Here's his story:

I roll it out of the long passage way and into the terminal to catch the connecting flight. I have 15 minutes. I open the outside zipper area to place my laptop bag in and see that the bag is FREAKING SOAKED. DRENCHED. Nervously and in slow motion I open the zipper to the main compartment of my camera bag and there water all throughout my bag. EVERYUWHERE. Dead serious. A good 3 cups worth. My stomach is in knots. For a second I about ot puked. My head spins, I get light headed and then my wooziness is replaced with anger. I'm pissed. I immediately go to the lady at the gate from where I just exited. I tell her my story and she looks into my bag in shock. She is extremely apologetic but can do nothing. She leads me to where I need to go, U.S. Airways customer service.

The story continues as he explains the situation to an employee who he describes as a "women/behemoth/monster/creature/prawn/leviathan thing-person." This thing-person is convinced that the photographer had a water bottle in his bag.

Here's the complete story. Anyone have any advice for him? He's insured, but wants US Airways to pay the deductible.

U.S. Airways sucks so freaking bad. I HATE them. I HATE THEM! [FredMiranda] (Thanks, Steve!)
Tips on Avoiding Baggage Problems [DOT]

The airline isn't cutting all flights to other cities. For example, the hourly NYC-Boston-DC shuttle service will remain unaffected. From the Wall Street Journal:

US Airways, the result of a 2005 merger of American West Airlines and the former US Airways, said it would reduce the number of flights to Las Vegas to 36 from 64 daily departures as a result of increasing fuel prices and weak demand. It also said it would end flights at Colorado Springs, Colo., and Wichita, Kan.

Other changes announced Wednesday include the suspension of five European routes: to London Gatwick; Birmingham, England; Milan, Italy; Shannon, Ireland; and Stockholm, Sweden, from US Airways' international gateway in Philadelphia. It will also give up its right to fly between Philadelphia and Beijing.

The layoffs should happen "during the first half of 2010."

"US Airways to Cut 1,000 Jobs, Focus On Hub Cities" [Wall Street Journal]
(Photo: claudiogennari)

Eventually, Cutts began receiving emails from 321mags.com, which U.S. Airways had enlisted to fulfill the orders. Of eight magazines and newspapers Cutts tried to order, he got zero. "That's right," he wrote in his blog. "Not a single magazine or newpaper showed up. Instead, eight different times I was told that an 'overwhelming response' meant that title wasn't available."

By the time all of the magazine offers fell through, Cutts' miles had expired. But his saga doesn't end there. A short while later, U.S. Airways came back with a new offer: He could get his miles back — if he signed up for a shiny new credit card. Cutts declined, and added the followng to his blog: "You know what, U.S. Airways? Just keep the miles. Or better yet, if anyone from the U.S. Airways Dividend Miles program sees this post and wants to do something nice, please donate those miles to charity."

Now, we're sure Matt isn't saying — and we're not implying — that the magazine offers were a ruse in order to run out the clock and then send out the credit card offer. But come on: At least admit that you're not sending out Conde Nast Portfolio because it doesn't exist anymore — not due to "an overwhelming response."

Bad Experience with U.S. Airways Dividend Miles [Matt Cutts]

The "Bites" menu is the most confusing, probably because I struggle with the concept of paying someone to pour water in an Instant Lunch cup and serve it to me.

- Quaker Oatmeal Express Golden Brown Sugar $3
- Maruchan Instant Lunch – Chicken $3
- Pringles Chips – Original $3
- Nabisco Mini Oreo Cookies $3
- Twizzlers – Strawberry $3
- Planters Daybreak Blend Apple Cinnamon Trail Mix $4
- Blue Diamond Almonds – Roasted Salted $5

The menu also features a breakfast "Fruit, cheese and meat platter" ($7), sandwiches and salads for dinner, and, interestingly, cocktails for $8. Because there's nothing like a premixed pomegranate martini when flying to a conference in Houston.

If they're going to charge for in-flight meals, this isn't too bad, but the lack of vegetarian options that aren't up in the "snack" column is a little dismaying.

Soda and coffee, however, remain free.

US Airways MarketPlace™ - food, drinks & more (Thanks, Marti!)

Elite frequent fliers, first-class passengers, and active-duty military personnel are exempt from the fees.

Here's a lovely chart they have provided for your edification.

