Bloodless Coup

Blame the internet.

Seriously. I hear things like this from people in lots of different kinds of businesses. When you sell some large percentage of your tickets via Orbitz, etc., every dollar counts. The online price is already as bare-bones as they can manage. If they have to shift costs on to it they'll have to raise it, and even a dollar -- a dollar! -- on that ticket price can make the difference between full planes and half-full planes. And at those prices, half-full planes are usually canceled flights.

Well, it might make sense if stuff like this didn't get news coverage. But it does. American's already got the luggage rep. Now US Airways (which has a big presence near us) will have the drink rep. I'd think those reputations would drive people away from their flights.

But then I'm someone whose #1 ticket priority is the best time (of the day) possible. Well, at least that's waaaaay more important to me than saving $2.

Most of the airlines' bread and butter isn't vacation travel or occasional travelers like you, it's corporate road warriors, people who take 10-20 flights a month. Those are the folks that all the incentives ("Admirals' Club", etc) are aimed at. Now consider that many companies require traveling employees to use Orbitz or similar to book their flights, with pressure to get the cheapest tickets possible. All those incentives the airlines have been using for decades to build brand preference with the road warriors are starting to be less effective. They've got to hold the line on ticket costs as they appear on Orbitz, even if their flight is a few bucks more expensive once all these little chickenshit fees are factored in.

It gets worse. What's next -- a tip jar up by the cockpit door for the pilots? Coin operated lavatories?