American Airlines to let passengers pay for boarding perks

[Hatu]

American Airlines said Tuesday it will offer a "boarding and flexibility package" that gives passengers certain conveniences for an introductory price ranging between $9 and $19 each way.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-american-charges-20100615,0,1621220.story

 

[Skymess]

American Airlines said Tuesday it will offer a "boarding and flexibility package" that gives passengers certain conveniences for an introductory price ranging between $9 and $19 each way.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-american-charges-20100615,0,1621220.story

Another 'genius' plan made up by some desk monkey in Dallas who never saw a Santo Domingo/San Juan/Miami boarding and who seemingly has no clue that people who don't speak English regularly fly on us. Really? Make the ticket pullers job that much more difficult. When the people are loaded 200 deep and 50 wide try sending the people who have no clue they aren't next to the back of the line because they didn't pay for it. Stoo-pid. These idiots will bankrupt us yet with their dumb plans.

 

[Barfbag]

Another 'genius' plan made up by some desk monkey in Dallas who never saw a Santo Domingo/San Juan/Miami boarding and who seemingly has no clue that people who don't speak English regularly fly on us. Really? Make the ticket pullers job that much more difficult. When the people are loaded 200 deep and 50 wide try sending the people who have no clue they aren't next to the back of the line because they didn't pay for it. Stoo-pid. These idiots will bankrupt us yet with their dumb plans.

For our Spanish only readers:
Otro plan de «genio» formado por algunos monos en Dallas que nunca vio un Santo Domingo / San Juan / embarque de Miami y que al parecer no tiene idea de que las personas que no hablan Inglés vuelan regularmente sobre nosotros. ¿En serio? Hacer el trabajo billete extractores mucho más difícil. Cuando el pueblo se cargan 200 profundo y ancho 50 intente enviar a las personas que no tienen idea de que no están al lado de la parte de atrás de la línea porque no pagar por ello. Stoo-pid. Estos idiotas nos quiebra aún con sus planes tontos.

 

[Hopeful]

Si.

 

[eolesen]

Another 'genius' plan made up by some desk monkey in Dallas who never saw a Santo Domingo/San Juan/Miami boarding and who seemingly has no clue that people who don't speak English regularly fly on us. Really? Make the ticket pullers job that much more difficult. When the people are loaded 200 deep and 50 wide try sending the people who have no clue they aren't next to the back of the line because they didn't pay for it. Stoo-pid. These idiots will bankrupt us yet with their dumb plans.

You are right that it was made up by a "desk monkey" in Dallas who never saw SDQ/SJU/MIA flights. But it was made up at Love Field, not Centerport.

And I guess that means Southwest are idiots too, then, since you think this is a dumb plan.

Since you probably don't get out much, this matches WN's EarlyBird up-sell (which guarantees an A group boarding number for $10)

Where you're wrong is WN not knowing how to deal with non-English speakers.....

And by the way, AA's HDQ has never been in Dallas. It's in Fort Worth. I know most Americans are geography challenged, but that one is pretty basic.....

 

[FA Mikey]

The boarding pass will say group 1. Anyone with group one can board, anyone with a higher number cannot.

Having spent a large part of my career in Miami, it wasnt the non English speaking people who crowded around, and tried to board out of turn. It was the typical American with over size luggage and the mindset that they deserve all the overhead space they need, screw the next person

 

[The Goose]

You are right that it was made up by a "desk monkey" in Dallas who never saw SDQ/SJU/MIA flights. But it was made up at Love Field, not Centerport.

And I guess that means Southwest are idiots too, then, since you think this is a dumb plan.

It makes little sense unless the boarding is by cattle drive, ala WN.

<snip>

And by the way, AA's HDQ has never been in Dallas. It's in Fort Worth. I know most Americans are geography challenged, but that one is pretty basic.....

Dallas, Fort Worth are both in Texas and adjacent - as in abutting, cities - the directions from Oklahoma are the same - "Go toward the smell and continue south until you step in one or the other ..."

... and that's CENTREPORK ...

 

[The Goose]

For our Spanish only readers:
Otro plan de «genio» formado por algunos monos en Dallas que nunca vio un Santo Domingo / San Juan / embarque de Miami y que al parecer no tiene idea de que las personas que no hablan Inglés vuelan regularmente sobre nosotros. ¿En serio? Hacer el trabajo billete extractores mucho más difícil. Cuando el pueblo se cargan 200 profundo y ancho 50 intente enviar a las personas que no tienen idea de que no están al lado de la parte de atrás de la línea porque no pagar por ello. Stoo-pid. Estos idiotas nos quiebra aún con sus planes tontos.