Baggage policy [US Airways]
(Photo:balmes)

Apparently the Charleston airport is rebuilding one of its runways, and the airport has been closed from midnight till 6 a.m. every night since June 9 for the repairs. The flight was delayed out of Charlotte by weather, and didn't end up taking off until 11:43 p.m. A representative of the airline said, "We thought we were going to be able to make it in time. In addition, we thought the tower might remain open a little later." They were wrong.

As usual, life imitates The Onion.

Flight Canceled Mid-Air, Heads Back to Charlotte
(Photo: bala)

According to the article, the employee's roommate was moving to Arizona, and did not understand the proper procedure for traveling with firearms. When he asked the US airways employee for help, the employee allegedly offered to smuggle the gun aboard.

The employee has a different story. He claims he accidentally grabbed the wrong bag from their home that morning and was switching it back.

The passenger has a license for the gun and a permit to carry it. For those of you thinking of traveling with firearms — be sure to read the TSA's rules. It's possible to travel with both guns and ammo if you plan ahead and check a bag. We hate US Airways baggage fees too — but we bet these two guys wish they'd just paid the extra money.

FBI: Airline worker helped roommate get gun on jet [USAToday]
(Photo:afagen)

The Philadelphia Inquirer says that Flight 1195 to Phoenix was delayed 4 hours due to the incident. The owner of the bag and the U.S. Airways worker are being questioned.

US Airways is, of course, taking it very seriously.

Safety and security is our first and foremost priority in everything we do," Morgan Durrant, senior manager of corporate communications for the airline, said in an e-mailed statement. "We are cooperating with investigators fully and take security considerations very seriously. Further comment right now is not appropriate out of respect to the ongoing investigation."

To see what else is being taken seriously, click here.

Police: Handgun handed off at airport, gets on plane [Philadelphia Inquirer]
(Photo:Flying Photog)

On May 18, 2009 I drove my girlfriend to Ronald Regan National Airport (DCA) to drop her off for her 7:35pm flight to Tampa, FL. I live about 10 miles from the airport and we were not anticipating any traffic, but a car accident held us up a bit. We arrived at the airport and parked at 6:48pm. We were in no hurry because it is typically very quick to check in and get to your gate at DCA. We got out, got her bags, and walked to the check-in counter.

By the time we arrived there it was nearing 7PM. My girlfriend tried to check-in using the computer, but it kept telling her that no seats were available. After two tries I assumed that she must have been doing something wrong, I fly U.S. Airways regularly for both business and pleasure and have never had any issues checking in. I attempted to check her in and got the same result.

It said to notify one of the staff members there. There were two staff members standing right next to us chatting, one male and one female. I politely disrupted their conversation to inform them of the issue. I explained the error and the female staff member said to "just press continue". I informed her that there was no option to continue, only an option to start over. She argued that there was a continue button and I stated that there was not. She then, seemingly annoyed, came over to do it herself. She got the same error and then said that my girlfriend had missed her flight.

I argued that was impossible because the plane was still there. She then stated that it was U.S. Airways policy that they give your seats away to other passengers if you are not 30 minutes early. I argued that we were certainly more than thirty minutes early. After wasting several minutes of valuable time arguing with me she stated that "as of right now, you are three minutes late of thirty minutes". I was furious.

She said that she would get my girlfriend onto the next flight to Tampa which wasn't until the following morning. We cooled off and realized that there was little we could do, this woman obviously doing everything she could to be as little to us as possible. She told us the flight time, 8:40am, and then in a condescending tone told us to "make sure that you are here thirty minutes early this time, which will be at 8:10am".

There was no mention of any additional money or fees, but the following day my girlfriend found that she had been charged $120 additional on her credit card for the new flight.

I know that she was a victim of overbooking and the airline profitted more that twice from her. They sold too many tickets, making more money than the plane was able to carry passengers. Essentially, selling her seat twice. Then, when she arrived late they charged her for another seat on the new flight.

Is there even anything that we can do to fight back?

You can contact US Airways and ask them to at the very least credit your girlfriend the $120 additional fee that they should have never charged in the first place. If you have any sort of documentation that proves your case, like a parking ticket with a timestamp on it, send a scan of that too. You may also want to emphasize that you're a repeat customer who uses this airline frequently, and that you'd hate to have your opinion of them diminished because they ripped off your girlfriend and lied to her.

