United and US Airways will soon charge an extra $5 to check bags at the airport, charging $20 for the first bag and $30 for the second. Since it will still cost $15 and $25 respectively to pay for checked bags online, United thinks they can herald the chance to “prepay & save!,” while US Airways boasts that they now have a “lower fee online!”
U.S. Airways
Blind Traveler Asks Too Many Questions On Delayed U.S. Airways Flight, Is Dragged Off, Jailed, Told He's Faking His Blindness
By 5.16.09
As 61-year-old Belgian interpreter Nicola Cantisani, who is blind, sat for two hours waiting in the Brussels-bound U.S. Airways jet on the tarmac at Philadephia airport in early April, he wondered why no one was telling passengers about the reasons for the take-off delay. When he requested a glass of water he was shooed away by the crew. When he tried to ask the captain exactly why there was a delay, Cantisani was asked to disembark.
Airlines: Thanks For The Extra Billion Dollars In Bag Fees
By 5.12.09
When airlines said that baggage fees were successful, they weren’t kidding. Collectively, they pocketed an extra $1.1 billion in luggage fees in 2008. American and US Airways led the pack — collecting $278 million and $187.1 million in bag fees respectively.
By 5.8.09
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Christopher Elliott has an interview with US Airways director of customer relations and central baggage resolution. His name is John Romantic, which is an awesome name. [Elliott]
US Airways To Charge Fee For Paying Fee
By 4.28.09
US Airways must be running out of ideas. Instead of coming up with a new fee for a previously free service, the dullards in corporate could only muster a top-off on a pre-existing fee. See, for a while US Airways has charged $15 for the first checked bag and $25 for the second, but now there will be a $5 additional fee if you pay those fees in person rather than online. In other words, a fee for paying a fee. A bit of a watery effort, if I may say so . Come now, gents, put your thinking caps on. We’re looking for a little more sizzle and crackle in our airline fee innovations.
Southwest Says They're Gaining Passengers Because They Don't Charge Fees
By 4.27.09
Are you more likely to fly Southwest Airlines because they don’t have fees? Southwest thinks so… but US Airways, arguably the most fee-crazy of the airlines, says it doesn’t matter because they’re making so much money.
Worst Company In America: US Airways VS Capital One
By 3.31.09
Which is worse? A fee party disguised as a credit card? Or an airline that tried charging for water? We report, you decide.
US Airways Delivers Corpse To Pet Store
By 3.11.09
If you’re a pet store employee, probably the only thing worse than opening up a shipment of live tropical fish to find them dead is opening up a shipment of live tropical fish to find a human body intended for a research facility in a neighboring town. That’s what happened at a Pets Plus in Philadelphia yesterday, and US Airways says the mixup was caused by a “verbal miscommunication between a delivery driver and the cargo representative” and that they’re deeply sorry.
Yale Student Files $1 Million Lawsuit After US Airways "Loses" His XBOX
By 3.11.09
A 21-year-old film studies major at Yale University is really annoyed that his XBOX 360 went missing from his luggage on a US Airways flight, so he decided to sue them. For a million dollars.
US Airways Reverses Fee, Sodas Free!
By 2.23.09
US Airways has reversed course and decided that it will no longer charge you for some soda-pop in a cup with ice.
US Airways And Delta Duel Over The Phone For Most Incompetent Airline Ever Award
By 2.16.09
Want a great example of the broken state of airline customer service in this country? Try a four-way conference call between yourself, Amex Travel, US Airways, and Delta. You’ll see firsthand how CSRs from the two airlines can play the “it’s not our responsibility” so well that even a devoted Amex Travel rep can’t get them to solve your problem.
By 2.9.09
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More details about the stuff the passengers of Flight 1549 had in their luggage. What’s that you say? You didn’t back up that $30,000 worth of data on your laptop? Oh wait, you did? But you brought both laptops with you on the plane? [NYT]
Animals Are Attacking US Airways, Run For Your Lives
By 2.6.09
“No injuries were reported when a passenger jet hit a deer Wednesday evening while taxiing at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport,” reported the Charlotte Observer. An airport official told the paper that it was a “freak accident.”
By 2.3.09
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If you were wondering what precious keepsakes the people from flight 1549 lost to the chilly Hudson, the New York Post has the answer. [NYP]
1549 Passengers Get Elite Frequent Flier Status, For A Limited Time
By 1.30.09
One of the cool things about being one of the few people in the world to survive a crash water landing is that you get preferred frequent flier mile status. The passengers from flight 1549 that crashed in the Hudson river will get US Airways “Chairman’s Preferred status,” which entitles them and a companion to first-class seat upgrades, choice seating, and priority check-in. In a letter to the passenger, CEO Doug Parker describes it as his airline’s “most coveted frequent flier level.” But you better get over your PTSD-induced drowning nightmares quick, 1549ers, the status expires in March 2010. The CEO’s letter in full, inside…
By 1.21.09
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Animal lovers out there can rejoice, US Airways says that no pets were lost in flight 1549 — either in the cabin or in the cargo hold, as US Airways does not accept pets as cargo. [Newsday]
Flight 1549 Passengers Get $5K Checks For Drowned Baggage
By 1.20.09
Turns out they won’t have to file written requests after all, each passenger of US Airways Flight 1549 that downed in the Hudson River last week got a $5k check from the airline to compensate them for lost baggage.
Spirit Airlines Tries To Charge Cancellation Fees On Passengers It Put On Flight 1549
By 1.19.09
Update 3:10pm ET: the airline has said it won’t charge the men after all.
Spirit Airlines wants $90 each from Rob and Jeff Kolodjay, two of the passengers in last week’s U.S. Airways flight 1549, because they’re not using the return leg of their tickets. Rob and Jeff were on flight 1549 in the first place because Spirit canceled their original flight.
