Thu, Feb 26, 2009
Free Soda, Water Returns To Domestic Flights In March
One of the more egregious 'revenue-enhancing' measures attempted
by US Airways last year will soon end. The Tempe-based carrier
announced this week complimentary beverage service in coach will
return to US Airways and US Airways Express Flights beginning March
1.
Introduced to considerable passenger grumbling last
August, the beverage purchase program was defended by
US Airways as justified under its a la carte business plan -- where
customers pay for what they use onboard US Airways flights. While
US Airways (and others) got away with such items as checked baggage
fees and charges to place a reservation over the telephone... for
many customers and employees alike, the idea of charging $2 for
water was the last straw.
On Monday, US Airways CEO Doug Parker tiptoed the line between
apologizing for the unpopular program, while also defending the
reasoning behind it. "We are firmly committed to the a la carte
model and believe it’s the right one for our business," said
Parker. "It is also a work in progress -- US Airways was the only
large network carrier to charge for drinks and that put us at a
disadvantage."
Parker noted the negative reaction to drink charges was
"distracting from the outstanding improvements in on-time
performance and baggage handling US Airways' 34,000 employees
worked so hard to achieve last year," including welcome gains in
ontime performance. Following years of near dead-last listings, DOT
figures for 2008 showed US Airways was the top-performing carrier
for on-time performance among the "Big Six" hub-and-spoke
airlines.
While non-alcoholic drinks will soon be free again -- at least
for now -- on US Airways flights, the airline will still charge $7
for alcoholic beverages and cocktails. The company also expects to
generate from $400 to $500 million in 2009 from checked baggage
fees, and charging for such niceties as premium seats, and pillows
and blankets.
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