(Photo: randomduck)

On May 1, I traveled via US Airways to my hometown on the Outer Banks of NC for my wedding, which was May 9. I carefully folded up my wedding dress and packed it inside a suitcase, and checked it. That was an incredibly stupid move on my part. At the airport in Pittsburgh, they asked for volunteers to take the next flight out in exchange for a free round trip ticket for future use, as they had overbooked. I happily volunteered, because my layover in Charlotte was going to be 4 hours long, and I would still be on the same connecting flight. I thought it was a great deal for me.

When I arrived in New Bern, NC my luggage had somehow arrived before me, and I had to retrieve it from the baggage office. When I picked up the bag, I nearly fell over because I expected it to be about 25 pounds heavier than it was. I opened the bag in front of the desk agents and inside was the ripped open garment bag, complete with broken zipper and a broken hanger. There was no dress. My mother, who picked me up at the airport, was as calm as possible when she explained to the agent that my wedding was 8 days away, and how were they going to proceed with finding my dress. The response started with "Well, are you sure you packed it?" (Yes. It's my WEDDING. I'm certain that I did not absentmindedly leave the dress behind.) then progressed to "Well, we didn't lose your dress, we have nothing to do with that,"
and finally to "We can fill out a report, and you can expect a phone call tomorrow."

Tomorrow came, but there was no phone call. I called them around 3pm, and was told that they couldn't find a file with my name or with the file number I was provided with, and it can take up to a week before the pilfered bag reports even get into their system.

Yes, Consumerist. I was told that despite the fact that my wedding was now 7 days away, it would be about 7 days before they would even BEGIN investigating my missing dress.

For those who don't know, formal wedding gowns are very complicated. Finding one straight off of a rack is difficult, especially in a tiny town with the nearest chain bridal shop (David's Bridal) being over 2 hours away. First, the gal finds the dress she wants. It more or less never fits perfectly, so she has to take it to be altered, which can take several weeks to complete. For my dress, it had been taken up 4 inches, the train had a bustle installed, the halter neck had to be shortened, and the torso of the dress had to be taken out a full two inches for a total cost of nearly $300. The dress itself cost nearly $700. And now, US Airways was telling me I was SOL, and I was going to have to find another dress in just a couple of days, as it was already about 4pm when I got off the phone, the following day was Sunday, and I'd need at least 2 days for alterations.

My mother, my aunt and I scoured stores for a couple of days looking for ANYTHING that would suffice as a wedding dress. We came up empty handed until Tuesday afternoon, when we found a dress at a bridal shop that was my size. It was, by no means, a dress I would have chosen in any other situation, but because of the urgency of the situation, I was forced to take whatever I could get. We found a seamstress in a neighboring town who was willing to do the necessary alterations in a huge rush for an exorbitant amount of money, and I was able to pick up the dress the morning of the wedding.

My new husband and I returned from NC yesterday. I stopped by the baggage office at the Pittsburgh airport and asked them about it, but they hadn't heard anything about it. I called US Airways again when I got home, and there is STILL no record of anything.

I'm not sure where to go from here. I have receipts for everything. Both dresses, all alterations, both sets of shoes and undergarments, etc. Is small claims court the best route to take?

Jenn admits that putting the gown in checked luggage was a mistake. Still, that doesn't give someone with access to luggage a license to steal her gown, and airline employees seem to have thrown up their hands. Her dress hasn't turned up yet. What do you, the readers, suggest? Other than virtually smashing wedding cake in airline executives' faces with an EECB.

(Photo: Corey Ann)

A few issues come to mind, however, as to why this may not be such a great thing for passengers.

First, United says that the fees are nonrefundable. So if a trip is canceled, that's one more penalty often on top of a change fee. And that's not even getting into what happens when the airline cancels flights. Even if they endorse a ticket to a competitor, will they cover the other airlines fees?

Next, how smoothly is this going to work? For example, will the system always have a record of the prepayment, especially if the passenger doesn't have the receipt with them at the airport.

We'd be fine with the deceptive language only if they agreed to call the new fees a "surprise airport surcharge!"

U.S./Canada checked baggage [United]
Checking bags? Pay online. It's worth it! [US Airways]
FEE ALERT: United & US Airways Raise Bag Fees (except online) [Rick Seaney]
United asks the question: "When is a fee increase not a fee increase?" [Tripso]
(Photo: opacity)

United Airlines kicked off the fun back in February of 2008 when it announced a $25 fee for the second checked bag. In May, while fuel prices soared and airlines started to hurt, American announced that it would add a $15 fee for the first bag, and the flood gates opened.

