United Airlines rolls out plan to charge lowest-fare flyers to use overhead bins

[Woxof38]

Starting January, lowest fare means you have to store your bag under the seat — not in upper bins

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/united- ... -1.3855016

[dhc#]

And everyone wonders why air rage occurs putting a value on every square cm of space while you are stuck in a pressurized tin can for hours at a time can and will cause more passenger infighting.

Don't worry this will become policy with Canadian airlines, who follow worldwide airline trends.

[sanjet]

Don't worry this will become policy with Canadian airlines, who follow worldwide airline trends.

Companies from all industries have to adapt to changing market conditions or you will simply/rapidly fall behind.
Airline are no exception, the market demanded this, not the airline. There is a reason that there is still a first/business class section in certain airlines, they have a market that will pay a premium to sit in those seats and get the service they paid for.

Emirates profit have dropped by 75% in their last report. They have begun to eliminate perks such as seat selection in their Y fares.

[oldtimer]

In my opinion all non aviation people (airline passengers) seem to forget that the airlines are not in the business of transporting people. They are in the business of safely transporting people for a PROFIT. They are not a subsidised essential service, they are for profit companies. People want to cross the continent in hours instead of days for less money than the cost of gas for their automobiles. Champagne service for beer prices.
I am sure the airlines have people who study how much discomfort passengers will endure simple to save money. The only ones who are going to profit are the companies that manufacture suitcases and bags. Now watch how big new underseat bags will become. The airlines have moved from the airports to the bus depots.

[Old fella]

Don't worry this will become policy with Canadian airlines, who follow worldwide airline trends.

Companies from all industries have to adapt to changing market conditions or you will simply/rapidly fall behind.
Airline are no exception, you get what you pay for.

Emirates profit have dropped by 75% in their last report. They have begun to eliminate perks such as seat selection in their Y fares.

You bet. If the travelling public are conditioned to taxi cab airfares(and they are), well then airlines are gonna get creative to squeeze out every penny. Only thing left out is your "two bits" to take a leak and who knows, that just may be next step.

[godsrcrazy]

Its about time they started charging for carry bags. Personally if they stopped charging for checked bags and started charging for carry bags things would change. Security line ups wouldn't go on forever as everyone is trying to save a buck and pack their life in their carryon. Hence it takes for every for security to xray and check bags.They much actually be able to board an airplane in a timely manner. Rather then taking up to 30 minutes to get 100 pax on board while everyone tries to find a spot for their carry bags. Most of this would change if the counter staff at checkin and boarding staff actually stuck by the rules of one personal bag i.e. brief case our purse. One carry on that actually fits in the carry bag container. Instead they allow people carrying brief cases back packs that wont fit along with their suit case. Then they wonder why there is no room on the plane and they can't get of the gate in time.

[trey kule]

Add ons, taxes, fees and surcharges. Nickle and diming everyone to death. Show up two hours before your flight because there will only be three CSR manning the 8 checkin counters. (Oops...personning the checkin counters)

The department of profit, cognitive science, and IT trickery will eventually turn against them.. A charge to choose your seat when you book! They simply don't know when to stop,

And of course, carry on restrictions do not apply to flight crew members flying non rev.after a holiday. But again, most of them get the first class and business class seats. It is the paying pax that the rules and charges apply to.

It will come to an end. Airline management these days has all the insight of a Democratic pollster as to what people really think.

And of course, at the other end, longer pairing, frozen wages, and more monthly flight hours....

When I started in this industry, airline pilots were one of the top three best respected and well paid jobs.
Now some twenty something MBA who figures a way to bleed a bit more from the pax makes twice what a pilot makes. After all, we are an expense that really brings no extra profit to the table.

How about the airlines start charging cockpit crews for meals and coffee? Seems fair to me.

End of rant.

[lownslow]

The only ones who are going to profit are the companies that manufacture suitcases and bags.

If they're smart about it, the airlines should be able to profit quite a bit from this. Look at how most infrequent flyers book trips: search online for the departure and destination and go for the cheapest option that pops up. So now the airline which formerly charged the same as their competition suddenly drops their ticket price by twenty bucks and hits them with a thirty dollar carry on charge when they get to the ticket counter.

Same thing happened when they started charging for checked luggage.

[dhc#]

Airline management are to blame for the insane amount and size of carry on luggage people are trying to bring into the cabin, due to charging for checked luggage that came into effect many years ago and then not enforcing the size of carry on baggage at check in or at the gate. So now charging for overhead bin space will lead to more of this....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/trave ... eight.html

[fish4life]

I feel sorry for the people having to enforce these new rules

[godsrcrazy]

I feel sorry for the people having to enforce these new rules

If those people enforced the rules that have been in place for years, they wouldn't have to try and enforce these rules. The airlines aren't as nice to their employees when there is cash collection involved. As you can tell there is no sympathy here for those who should have enforced the rules in the first place.

