I'm not Art, so I hope you don't mind me butting in.
I'm perfectly fine with charging for buy on board and inflight internet. (But I'm against US not having working power ports for flights exceeding 3 hrs.
🙁 )
I can understand your frustration with not having power ports in their aircraft, but I think if look at US' perspective, its hard to blame their decision not to. Newer laptops have longer battery life (I can get 4hrs on mine, and it was the cheapest laptop out there) and power ports are not an inexpensive item to have installed on the aircraft. I think the situation here is analogous to buying a VCR player back in 2002...sure it might have made some sense at that current point, but it would've come off looking like a foolish investment if you fast forward just a short period.
BTW, the percentage of customers using WiFi has been well below expectations - and that comes from AirCell, not US, so you can't exactly blame the lack of power ports as the problem there. If you ask me, the price is just prohibitively expensive for the vast majority of would-be customers. Again, those prices are simply the standard ones from AirCell.
I'm also fine with charging a slight premium for non-elites to sit in the first few rows of coach, as long as US makes it clear that these seats have no extra legroom. Elites should not be charged for any seat in coach. Ever. No exceptions. Charging elites for "Choice Seats" is costing US far more money than it is earning them.
That said, the MAIN feature separating US from the rest is that NO OTHER major carrier charges its elites (Gold or higher ) for ANY premium seat, period. I am less likely to object to their trying to sell such seats after all elite members have been accommodated, but to tell a Chairman's preferred he has to pay extra for the seat he wants in COACH is an insult to that customer's loyalty....and while it is too early to tell in the numbers, people are moving away from US over it.
For starters, I will agree with you that I think charging elites for Choice seats is a bad move and should be corrected soon.
That said, I don't believe that is true intent of this program, which is to allow non-preferred members to pay for a better seat prior to the departure date. As I pointed out earlier, US still has seats that are set aside only for Preferred members until the date of departure (unless as Boeing Boy states, these are the only seats remaining for sale on the aircraft), so most of the times, elites should not be subjected to an additional charge. I really think the issue here is that US is taking the "lazy" way out here by saying that "Choice Seats are $xx, regardless of who you are," thinking that they don't want to add functionality for the few times an elite would be subjected to it, which is disappointing to say the least.
The checked bag fees are outrageously high, given how airfares have increased. Eliminate the first checked bag fee, or decrease it to something reasonable, like $10 each way. To me, this is the most onerous of the fees (and obviously not restricted to US), because WN clearly wins this battle. And while you're at it, enforce the carry on rules. 😉
The revenue issue has been and remains irrational fares. You cannot continue to offer a product or service constantly below the cost of providing that service. The current system of fees is just ridiculous and it invites governmental interference.
What should happen is a complete restructuring of fares, which gives a customer choices at booking...along the lines of Air Canada and Airtran....if you want a seat assignment you click on that column--maybe $15 higher. If you want a choice seat, click again--another few dollars. At the end of the booking process you know EXACTLY what you are paying for.
OK...here's where the problem lies (Just to note when I say
you, I'm not not necessarily referring to you in particular, but that shared belief that several have).
In spite of how much you may think airfares have increased, they are still only at
1999 levels , and airfares were still one of the biggest bargains out there in 1999. Art, you make a interesting point but it is no where near as simple as you suggest - that is, if your suggestion is that everyone pay the average cost of air travel. Over the past few years, airlines (primarily legacies) have reduced ASMs, which is has helped pushed fares up a bit. But I fear that you (as in the business traveler) will not like the result if every traveler paid the average cost of air travel. It would result in substantially fewer flights across the board, as the leisure traveler (whose sheer volume can justify the number of frequencies you see in markets today) segment would decrease significantly. Then, as the inevitable capacity cuts come, those fixed costs are now spread amongst fewer flights, which will only drive the average cost up and exacerbate the problem. It would essentially be the opposite of economies of scale at play there.
For the record, airlines have tried numerous times to increase fares, unsuccessfully by and large, so moving to a a la carte structure was the next best option, and arguably a better one as it keeps the total trip cost relatively lower who have no need or see no value in that service/perk.
Many travelers that should seemingly have a better understanding of the industry than others, are being unflinchingly rigid in how they think things ought to be in what is clearly a different environment than it was even 10 years ago. You say that you understand the need for changes, yet have been vehemently against every idea that is feasible.
Regarding the packaging of a la carte options into several different options, it is actually F9 that does this, not FL. And while I don't want to fall victim to the "correlation equals causation fallacy," F9 and AC are not exactly the airlines I would be looking to mimic at the moment. I do think it is an interesting idea though, and hope that airlines are out there at least doing an analysis on the matter to determine if something like this makes sense.
I have to say that I expected to see you say that you were opposed to the "processing fee" for award travel that US still has. IMO, this has to be the worst of anything out there as this is one of the only fees that takes direct aim at elites. Most, if not all, of the other airlines eliminated similar rules earlier this year; US said they would reevaluate this rule later this year so hopefully they will do away with this one.
Lastly (and this is something I think we will all approve of), there will be an announcement made in the next month or two regarding improvements to the inflight product, particularly the international product. And while most of it hasn't been made public yet, glassware will finally be returning to the domestic F.