Now that consumers are used to the fees, there's really no getting rid of them, though Southwest recently claimed that its lack of fees was helping it gain market share.

Airlines bag $1 billion for luggage [Star-Trib]
(Photo:opacity)

US Airways 1Q loss shrinks; adds fee for checking bags at airport instead of online [LA Times] (Thanks to Redwoodflyer!) (Photo: jurvetson)

Speaking to analysts during US Airways Group Inc.'s earnings call last week, president Scott Kirby said that airline clearly has made a lot of money by charging for checked bags.

But that doesn't mean that Southwest isn't benefiting from not charging the fees, he said.

"It's possible that Southwest receives a very small market share from a number of carriers," Kirby said.

Southwest says that they are experiencing increased demand because they are one of the only airlines without a checked bag fee.

US Airways, on the other hand, has just devised yet another bag fee. This time they'll be charging $5 for each bag fee that isn't prepaid online. Clever.

Southwest Airlines sees no benefit in bag fees [Dallas Morning News]
(Photo:Cuttriss...)

It's #19 US Airways VS #14 Capital One:

This is a post in our Worst Company In America 2009 series. The companies nominated for this honor were chosen by you, the readers, and seeded according to number of nominations. Keep track of all the goings on at consumerist.com/tag/worst-company-in-america. Download the bracket here.

"Pet store expects fish shipment, but gets corpse" [Huron Daily Tribune] (Thanks to Joanne!)
(Photo: cliff1066)

The Cincinnati Enquirer says the student is asking for $1,700 for the XBOX, and for "non-economic distress" of at least $25,000, but "in the maximum amount allowable by law or, in the alternative, in the sum of $1,000,000."

The suit also alleges that after the student noticed that his luggage was lighter than when he packed it, he reported the "theft" to US Airways, resulting in weeks of "an unconscionable 'run-around' " that is the basis of his lawsuit.

US Airways said they had no knowledge of the lawsuit, but did mention that the federal liability limit for lost luggage is $3,300 per bag.

"We haven't been apprised of any lawsuit yet, but regardless of the figure in the complaint, there are federal loss limits applicable to all airlines on their liability for lost luggage and belongings, which are currently set at $3,300 per bag," Valerie Wunder, a US Airways spokesperson, told the Enquirer. "Further, our publicly available baggage policies specifically exclude liability for electronics checked in luggage."

Anyway, for the rest of you, if something goes missing from your checked luggage it's the TSA that you should really be dealing with. They have a claims center set up to deal with the problem of "misplaced" property. You can find it here. And no, they probably won't give you a million dollars for your XBOX.

Student sues over missing Xbox [Cincinnati] (Thanks, chiieddy!)
(Photo:Flying Photog)

The airline had started charging $1-$2 per drink in coach in 2008. The change was announced in an email CEO Doug Parker blasted to employees, noting that the fee, which was not matched by other carriers, had become a distraction for the airline's image. He praised the company, however, for trying an "innovative" measure and noted how the fee had reduced the the length of lines to use the bathrooms.

US Airways reverses soda stance: won't charge [AP]
Free drinks from US Airways [Charlotte Observer] (Photos: jayRaz) (Thanks to Redwoodflyer!)

Michael's story is long and complicated, but only because that's how all airline reservation stories in the United States are these days. You can read the blow-by-blow tale on his own site, but here's a condensed version:

