Ancillary fees are killing the airlines

There might be justice in the world after all...

THE FOREST, THE TREES AND THE BAG FEES

Gist of the article is:

Accountants have rigged the system. They create a stream to track the ancillary revenue from fees and they look like heroes when they can report they earned the airline millions of dollars of "new" revenue. But ask them if they can track the revenue we lose because passengers booked away or chose not to fly and they look at you like you have nine heads.

Good. Let em lose profits I sez! The practice of charging for everything has to die.

I mean seriously, charging for passengers to check in?? That's what the TICKET PRICE SHOULD COVER!!

totally agree! Airlines overcharge on everything. They need more competition

But that's the thing, there is enough competition out there. They all just seem to follow one another's lead instead of actually, ya know, competing!

Twenty reasons never to fly Ryanair

WOW. That's shocking

A pound a minute to speak to someone on the phone

Reminds me of Qantas, where I remember having to pay a $40 surcharge for paying for a ticket ONLINE using a credit card.

Have you tried Jetstar international flights? you have to pay for: food, blanket (!!!), movies, drinks, headset... Pretty hard on a 9hrs flight... Next I think they will put a coin machine onto the toilets... This put aside staff is good and flights are reasonably on time and efficient

Nah. I avoid budget airlines on international flights. I don't know why, but it really really irks me to pay for stuff bit by bit. I'd rather pay more once for a ticket.

Maybe I've been spoilt by the way things were when I was young, but I have high expectations of air travel. These days it involves mainly not being treated like a person from a slum or something.

Coins in the lavatory doors. What a wag Pierre.

Virgin Blue is not too bad with their fees for food, and it's ok as airline food goes.  But I agree with dek, I never scrimp on international as being marooned in a crap seat with no grog for 14 hours isn't fun, unless you're going to Guantanamo in the back of a C-130.

A free bad ride is better than a paid bad ride.

...or maybe not