meal offering NOPE
A freshly laundered pillow/blanket set that you may keep after the flight NOPE
An amenity kit with earplugs, eyeshades and toiletries to keep you refreshed on the plane NOPE
A wait of 10 minutes or less to clear security checkpoints YES YES YES
Sitting away from parents traveling with babies/small children OF COURSE
SAVINGS – $10 off for
Savings for not checking bags SURE
Savings for not earning frequent flier miles YES
Savings for only bringing aboard one small piece of carry-on baggage (e.g., only a purse or computer bag) YES (the day trip would be so nice then)
Savings for being the last to board SURE
Savings for using online check-in instead of a kiosk YES
Savings for using either a kiosk or online check-in instead of a human agent I HAVENT USED A HUMAN IN YEARS
Savings for having my checked luggage to be among the last to be delivered OH HELL NO
Savings for sitting in a middle seat NEVER
Savings for making no changes to your ticket prior to departure SURE
Savings for not getting free water, coffee/tea, juices or soft drinks in flight IF I CAN BRING MY OWN
Savings for having a seat that does not recline NO WAY
Savings to sit close to parents traveling with babies/small children HELL NO
@kathyl: I love how some people assume that every child screams (mine has flown twice, and has made less noise than most of the adults on the plane) and kicks the seat (mine might do it once MAXIMUM before I told her to stop). What I dislike are the people who see a child and ASSUME you’re a horrible parent who won’t actually *parent* during the flight.
When you generalize, you just make the problems worse.
@kathyl: It’s great that your child is well-behaved, but I don’t see how that somehow vindicates all children. At any rate, almost every comment here has been about “screaming kids” not just “kids” in general.
Also, you’re generalizing in saying “when you generalize, you just make the problem worse.”
@kathyl: It’s not as if the other passengers can say, when booking their ticket and choosing whether to pay the fee, “Well, I’d hate to be sitting near a poorly-behaved child, but I know kathyl’s kids will be the only ones on the flight and they won’t bother me, so there’s no need to pay the premium.” Surely you know that some children can be very loud and unpleasant, and it shouldn’t be difficult to understand why some people would prefer to pay the fee and avoid being near any children at all instead of just hoping that any kids they’re near will be as well-behaved as yours are.
The last time I flew a redeye there was a screaming baby whose parents tried to calm it by walking up and down the aisle so everyone could share the pain. A ten dollar fee wouldn’t have helped there.
I don’t like sitting near screaming babies any more than the rest of you, but could everyone please keep in mind that it’s not like parents of small children *want* their children to scream and cry?* I mean really, if you think you can get my baby to stop crying, feel free to give it a go. I’ll give you $10 if you succeed. Similarly, if the fasten seat belts sign is on, and the diaper is about to explode, would you rather I change the diaper while seated, or run the risk of having poop escape onto the seat cushion, the baby’s clothes, my clothes, your clothes, etc. Also, changing a diaper is sometimes the only way to get a crying baby to calm down, so take your pick, people.
Personally, I would pay extra not to have to sit near to people with B.O. or people who talk about their religion in voice loud enough to be heard three rows up for the whole flight. The last flight I took, I had to deal with both of these at the same time.
(* I’m talking about little babies here. Obviously, some parents of older children don’t supervise as well as they should…)
How about if we have the airline make the parents pay to tranquilize the child and ship it in pressurized cargo like they do with dogs and other animals?
@SlappyFrog: You know, no one is stopping the adults on the flight from taking drugs. If loud babies bother you, feel free to down a couple tranqs yourself before boarding. I’ll bet you’ll never hear a thing.
How about that $10 charge for being able to sit inside the plane?
Ohh darn, dont want to give them anymore ideas.
Hand over $10 to make my personal in-flight pet peeves go away? Oh, you betcha! Only if they were offering a menu of options though. (Do you think they’d do special deals? $25 to get nice food, a seat away from baby and priority boarding maybe? I’d totally pay that.)
Well, at least now the airlines are moving the slow people to a separate x-ray screening lane.
See here.
how about $10 extra for a nobody-under-18 flight??
How about $0 to be treated in a decent manner.
My favorite flight experience on United. My wife bought the tickets from the web site, including seats for our two you (one baby one toddler) who were getting strapped into car seats (we don’t like baby’s in our laps and we didn’t want them becoming projectiles). United’s web site put two adults and two small children the row in front of the exit. I pointed this out to the agent at check-in and was told to point it out to the gate agent. The gate agent told me the flight attendants would fix it. When I pointed it out to the flight attendants as we boarded they told us to go ahead and sit down, because they needed us out of the aisles so everyone could board. Then, after everyone is on board, a flight attendant comes along, and very loudly says (SIGH) ” YOU CAN’T SIT THERE! THAT’S IN FRONT OF THE EXIT ROW! CHILDREN AREN’T ALLOWED THERE!” They found someone to switch us with and then, as we moved our stuff (car-seats, carry-ons, children), one of the other Flight Attendants comes up and very loudly huffs for us and everyone around to hear “CAN YOU PLEASE HURRY! EVERYONE ON THE PLANE IS WAITING FOR YOU!”.