• Michael books a Las Vegas vacation package—flights and a hotel stay—through Amex Travel.
• The departing flight's flight number is changed. No worries.
• The return flight is canceled, and Michael is rebooked on a flight that's no longer a direct shot to NYC—now it includes a 4 hour layover in Phoenix, and arrives almost 5 hours later than he'd originally booked, on the morning when he has to go back to work.
• He calls Amex Travel and speaks to Moses, who agrees to call US Airways while Michael remains on the line.
• Michael wonders to himself why Moses can't just cancel the package and rebook a new one with a more appropriate itinerary, but at this point he goes along with Moses' suggestion.
• The US Airways rep suggests, in the following order:
  • That Michael just take the flight he's calling about;
  • That he wait until he's in Vegas, then cancel his return flight and try booking a new one then.
• Moses asks to speak to a supervisor. The US Airways rep refuses, then relents eventually, then keeps Moses and Michael on hold for several minutes, then disconnects them.
• Moses calls back and manages to connect with a supervisor named Rena. He asks her to book a return flight for Michael on a different airline.
• Rena says she can't, because the flight was a "Code Share PNR" through Delta. For the purposes of this story, the point is she says Delta has to make the change, because they're actually selling the seats on the flight.
• Moses asks Rena to stay on the line and calls Delta. The Delta rep, Katherine, refuses to participate in a shared call with US Airways.
• Moses connects her anyway. (Good for Moses!)
• Katherine says she can't make any changes to the flight, because US Airways has to. Rena says she can't make any changes to the flight, because Delta has to. Katherine says she has other callers waiting and has to go. (This is our favorite part of the story—that Katherine refuses to help a customer because she has to go help customers.)
• Both airline reps get off the line, leaving Michael and Moses where they started.
• Now Michael asks Moses why Amex Travel can't just cancel and rebook the flight. Moses tells him Amex Travel is unwilling to do that, because the hotel would charge them a cancellation fee.
• Moses eventually manages to find Michael a new return flight that leaves Vegas earlier—cutting Michael's final vacation day short—and flies into far-off Newark instead of JFK or La Guardia, and still has a layover in Phoenix. But at least it doesn't arrive at 5am in the morning on the day he has to return to work.

Katherine and Rena know how the customer service game is played, not just in the airline industry, but all over corporate America. If there's a tough problem, it's best to pass the buck onto another party as soon as you see an opening and move on to the next call. Customer support is a liability- the cheaper, the better. I was really having a tough time fighting through this system- I haven't talked much about my contribution to this lengthy conversation, but it suffices to say that I was incredulous, and often asked these various representatives what they would do if they were in my shoes. They had no answer.

"My Saturday Battle with US Airways, Delta, and AMEX" [Help with a smile Tech Blog for Non-Geeks]
(Photo: tarotastic)

Calls to CEO Doug Parker inquiring as to what he did to piss off Mother Nature were not made.

It happened shortly after 7:30 p.m., when US Airways Flight 3215 arrived from Nashville and was taxiing on Runway 36C, according to the FAA. The pilot was directing the craft to a gate when it hit the deer.

The plane, an Embraer 175, was carrying 53 passengers and a crew of three.

The only casualty was to the deer, which did not survive.

US Airways plane hits deer at Charlotte/Douglas [Charlotte Observer]
(Photo:Travelin' Librarian)

January 21, 2009

I hope that this letter finds you at home and taking some time to rest and recover from the events of last Thursday.

On behalf of the 34,000 employees at US Airways, I want to acknowledge your courage, the professionalism of our crew, and the outstanding rescue efforts of all of the various organizations and agencies that came together last week to assist with Flight 1549.

We would very much like to see you on a future US Airways flight soon. To that end, we are extending Chairman's Preferred status, our most coveted frequent flier level, to you through March 2010.

I know our Customer Care Team has been providing support and also communicating next steps as we work to recover and potentially return any items from the flight. In the meantime, please let us know if you have additional needs.

Again, we are grateful the events surrounding Flight 1549 ended as they did, and we will continue to applaud our crew and the actions of the first responders for many years to come.

We look forward to serving you again soon.

Sincerely,

Doug Parker
Chairman and CEO, US Airways

Chairman's Preferred Status gives the passenger and companion first-class seats when they're available flying domestically, an upgrade to Europe or Hawaii, choice of seats and priority check-in.

Passenger Antonio Sales from the flight told the New York Post, "That's more of an 'OK, you're not dead, I'll give you something to hold on to.' It's not enough at all."

SURVIVORS' GILT [New York Post]
(Thanks to Crim Law Geek!) (Photo: derek7272)

In a letter sent to passengers with the checks this weekend, investigators say they have to weight "all items in their current state, dry them for eight weeks and then weigh them again," which could take up to 8 months. "Valerie Wunder, an airline spokeswoman, said the $5,000 checks were not intended to “shut down” any other claims, like lawsuits, that passengers might file," reports NYT.

That was nice of them. They could probably easily pay for the PR boost with the slush fund of fees for every luggage bag and bag of peanuts.