I doubt airlines like New zeeland air will have any issue with these rules. Every time i have flown on them. They made me put my carryon in the the cradle to make sure it fit. Then right onto the scale. On one trip made me take my jacket out as my carryon was 23 lbs. You are only allowed 22 lbs. Needless to say i put it back in at security. I removed it at the gate when they announced they weigh all carry on prior to getting on board.

[photofly]

How about the airlines start charging cockpit crews for meals and coffee? Seems fair to me.

Ryanair already does that.

[Donald]

This concept already exists in Canada.

Look up New Leaf.

[Old fella]

This concept already exists in Canada.

Look up New Leaf.

Speaking of which, what is the scoop

[JBI]

I'd actually love it if all airlines just charged for the seat and then passengers start paying reasonable costs for the extras. Reasonable being the key word. None of this crap that Allegiant pulls where if you pay $15 now you get a carry on bag, but "AH HA!" if you don't pay until you get to the airport, it's $50. Or with New Leaf of $31 for a carry-on when booking or $92 at the gate (AH HA! Got ya!). Too often you fly and it seems like it's a scam or the ancillary fees are significantly higher than what they should be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Idd32nyf1pc

It should be pretty easy. Get a seat - need to bring a carry-on? Extra $10. Checked luggage? $20. Want to pick a seat and make sure you don't get the middle? $20. Can do it before the flight or all at the airport kiosk with the option of do it yourself, slide your credit card, done. Similar to ordering a pizza. Get the crust sauce and cheese for $10, extra meat topping, add $3 each, veggies, $1 each - done. Some people will want just the bare minimum cheese pizza but many others will get the extras.

Right now the ultra low cost airlines do it like: get the crust and sauce for $1, but cheese is $25, the first topping is only $8, but the second topping is $18. If you want to order a pop it's $6, except if you get it after you pick up your pizza, then it's $19. It makes no sense.

EasyJet was a little better than some. My wife and I bought the seat, brought checked bags, selected our seat (though I still thought some of the extras were of higher cost than the actual value).

Could it work with the North American travelling public? I think it could, but I've been known to overestimate the reasonableness and cognitive abilities of the North American public...

[Rookie50]

I'd actually love it if all airlines just charged for the seat and then passengers start paying reasonable costs for the extras. Reasonable being the key word. None of this crap that Allegiant pulls where if you pay $15 now you get a carry on bag, but "AH HA!" if you don't pay until you get to the airport, it's $50. Or with New Leaf of $31 for a carry-on when booking or $92 at the gate (AH HA! Got ya!). Too often you fly and it seems like it's a scam or the ancillary fees are significantly higher than what they should be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Idd32nyf1pc

It should be pretty easy. Get a seat - need to bring a carry-on? Extra $10. Checked luggage? $20. Want to pick a seat and make sure you don't get the middle? $20. Can do it before the flight or all at the airport kiosk with the option of do it yourself, slide your credit card, done. Similar to ordering a pizza. Get the crust sauce and cheese for $10, extra meat topping, add $3 each, veggies, $1 each - done. Some people will want just the bare minimum cheese pizza but many others will get the extras.

Right now the ultra low cost airlines do it like: get the crust and sauce for $1, but cheese is $25, the first topping is only $8, but the second topping is $18. If you want to order a pop it's $6, except if you get it after you pick up your pizza, then it's $19. It makes no sense.

EasyJet was a little better than some. My wife and I bought the seat, brought checked bags, selected our seat (though I still thought some of the extras were of higher cost than the actual value).

Could it work with the North American travelling public? I think it could, but I've been known to overestimate the reasonableness and cognitive abilities of the North American public...

Its a pure no loyalty, price based business. Its too bad really, as the experience is akeen to a city bus.

[Meatservo]

http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/how- ... ut-flying/

[JBI]

Its a pure no loyalty, price based business. Its too bad really, as the experience is akeen to a city bus.

Agreed, but is it really that different now?

Taking the pizza analogy to the extreme, I prefer Pizza Nova over Pizza Hut. As long as they are around the same price, I'm going to pick Pizza Nova over Pizza Hut any day. Airlines wouldn't necessarily have to charge the exact same prices nor offer the exact same service. I just think that the way ancillary services are offered on low cost, ultra low cost, super-duper low cost etc. airlines don't follow any reasonable type of logic.

[Meatservo]

The airline obviously wouldn't make or save any money just from preventing passengers using the overhead bins, therefore it's obvious that they are simply going to charge extra for them. They are making it sound like they've invented some super-duper extra-economical way to travel, when obviously the cheapest tickets are going to be the old price, and the tickets that include the use of the bins will be a new, higher price. Sure you've got to get it while you can, but this kind of nickel-and-dime crap is really low-rent, regardless of how they dress it up. I think this represents a new low in crappy service.

[MrWings]

As a codeshare partner, don't be surprised to see Air Canada follow suit.