Leider kümmern sie sich nicht.

 

[eolesen]

Dallas, Fort Worth are both in Texas and adjacent - as in abutting, cities - the directions from Oklahoma are the same - "Go toward the smell and continue south until you step in one or the other ..."

Actually, they're not adjacent at all unless there's been recent annexation. The closest the municipal borders get are about 7 miles, and that's a technicality because in the 1950's Fort Worth annexed a thin corridor following the Rock Island RR right of way to the AA "Stewardess Academy" and where GSW was originally located. Take away that little sliver, and it's more like 15 miles.

 

[The Goose]

Actually, they're not adjacent at all unless there's been recent annexation. The closest the municipal borders get are about 7 miles, and that's a technicality because in the 1950's Fort Worth annexed a thin corridor following the Rock Island RR right of way to the AA "Stewardess Academy" and where GSW was originally located. Take away that little sliver, and it's more like 15 miles.

I'll not dispute your facts - Texas is one of those places that, while I've been there a time or two, I lost nothing there and have no desire to return.

I would be happy to move there, however, if they'd open a year 'round, no bag limit season on politicians - the problems they cause are equal to the feral hog population ...

 

[BoeingBoy]

While everyone is concentrating on the boarding priority aspect, there are other features that make it a good deal for other reasons. $75 discount off the change fee if you need to change your itinerary, no fee for catching an earlier flight (seats available, of course). For those without status, it gives them some of the perks on a per flight basis.

Jim

 

[Hopeful]

How about this novel idea....?

Price tickets realistically and NOT charge passengers for anything.
They have adapted to all this nickel and dime nonsense...they would certainly adapt to paying more for a tickets all inclusively.

 

[FWAAA]

I figured the usual suspects would chime in to criticize management for this program (which is the typical post on this forum other than bitching about pay) but I thought the complaints would center around "why didn't AA dream this up years ago to bring in more money?" Other airlines have been selling similar packages offering some version of early boarding (WN) or "elite for a day" (UA). Everyone knows that AA needs more money yet nothing but complaints here when attempts to bring in more money. Yesterday, CO's CEO said that CO is bringing in about $120k/day (or about $44 million/year) in revenue from selling extra legroom seats to non-elites. As AA is a much larger airline than CO, AA could easily bring in close to $100 million a year by simply copying CO's extra legroom scheme. I fault management for not yet tapping that revenue source.

Yes, boarding can be chaotic in the Caribbean or MIA (or at any other AA station, for that matter) and it's not going to be any worse if some people can be convinced to pay some $$$ for a Group 1 boarding pass and change fee insurance (the half-price change fee). Many of my flights feature clueless individuals who think that the words "First Class" and "executive platinum" must describe once-a-year flyers seated in row 16 or 38.

 

[eolesen]

Why? You have journalists who make a big deal out of anything related to fees, but when even fee-adverse WN is offering incremental up-sells like Earlybird, it's no longer seen as nonsense.

 

[Skymess]

You are right that it was made up by a "desk monkey" in Dallas who never saw SDQ/SJU/MIA flights. But it was made up at Love Field, not Centerport.

And I guess that means Southwest are idiots too, then, since you think this is a dumb plan.

Since you probably don't get out much, this matches WN's EarlyBird up-sell (which guarantees an A group boarding number for $10)

Where you're wrong is WN not knowing how to deal with non-English speakers.....

And by the way, AA's HDQ has never been in Dallas. It's in Fort Worth. I know most Americans are geography challenged, but that one is pretty basic.....

Funny how we can compare ourselves to Southwest once again when it suits them. It may work for Southwest since they have very clear boarding lanes and have always done it that way. They also have ONE airplane with ONE aisle. Not so hard.

AA has all different planes and all different people. As opposed to what Mikey says his experience was (which is funny because I've worked through MIA for years on the Airbus and had a completely different experience) My experiences flying for years through Miami and to SDQ and SJU from NY have shown me that the combination of Spanish speaking passengers mixed with aggressive New Yorkers makes for a free for all during boarding. I boarded a 777 to MIA out of gate 3 in NY the other day where the gate and the gate reader are jammed in the corner with no clear area to get on the plane. It is pretty much single file at that gate. There was chaos. No way to clear people out unless you had a swat vest and a baton. Good luck with this newly devised program from Dallas.

BTW, no offense, but the Dallas and Fort Worth distinction is only important to people who live in Fort Worth. Most people around the world know Dallas and not Fort Worth. When flight attendants go to training or do a flight through DFW we say Dallas. The only FAs who say Dallas Fort Worth are the ones who are originally from the Fort Worth side or who are based there and got tired of getting schooled by the locals.