$5,000 to Each Passenger on Crashed Jet for Lost Bags [NYT] (Thanks to Andrew!) (Photo: bmunch was bunglemunch)

Rob and Jeff Kolodjay were scheduled to fly on Spirit Airlines to a golf vacation with four other friends on Thursday out of LaGuardia in New York City. Their flight got cancelled, and they were rebooked on to US Airways flight 1549.

When they tried to cancel the return tickets on Spirit they could not use because they never made it to Myrtle Beach, the company representative insisted on charging them a cancellation fee.

Well done, Spirit! You have managed to take the one really awesome airline story of the last few years and turn it into a bad PR opportunity. Please charge yourself a congratulations fee.

"Spirit Airlines Tries To Collect Cancellation Fee After Putting Passengers on Flight 15" [Fox61.com]
(Spirit Goose: HVargas)

Despite the pre-flight safety warnings, this is the first time we've heard of a water landing. As an aviation expert explained on the radio, "this is exactly how a plane crash is supposed to happen."

US Airways Plane Crashes Into Hudson River [WCBS]
US Airways plane goes down in Hudson River [AP]
(Photo: AlleyInsider)

Alex says:

USAirways charged me an extra $25, on top of what the agent said was the amount that "includes all taxes and fees", when I booked 2 tickets on the same itinerary, one of them discounted using an E-Air Check Plus (which was issued for a previous inconvenience). Now, the EACP cannot be used on line, and therefore USAirways' policy is to let you book on the phone without a booking fee (I checked this).

When I called back to ask about the mystery charge the agent told me the following two contradictory things—-

1. They probably charged a booking fee because the SECOND (non-discounted) ticket could have been purchased on line.
2. The booking fee for my ticket (international travel) should be $35, not $25, so she wasn't sure it was a booking fee.

The agent asked her supervisor if I could get a refund, and the response from the supervisor was (not surprisingly) no.

But here is the great advice: the supervisor suggested that I issue a chargeback. Really. I seriously doubt this is official USAirways policy, since chargebacks cost them extra money, but I was very surprised to hear this advice from anyone at their call center, let alone a supervisor.

I've contacted Executive Customer Support and requested the dispute paperwork from the Credit Card company. Any advice? If I dispute the mystery charge (which is charged separately from the travel on my cc), can they cancel my tickets?

We have never tried a chargeback for just an airline fee before, so honestly, we have no idea what is going to happen. It really depends on the bank and the airline.

Before you go ahead and follow the supervisor's advice — try contacting US Airway's executive office again. You can also try emailing your story to this address.

Has anyone out there tried a chargeback for just a fee? Did it work? Would you recommend it? Help Alex out in the comments.

(Photo:Zonaphoto.com)

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 )

From MarketWatch:

"It's helping us all to run better operations," Parker said. The new fee at US Airways accounts for most of the $400 million to $500 million in annual revenue for services, he said.

US Airways' new baggage fees help improve performance [MarketWatch]
(Photo: zonaphoto )

From 10Connects:

Wheelchair-bound Elfride Kuemmel was on her way back home to Tampa Monday when a US Airways employee wheeled her on to the wrong connecting flight.

The 83-year-old wound up in Puerto Rico, where she was initially told she'd have to spend the night at the airport.

Vera, of course, objected to this idea.

"I was upset, and I told them there was no way they were going to leave her in the airport all night waiting to leave on a flight at 3:30 in the afternoon," she told the local news.

US Airways ended up buying Elfride dinner, a hotel room, and a flight back to Florida. First class.

Elderly Tampa woman ''lost'' by US Airways [10Connects]

The attendants, who initially opposed the program, would "riot" if the airline tried to return to the old system of free nonalcoholic beverages, President Scott Kirby said Thursday at a Calyon Securities conference in New York.

"Logjams in the aisles, significant trash collection, lines at the restrooms — all those things are largely gone on US Airways because fewer people are buying and drinking sodas," he said. "We spend less money, we generate a little revenue, and those problems are largely gone."

The spokesperson for the flight attendants in question thinks Scott Kirby is full of you know what:

"Kirby's comment that we would riot is just his way of telling himself they made the right decision," said Mike Flores, president of the Assn. of Flight Attendants-CWA at US Airways.

"This is the very tip of the iceberg on what they're going to want us to sell," Flores said. "It's going to be everything from pillows and blankets to cellphone chargers."

Fun.

