After asking more than 1600 airfarewatchdog travelers how they would feel about flying under a new a-la-carte pricing structure that airlines such as American Airlines, Spirit and Air Canada are adopting, 67% voted that it was a big step backward. The new structure, which means that flyers get lower base fees but will pay extra for things like soda, pillows, seat selection, checked bags and meals is, according to airfarewatchdog founder George Hobica, "the new normal. But it appears that airlines are backing off some fees, and have no new ones up their sleeves, such as charging for checking in with an agent vs. online, or paying with a credit card."
While over two thirds of respondents voted that a-la-carte pricing was a "bad idea -- let's just pay for the airline fare and go back to the good old days," 33% voted "Good idea -- I pack light, don't drink 4 diet cokes per flight, bring my own pillow ... why should I pay the jet fuel bill for people checking the kitchen sink," suggesting that a large minority of travelers are in sync with the airlines' new business model.
"We honestly expected that 99.9% of respondents would be thumbs down," says Hobica, who adds that, "There's no denying that sometimes these extra fees have to be taken into consideration when pricing a trip, and can sometimes even surpass the ticket cost itself. Delta, for instance, now charges us $300 round-trip when we fly Browser, our canine mascot, in the cabin. We'll be filing a complaint with the Humane Society."
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