What Next? US Airways Gets Rid Of Clothes Hangers?
Justin Wolfers, from the Freakonomics blog, has noticed something troubling on US Airways. The clothes hangers are gone from First Class.
Arriving uncrumpled used to be one of the few perks for those at the front of the plane, but now the racks behind seat 4B sit unemployed. It can’t be that these hangers had much value on the secondary market, and the number of flight attendants hasn’t changed, so I can only guess that the cost reductions come from the fuel savings that come from carrying a few less ounces. (How big could these be?)
If this is true, Wolfers suggests it may backfire on US Airlines as passengers start packing their carry-ons with hangers.
One commenter had another theory about the missing hangers.
Maybe it was a typo in a cost reduction memo:
“maintain fewer hangers”
versus hangars.
Crumpled suitcoats abound.
Free the Hangers [Freakonomics]
(Photo: Flying Photog )
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Comments:
Oh, no. Not the hangers!
yawn.
I'm gonna go ahead and say that this is Homeland Security in action.
@backbroken: Most definitely. They certainly don't want those sneaky terrorists to go using those coat hangers to pick the locks on the cockpit doors!
@Ash78: I was going to ponder if Joan Crawford had taken over as US Airway's new CEO.
After all, it's not her first time at the rodeo.
zzzz
This post is a joke right, its kind of funny, cause I know that ol' Justin didn't inspect US Airways fleet of planes. How can you extend a few observations to an entire operation.
So I'm sticking with this is a joke!
@backbroken: I dunno, could be theft-related. I haven't noticed any lack of hangers on the planes I've flown recently (that were NOT US Airways). If it was a DHS Hanger Threat Reduction Initiative (HTRI sounds great, btw) then other airlines would probably follow suite, wouldn't they?
Cue world's smallest violin...and go!
@Ash78: Or maybe a passenger pulled a Crawford, grabbing a hanger and beating a child with it, and that led to liability concerns and eventual banishment of the hangers.
Can't fit it into context, but my all-time favorite MD quote: "Im not mad at you, I'm mad at the dirt!"
@pemarsh: And yet, interesting enough for you to take the time not only to read the article, but post a comment.
Wow. Slow news day or what?
I can't believe this even got published.
Maybe they were leasing the hangers, so getting rid of them would be a cost-cutting move. Maybe they're even sub-letting them.
I fly usair at least twice a week, and this is true. They have backed off of some of ther previous "changes" due to customer requests but this is just stupid.
It sucks that they took out the tv system, in doing so they turned off the power outlets in the seats so now when you have that 8hr flight..... find a good book.
I just flew US Air for the last time ever yesterday. Charging for water and coffee is just plain stupid, and if you want to charge me for a soft drink, charge me a reasonable rate, don't mark it up 300% above retail. Plus the $15 checked bag fee has totally messed up the check in process and they don't seem to understand that more workers are needed to keep the check in lines under 2 hours.
My cousin needed to fly with her wedding dress and she was told prior that there would be hangers available for her and space to hang it. Turns out that didn't happen and she had to attempt to store it as delicately as possible in the overhead. It ended up turning out okay, but messing with some brides could turn deadly.
Step 1: Take all the hangers
Step 2: ????
Step 3: Profit!!!!
Hangers in planes? I thought it was planes in hangers!
Now we know things are bad. Cuts are starting to affect first class passengers!
This is why I fly Virgin America, they provide complimentary soda, water, and they don't stop people from grabbing pillows and blankets pre-flight for free.
They also have outlets in every seat and there's the neato Virgin Red entertainment system. Plus so far it seems the prices are exactly the same with competitors.
Too bad they're limited to a few major cities right now.
*No I do not work for them.
@Sean Su: Yeah, next time I have to fly, it's gonna be with them. Although I'm determined to use Amtrak my next trip, even if it's cross-country.
Welcome to an expensive version of coach! We've lived without hangers all this time, deal with it!
This reminds me of the last days of Eastern Airlines., with Frank Borman exhorting staff to economise on paperclips. (I kid you not...) US Airways' actions are further proof of the fact that they have no idea of the value of their premium customers. Look at their Star Alliance partner Lufthansa, building dedicated First Class facilities in Frankfurt and constantly enhancing their service offering. US Airways (and the rest of the American network carriers) just don't get it...