US Airways sees benefits of charging for drinks [LA Times]
(Photo: Jenna Belle )

"In order to ensure that all carriers remain focused on safety, aviation regulations do not require airlines to pay compensation for consequential expenses because of delayed or canceled flights."

Come on, U.S. Air, at least make up interesting bullshit. Compensating passengers could resurrect mighty Rodan, whose insatiable hunger for man-blood would imperil plump business-class passengers. Stuff like that.

Here's the rest of their letter:

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you experienced when Flight 1860 was cancelled due to Air Traffic Control. You have every right to expect our flights to operate as scheduled. We certainly don’t intend to cause difficulties for our customers and realize that any service failure, even when the cancellation is mandated by Air Traffic Control, creates a negative impression of our company.

All airlines must adhere to the instructions given by the airport’s traffic tower. We realize the cancellation of your flight was a frustrating situation; however, the flight was cancelled in conjunction with airport conditions and information from the airport tower.

Deteriorated weather conditions made flying to Philadelphia an impossibility. It became apparent an improvement in this situation was not going to happen. Safety considerations are paramount to all concerned and override flight schedules. We realize this was a frustrating situation; however, the flight was cancelled for safety reasons.

In order to ensure that all carriers remain focused on safety, aviation regulations do not require airlines to pay compensation for consequential expenses because of delayed or canceled flights. This would include such items as hotel expenses, telephone calls, lost wages, missed meetings and other personal expenses including purchasing alternate transportation.

I’m sincerely sorry for the difficulties and the inconvenience you experienced on this trip. Regretfully, per policy and guidelines this is not a compensation issue.

Technically, U.S. Airways is correct in that neither the contract of carriage nor federal regulations compel the airline to offer anything, including an apology letter. Still, as travel-meister Chris Elliot points out, "the federal government doesn't force us" isn't good enough.

...common sense tells you it should do something, even if it means sending them a couple of hundred bucks in vouchers that will be impossible to redeem (or that the passengers will refuse to redeem). But “this is not a compensation issue” is unacceptable.

So what would the right response look like? Could any airline offer a response we'd find acceptable? Compare U.S. Airways' response to Southwest's classy handling of a 2-hour delayed flight.

US Airways to Dominican flight victims: “This is not a compensation issue” [Tripso]
(Photo: Getty)

Most Fee Crazy Airlines:

1. U.S. Airways: Not only does U.S. Airways have the distinction of being the only US airline to charge for water, they were also the first to discontinue free snacks. They've also decided to do away with in-flight entertainment. So what will you think about while you're bored, hungry and thirsty? How about that $15 first checked bag fee, the $25 second checked bag fee, the $5-30$ fee to choose your favorite economy class seat, and the whopping $250 fee you paid to change your ticket. Oh, yeah, and remember when they made everyone crazy by charging a $5 fee to book a ticket... with their own website?
2. United Airlines: United is following U.S. Airways lead with a combination of cutting amenities and introducing fees. They've done away with snacks and are selling "snack boxes." Soon, United will be raising the prices for these items and economy class passengers will be expected to pay $9 for a sandwich. While you're munching on that overpriced nonsense, you can add up the following fees: $15 to check your first bag, $25 for the second bag, and $125 for the third. Then there's the $25 you paid to book your ticket over the phone, the $125 you paid for the privilege of traveling with your pet in the cabin, and of course, the $349 per year that you pay to be able to "stretch out and relax in comfort in seats located at the front of the Economy section,".."if available."
   
3. (tie) Delta Airlines & American Airlines: American was the first airline to charge for the 1st checked bag, and Delta has managed to resist that fee — but Delta's other fees are just so darn expensive that we had to call this one a tie. Ultimately, it costs more to check two bags with Delta than it does with U.S. Airways, United, or American. American currently charges $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second, and from $3-6 for snacks. Delta charges nothing for the first checked bag, but if you're thinking of checking two bags, get ready to pay $50 for the second bag, and $125 for the third bag. Ouch! Delta's snacks are complimentary, but they charge from $1-10 more for certain special items.

Least Fee Crazy Airlines:

1. Southwest Airlines: Southwest is the only major airline that isn't charging a fee to check two bags, and the third checked bag will only cost you $25. There is also no fee to change your ticket. Instead, you'll get a flight credit that is good for one year. They don't charge a fee to book over the phone or in person, and they don't charge a fee for an unaccompanied minor.
   
