Sodas $3 Pillows and Blankets $5 apiece

[FlightChic]

Ok here is ANOTHER issue I have. How much are YOU as a flight attendant willing to sell before it's too much? I understand some find this the end all if we don't start selling everything. Do you want to be a sales person or a flight attendant? I'm fine with selling but on every single flight every single day? This is the same group they couldn't even get to push the Coldstone Creamery coupons. I am a flight attendant......NOT a sales associate. Will we get commission as Skybus did since they wanna go down that route?

Imagine trying to get through a full airplane on a short flight like say from CLT-PHL. If everyone wants to purchase a soda, pillows and blankets, snacks, etc. and then have to ring up all the sales in the handheld which I know many f/as won't know how to do it will take a very long time. That's not to mention any technical difficulties from the machine. Then they will be ever more p!ssed when we run out of stuff. Also, how are they going to provision these items we will be selling? And imagine trying to board and people are coming up to you and asking to purchase pillows and blankets and sodas, etc. Too bad they can't just put vending machines in the gate area. If pax want an amenity for the airplane, get it before they step onto the plane.

We all know they won't think things through and it will be a nightmare!

Hasn't it been proven that this business model does NOT work?

Just when you think things can't get any worse or any more embarrassing they do.

As for Southwest, funny how their business model is successful no matter what is going on in our economy. Furthermore, they take care of their employees very well. You all know SW f/as clean their airplanes don't you? So many people comment on how clean their airplanes are. F/as for US clean our airplanes yet look at our airplanes? Of course Southwest's mgmt takes care of their assets. US doesn't.

 

[Travelpro72]

You know...everyone faults WN or comes back to the argument with Well we're not southwest". If you didn't or COULDN'T hedge as low as WN then........YOUR FAULT. If they have great moral amongst their employees and US does not......YOUR FAULT. A large majority of what US endures is "SELF INDUCED"! ! ! !

Now speaking of selling on the airplane....I did the test in the crew room of the two different handheld units and get this...There will be ONE...yes ONE handheld per flight to use. Can you see it? "Sally I need to ring a coke". Edna says...."Hold a sec I'm ringing a velcro window curtain". Ugggggh. GHETTO.

 

[nycbusdriver]

US AIRWAYS TO PUT JOB-JOHNIES AT ALL BOARDING GATES!

US Airways will install Portable toilets and each passenger must do the duty prior to boarding. If The passenger refuses, they will be denied boarding till the can get the extra weight off them. US Airways is looking into new ways to make their planes lighter to save on fuel consumption. Maybe this is why they are eliminating so many amenities and upsetting the business traveler. By upsetting the business traveler, US Airways predicts that they can travel lighter, by them not bringing their computers on and the extra business attire that they require. The portable toilets will allow for each passenger to travel 2 pounds lighter. 150 Passengers would save 300 pounds of extra weight that can not be deposed of till after landing.

Great idea!

And the gate agents can have a supply of Fleet Enema on hand to sell for $10/bottle!

 

[InternationalShannon]

Great idea!

And the gate agents can have a supply of Fleet Enema on hand to sell for $10/bottle!

2lbs??? 2 lbs?? that is so wrong. There are a lot of people on those planes that are completely full of it.

 

[Travelpro72]

Well I hope the passengers that buy those sure do have open credit on their cards OR have exact as we'll be charging for lavatory use as well. Oh lets say a coooooool 5 bucks.

 

[nycbusdriver]

2lbs??? 2 lbs?? that is so wrong. There are a lot of people on those planes that are completely full of it.

You can't fly without the pilots.

Just won't happen!

 

[BuffaloJoe]

2lbs??? 2 lbs?? that is so wrong. There are a lot of people on those planes that are completely full of it.

2 lbs on average! I was trying to be nice. Honestly! :disguise: :disguise: :disguise:

 

[FlightChic]

I'm surprised they haven't take off the lavs with the ridiculous claim that it is costing too much money and it is no longer an industry standard. That's what they said about the closets.

 

[phlus2]

Amtrak and Greyhound do NOT offer you anything besides a seat from A to B.

Well let's see here - Amtrak from PHL to BOS round trip is about $250 versus $1,000 flying on US. And - you have cell phone and internet service the entire trip when on Amtrak.

Bolt Bus from PHL to New York is $19.

So - no - I don't expect the same level of service on the train or the bus as when flying - particularly given the difference in what I'm paying.

If US can't give me a free can of soda on a $1,000 fare there isn't much hope for profitability any time soon.

 

[SS255]

$3 is too high of a price point for a can of soda. It's one thing not to give it away for free, but if they expect to make any profit by selling cans of soda, they need to keep the price in the $1-$2 range.

 

[nycbusdriver]

$3 is too high of a price point for a can of soda. It's one thing not to give it away for free, but if they expect to make any profit by selling cans of soda, they need to keep the price in the $1-$2 range.