@Ash78: "How many times must I tell you, NOOOOOOOOOOO WIIIIIIIRRRRRRE HANGAAAAAAAAAAAARS!!!!!"
Ah, I feel better now.
@Ash78: I expected a Mommy Dearest reference, and I am amused that it was in the first post. Well played.
@Jon Klein: The airlines should be carful, there's a lot of revenue in first class, they pretty much subsidize the rest of the plane.
If rich people stop seeing value in first class, most of the industry will have to change their buisness model.
@TVGenius: 4 hours of hell for $400, or 3 days of comfort for $1,500?
I'd love to do the train thing, but it almost always loses on BOTH cost and time. Especially trans-continental.
@RagingBoehner: Bring your own. This is really a non-issue... And unless your meeting is at the arrival gate, some of the wrinkles will smooth out along the way.
/have traveled for business
@TVGenius: Living on the east coast, I use Amtrak for any north-south traveling. And I use air for east-west traveling. Works great, considering that my ratio of N-S to E-W is low. I traveled out west on business once in the past 3 years and I traveled to NYC and Boston several times. Amtrak is great if you live on the east cost and use the northeastern corridor.
Power outlets? In first class? Does that mean you can plug your laptop in instead of wasting the battery?
(Obviously I've never flown anything but coach.)
I only fly US Air if it's cheaper than southwest *AND* I'm not checking bags.
Just last week I smuggled 10 lbs of delicious kielbasy from Czerw's in Philly on a US Airways plane. When I go up there in February to assist a friend with a legal matter, I will probably fly Southwest because as of right now the fares are the same price.
Airlines are taking advantage of their position, in that it's the only option to get from point A to B. They know we'll buy tickets regardless of how crappy they treat us, because how else can we get from Florida to California? Driving that far isn't possible, especially at the 11th hour.
They could get rid of seats and put us all in animal cargo, and we'd still be forced to buy tickets because it's the only option until teleportation becomes a reality.
US Airways sucks! The last time I flew them (and only flew because I had a credit) they were charging for a first checked bag and charging for water, etc. Of course it takes forever to get everyone on and off the plane because everyone has two big bags with them that they are trying to stuff in the overhead. So every flight is late, that can't add up to a profit in my mind.
If you want to use the hangers that will be $3.99 each plus a $.99 per hanger fuel surcharge, sir. Now you may use your own hangers to hang your coat on the hook, the fee for that will only be $1.98 plus tax.
Fly Jet Blue and be done with it, if you can. Good airline, good people and value. You pay a little more but its worth it.
@Ash78: While I applaud your joke, US DespAirways doesn't have in flight movies anymore. They took the systems out.
I've been flying US Airways for 11 years. This is nothing new. The hangers have been missing from most of the old AmericanWest planes for many months. These are the planes with the hanger space behind the 3rd or 4th row of first class. I think they still have hangers in the true "closets" of the old US Airways planes.
Still, it is just one more way US Airways has downgraded service even in its fairly dismal first class section. And, BTW, to claim to be the "low cost carrier" is a joke. On business trip after trip I'm trying to book in 2009, US Airways is hundreds of dollars more than other legacy carriers. ALWAYS shop around -- and be sure to do so on each airline's web sites as they often have fares there that do not show up on other sites.
@HogwartsAlum:
Yeah most planes have them in both first and coach. In the older planes and coach they tend to be under the seat, or in first they will be in the arm rest. Do check most planes have them, but you might need a connector.
@DrGirlfriend: Oh shit! This is a brilliant angle! Spread the word! Open your Scrabble dictionaries and come up with new and interesting ways to be stale and uninteresting!
Budgets must be so tight, that they are repairing the wiring in the plane with the wire hangers since they can't afford Monster Mini Golf ..I mean.. Monster Cable.
@nsv: Next cost cutting measure: Move the seats 5" closer in coach to get more seats to get money to give first class their hangers.
Today's inflight movie will be "Mommy Dearest"