2. AirTran: AirTran has fees but they're lower than a lot of its competitors. For example, the 2nd checked bag is $10 and the third is $50. The ticket change fee is $75, and unaccompanied minors will only cost you $39, as opposed to $100 on Delta, United, etc. You will pay $6 for an advanced seat assignment and $20 to sit in an exit row.
   
3. JetBlue: JetBlue keeps threatening to go over to the dark side with new charges for things that used to be free (headsets $1, blankets and pillows $7) but they still have some of the more reasonable fees in the industry. There is no charge for the first checked back, and the second bag will cost you $20. Changing your ticket will cost you $100, and expect to pay from $10-20 more for their mini-business class "extra legroom" seats. Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages are plentiful and free, however. Love those blue potato chips.

If you're looking for an easy way to compare fees, check out this excellent PDF from the folks at SmarterTravel.com, Airfarewatchdog.com, and SeatGuru.com.

(Photo: Jenna Belle )

The fees are:

1) Beverages— Bring an empty water bottle and hit the drinking fountain.

2) Checked luggage— Avoid certain stupid airlines or become a carry-on ninja.

3) Award tickets— Fuel surcharges are making award tickets suck. Cash in your miles, or use your awards for something else.

4) Unaccompanied minors— Avoid airlines with insane fees or fly with your kid. At these rates, it might be worth it.

In depth explanations and more specific advice on how to get around these fees is given here, but we liked this way the best:

Of course, the best way around all of these fees is to fly on an airline that doesn't have them. Southwest Airlines still allows you to check two bags at no extra charge. JetBlue still serves free drinks and snacks and charges $25 less than the big airlines for unaccompanied minors. Supporting these less fee-prone companies will hasten the inevitable demise of the airlines that erroneously believe they can surcharge their way back to a profit.

Four new airline fees — and how to avoid them [CNN] (Thanks, j!)
(Photo: hellochris )

According to US Airways policy, coffee and tea are $1, but bottled drinking water is $2. So, can you order tea and ask them to "hold the tea" and save a $1? Shouldn't you be able to get a boring old glass of water for free?

Jeanne Leblanc from the Hartford Courant thinks so:

It's hard to understand why the laws that require free potable water in such public places as movie theaters and amusement parks don't seem to apply to airlines. But then, it shouldn't have to be a law. It should just be a matter of common decency.
...
Now, I'm not saying US Airways should have to hand out free bottles of water, although that would be nice. I'm saying it should pour a cup of water out of a quart bottle for any passenger who's thirsty. And for no other reason than that they're thirsty.

US Airways says that if you're "desperately thirsty" and you don't have any money, they might give you some water... so that you don't try anything embarrassing like drinking out of the bathroom sinks.

“Frankly, [drinking from the sink is] just not classy,” a US Airways spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal.

So what do you think? Should there be non-fancy water for anyone who is thirsty?

US Airways' Fee Too Far [Courant]
Starting Today, No More Free Water on US Air [WSJ Middle Seat Blog]
(Photo: caseywest )

The flight attendants say that not only does this "nickel and dime" approach turn flight attendants into "cashiers," it could cause an already irritated traveling public to become enraged:

"In the current industry of customer frustration, the last thing flight attendants want to do is add fuel to the fire," said a spokesperson in a press release.

Bloomberg reports that US Airways is trying to calm fears of a violent uprising by instituting a policy of non-confrontation with potential insurgents.

“We’re trained to keep order on an airplane and defuse confrontation,” Mike Flores, president of US Airways’ A.F.A. chapter, said in an interview Thursday. “If it takes giving a free beverage to somebody to do that, so be it. I expect there will be flight attendants who just give everything away.”

No Free Coffee on US Airways (Unless, of Course, You Insist) [NYT]
US Airways Aircraft Turn Into Flying Vending Machines (Press Release) [Portfolio]
US Airways' air-rage incentive [Economist]
(Photo: Jenna Belle )

If your flight is canceled or you're given a wrong connection, the airline might have to put you on another flight for free, even if it's on another airline. Airfarewatchdog blog has put together a handy table to help you tell which airlines follow these procedures, and to what degree. They also have links to the contracts of carriage for the airlines that have them posted online. Handy to check if you're covered before booking, and also good to print out and bring with you to the airport just in case you need to invoke your rights and the airline employee has forgotten their own policies.

Rule 240 Revisited [Airfarewatchdog Blog]