$1 for a can of soda would seem like a bargain since you can hardly find a vending machine anymore that doesn't charge at least $1.25 (at least in the "civilized" world.) I can buy the name brands at BJ's Wholesale for about 30 cents a can. Certainly US Airways can get a better price than that, probaly less than 25 cents a can. That would be a 300% profit if you don't figure in the overhead (which is already in place anyway.)

 

[Singleflyer]

Singleflyer...Have you ever taken a trip with the fine establishment known as Greyhound? The only reason they rarely lose bags is because the passengers are required to transfer their own luggage at a connection. In the event of a missed connection or delays they will transfer your bags for you and almost everytime someone loses a bag, and you are s.o.l. if you didn't buy their extra handling insurance--which most passengers don't buy because they have move the bags themselves.

Oh yeah who wouldn't prefer a 4.5 hour flight coast to coast than to travel with 60 or so stangers that haven't bathed in 3 days?!

You bring up many good points to why airlines are held to a different standard, it is because they have positioned themselves that way in the market place.

Yes, I have taken a trip on Greyhound, in fact I drove for a regional carrier one summer while in college. My last time on a scheduled bus was 9/15/2001 YUL-MHT. In fact after reading your post, I might consider taking the bus again to YUL, it was shorter than flying these days.

In the 70s I organized ski trips from PVD to Me, NH, and Vt. Both day and weekend trips. The day trips were marketed to everyone, the weekends were for adults only. And we did have 'free' beer and wine on the weekend bus trip. All you can drink, from an iced down barrel in the front of the bus. It was a unique market.

Back to the point at hand, for years people have been told how great air travel is, and the added benefits besides speed of getting from point A to B.

Personally I agree with charging for the second bag. This is an airplane not a freighter.

The Blankets and Pillows, again I think is a good idea to sell, at least you know it clean if you purcahse one.

I also agree with the change fees. It was a non-refundable ticket. If you want to make changes purchase a Y ticket. Take a gamble that your plans don't change, then purchase a discounted ticket, but don't complain about the fee if you loose the gamble.

The problem I have with all of this is how Tempe is handling the change, and the reasons for it. From one of the press releases one could infer that by not giving out a $0.03 bag of pretzels it would off set the huge increase of fuel. Without a current plan of selling snacks on-board. It is 'firefighting' or crisis management at its best without any long term though out plan. It is in the execution I have the problem, and this should have thought about a long time ago as a 'what if' so if snacks needed to be discontinued, there is a plan in place to make it revenue positive.

Its not the pretzels or the cokes, its the lack of planning is the problem and how the message is conveyed.

 

[WHISPERJETT]

I think I'll go to Mickey D,s buy a bag of cheeseburgers ,go non-revving on my off time...sell them to famished pax at $3.00 a pop...heck...I may just bring my pay up to what ,I made 10 years ago....

 

[yvrusfa]

i am not surprised by this at all. infact, i knew it was coming. many of you have probrably never flown spirit. they charge $3 for soda's ,water,and coffee. to tell you the truth i don't feel bad charging customers for these items. once these handheld devices get implemented onboard the a/c the sky's the limit on what we will sell. trust me , people will fly us . i do agree that $3 is a bit too much but that's what the competion is doing (spirit) and maybe airtran. as long as they do not cut my pay . i could care less what they do. once again. we are in survival mode . so anything has to be done in order to keep this company going. there is more to come. god knows how much revenue we will generate by using those handhelds .especially whan it becomes cashless.

Amen etops1 !!!!

Thanks for the post.

It sucks...but there is no doubt that we ( and everyone else save maybe WN) are in survival mode now and I would much rather collect $ for a coke than take a pay cut...AGAIN!! UGH!

Folks....we have to think outside the box for the forseable future so lets get to it!! B)

 

[vantheman63]

to tell you the truth i don't feel bad charging customers for these items.

And I as a customer wouldn't feel bad paying for a soda...just like I don't feel bad paying for a beer. I don't mind buying popcorn at a movie either....

And when I buy my cars, they don't toss in the nav system or top tier sound system either. When I bought my house, I had to pay for nicer carpet....in BGI, I had to pay more to be on the ocean...in Taos, I bucked up to pay for nicer furniture.

No, people aren't going to mind paying for things, nicer things. And people won't mind paying. I GUARANTEE everyone the majority of the business traveling public understand "we need more airlines and we need US Airways!"

The challenge is, the company makes a person feel ripped off...lied to...."all the amenities of a full service carrier with the fares of a low fare carrier."

Then they go and charge MORE TO BOOK ON THEIR WEB SITE!!! While booking on other web sites is less money.

And the list goes on and on....

I can NOT believe they are going to go down this path. I can't wait 'till business travelers start shelling out $800 to fly r/t between, say, BOS-PHL the day of the show...and then are told they need to pay $3 for a soda...

Hey, at least non-revs will be able to travel for a while.....that will be the final nail for another round of business travelers.