Every time United hits financial troubles I go and buy a bottle of champagne.
I’d rather they charge the people with the screaming children $10 more to board. They’re the ones being disruptive, not me. Why should I have to pay to not have to listen to it?
I mean geeze, I understand that children can be difficult but sheesh people, knowing your children are such come prepared with things to keep them biddable. Either that or discipline the little hell spawns so they don’t act up in the first place.
I would pay a lot more than that to sit away from somebody that has “diarrhea of the mouth” and wants to tell you their life story, or wants to sell something, or network.
I will take the screaming kids all day long compared to the other lunatics.
the best thing to do to avoid the screaming kids don’t sit at the bulkhead. many people traveling with kids will sit there so they get the extra room for diaper bags, toys etc.
i’ve spent 5 hours flying beside a screamer – and it was the first leg of a flight to Beijing. glad i got off in YVR
by the way – the parents with the kids are trying to quiet them too. they don’t come with a mute switch you know
I love how some people assume that every child screams
Not every child. There’s always Benedryl or duct tape.
Gimme any and all monies for: being willing to wait before, after, and during the flight, putting up with kids, and having no amenities whatsoever. I don’t need frequent flyer miles, either, b/c I fly about once every seven years and those things expire faster than that. If you let me bring a snack, fill my water bottle at the fountain in the terminal, listen to my ipod, sleep on my jacket, and read my book, I’m good. I don’t like the middle seat, though, I’m claustrophobic.
My parents shipped me off to wilderness camp every summer — CHRISTIAN wilderness camp. I can survive a 3 hour plane ride by the basics.
next up.. we’ll have BABY quotas.. to make sure there are enough of them to make money off these charges.
I hate people who recline their seats in front of me too, and have gotten into trouble by being a jerk about it (oops bad temper– fortunately it never involved Homeland Security).
Worse than any airline though are the reclining seats on Greyhound buses. I got on a Greyhound bus from Champaign to Chicago one time, unaware that this was the last leg from some distant origin, and EVERYONE had their seat back (to sleep I suppose). It was almost literally impossible to sit upright on that bus when the seat in front of you was pushed back– just not enough space– and so everyone had to ride at an angle for the entire trip. Miserable experience. Proud of myself for surviving it.
I’ll take a screaming child ANY DAY instead of an overweight, flatulent, uneducated, ill-mannered, sour-breathed buffoon who can’t sit still and insists on chatting constantly.
I have the perfect solution. Well, two, actually.
1. Lock all babies & screaming brats in the luggage hold. Well-behaved, QUIET children will be allowed to sit with their parents. All flight attendants will be issued a taser and be encouraged to make examples of unruly little shits.
2. DRIVE. Unless it’s international travel, get off your lazy ass & friggin’ DRIVE to your destination. That way, your little broken condoms won’t annoy anyone besides you!
…………………………..
Sorry, maybe you couldn’t tell, but I absolutely hate kids with a passion. It’s my mom’s fault. My mom is the kind of parent that boils my blood too- she lets my little sister do WHATEVER she wants, WHENEVER. The kid is Little Miss ADHD Oklahoma already, and my mom pumps her full of sugar all day long. She runs wild in public & annoys the living shit out of everybody. And if I say anything, I’M the bad guy. We’ll be out at a restaurant & Demon Seed will be yelling, throwing shit, running laps around the tables, and tripping the waiters, and my mom thinks its CUTE.
I’m getting my fucking tubes tied.
How about they just CHARGE for each baby/toddler? Charging extra to those who bring a baby on a flight?
Same way they don’t give me a “discount” for not checking ten bags…they charge people with ten bags extra…
how about $10 for a more comfortable/bigger seat, $10 for a higher quality food during international flights, or $10 to be treated with respect and dignity??
I’m flying to Florida in Jan. with my 6 month old and was nervous about him potentially crying and annoying anyone on the plane. Now after reading some of the comments here about kids, I could care less.
I can’t remember the last time I saw a baby on a plane. times are hard and I think the only people traveling with babies now are people who have no choice at all
ll.
Bogus. [www.cbc.ca]
Knew it was from the moment I saw it. It’s totally against WestJet’s MO to do something like charge/credit for minute details of flights. You buy a Westjet ticket, and everything’s included. Period. And that’s what I love about them.