HIDDEN FEES

[SKY HIGH]

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=8415070

Weissinger was broke and leaving California to start a new life in Idaho. She had nothing but an airline ticket and $30 in her pocket.

However, the last time she flew, five years ago, checking a bag was still free. Most travelers are aware of the fees, but so she was shocked when she got up to the ticket counter. U.S. Airways said she had to pay an extra $60.

"$25 for one bag, $35 or another bag," said Weissinger.

She explained she didn't have enough money and asked couldn't she pay when she got there? The airline said no.

 

[Harry Callahan]

What do you expect them to do ?

 

[Keroseneuser]

What do you expect them to do ?

That was my thought.

If I am driving my car somewhere and I run out of gas, the gas station is not going to care if I don't have the money to buy enough gas to get home.

Just looked online and saw a fare from PHX to DEN round trip for $104. You cannot drive that in an economy car for less than $300. I guess its the socialization of america we have going on. Everybody expects somebody else to take care of them.

 

[CallawayGolf]

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=8415070

Weissinger was broke and leaving California to start a new life in Idaho. She had nothing but an airline ticket and $30 in her pocket.

However, the last time she flew, five years ago, checking a bag was still free. Most travelers are aware of the fees, but so she was shocked when she got up to the ticket counter. U.S. Airways said she had to pay an extra $60.

"$25 for one bag, $35 or another bag," said Weissinger.

She explained she didn't have enough money and asked couldn't she pay when she got there? The airline said no.

Oh the humanity of it all. Imagine the horror of an airline charging for the services passengers want to use in order to cover the costs of operations. Gee what has happened in the past five years that could possibly have changed the economic landscape for airlines and passengers? Was there an oil price spike in 2008 that forced multiple airlines into liquidation and put all other airlines dangerously close to insolvency? Was there a deep global recession that began in 2008 and despite what the economists claim isn't getting people back to work and has a great many American households and businesses teetering on the brink of disaster? I just can't understand why the nation in general and the airlines in particular aren't doing business exactly like they did five or twenty-five years ago. Can I get a deck of playing cards on my next flight please?

The fees aren't hidden. Where did she acquire this ticket? Did she find it on the street or did she buy it from an online travel site or from the airline's website? If she did there is very visible information about checked baggage fees. I see the information and hyperlinks to possible checked baggage fees on nearly every page and I'll bet there was an option to pre-pay for checked baggage before the online transaction was completed. Or perhaps she talked to a travel agent or a reservations agent. I'll bet they gave her information on the checked baggage fees at the time of booking. I would like to know how exactly she got to the ticket counter without any knowledge of the fees to check her bag because I bet she was presented with that information multiple times unless someone purchased the ticket for her and sent her off in a state of blissful ignorance.

Why would you stay at the airport for eight days after your flight departed with only thirty dollars in your pocket? Go find a shelter or a church or something and ask an organization designed to help people in need rather than expecting a for-profit business to just make all of their other passengers pay for you to get from point A to point B with all of your earthly possessions. It's called taking personal responsibility, a concept lost on about 150 million Americans who stick their hand out waiting for the government or private businesses to put something in it.

 

[john john]

ask an organization designed to help people in need rather than expecting a for-profit business to just make all of their other passengers pay for you to get from point A to point B with all of your earthly possessions.

“it was a lot of trouble over a small fee.”
Fees are waived all the time military and family 4 bags per passengers at 100lbs at piece….FREE
Dividend Miles Preferred members 1st and 2nd checked bag ..FREE
Was she out of the ordinary or special? The Airport Church of Christ thought so
What would happen if a front line worker waived the fee?

 

[CallawayGolf]

“it was a lot of trouble over a small fee.”
What would happen if a front line worker waived the fee?

Perhaps disciplinary action up to and including termination I suspect. You're welcome to give it a try and then come back and tell us what happens.

 

[john john]

Perhaps disciplinary action up to and including termination I suspect.

There you go HP stepford agent style

 

[USFlyer]

I disagree with the subject. These are not "hidden" fees. The fees are published all over the place. You can't buy a ticket these days without being notified that ancillary fees exist. I don't fault US for this.

 

[hp-csr-phx]

How could she have missed a WN commercial making fun of our fees.

 

[CallawayGolf]

There you go HP stepford agent style

Using other peoples' money against their will is called theft. A CSR who gives passengers a break from paying fees without permission is stealing from the company no different than selling a buddy pass or taking home a computer terminal. Why is that such a difficult concept?

The solution to this problem and others like it is simple john john. All you need to do is give your personal credit card to every agent and tell them if a situation like this comes up again that they have your permission to put any hardship baggage fees on your credit card. That way passengers won't get stuck at the airport and agents wont have to violate company policy by waiving fees. I think it would be great if you made the offer at the next communication meeting and got senior management buy-off on it. Heck you might even get an Above and Beyond recognition for your generous assistance with customers in financial need.

 

[john john]

A CSR who gives passengers a break from paying fees without permission

Who is worthy of a break
Fees are waived all the time

A CSR who gives passengers a break from paying fees without permission is stealing from the company

Checking bags at the gate
Is that OK

 

[john john]

I disagree with the subject. These are not "hidden" fees. The fees are published all over the place. You can't buy a ticket these days without being notified that ancillary fees exist. I don't fault US for this.

Are you worthy of fees being waived

 

[CallawayGolf]

Who is worthy of a break
Fees are waived all the time

Which section of the policy manual details the steps CSRs use to determine who is "worthy" of a break so that they can waive the fees with the full consent of Management? Of course passengers and agents would never consider abusing this policy for their own gain, right? There has never been an example of people ruining a compassion policy by fraud and abuse which would cause concern over fraudulent revenue leakage, right?

So a passenger with a one-way ticket who flies once every five years or so is worthy of having her baggage fees subsidized by other paying passengers? I'm sure she was well on her way to being a Chairman's Preferred customer in a matter of weeks.

She had $30 and two bags. Depending on the configuration of her bags, she could have perhaps jettisoned the contents of one bag and then placed a smaller bag inside the larger one and then checked the first bag for $25 and made the flight with $5 to spare. The bottom line is if a one-way plane ticket, $30, and two bags were the sum total of her life's possessions then her problems began well before she showed up at the airport and they were not likely to be resolved even if she got on the plane.

 

[john john]

So a passenger with a one-way ticket who flies once every five years or so is worthy of having her baggage fees subsidized by other paying passengers? I'm sure she was well on her way to being a Chairman's Preferred customer in a matter of weeks.

Yes
Military and family 4 bags per passengers at 100lbs at piece….FREE

She is not worthy because of status
I get it

 

[john john]

. Depending on the configuration of her bags, she could have perhaps jettisoned the contents of one bag and then placed a smaller bag inside the larger one and then checked the first bag she got on the plane.

You are fearful of fraud and abuse stealing buddy pass and computer terminals because of bag fees “Employees paying hardship baggage fees on their credit card “
And this is your suggestion