Could Be More Increases Coming

[omegaet]

...a friend passed alongthis industry notice regarding an upcoming conference and the agenda doesn't sound that promising for us travelers:




Travel Distribution Summit NORTH AMERICA

October 1 & 2, 20087 CaesarsPalace, Las Vegas, NV

Experts from United, Spirit, WestJet, Frontier, JetBlue, American, Continental and AirTran Reveal How to Yield Maximum Revenue from Each and Every Customer

In the face of rising costs, this event will show you how to maximize your profits by selling additional products and services along the customer purchasing path. This airline-focused forum will show you how to generate millions of dollars that goes straight to your bottom line. You'll learn from leading travel companies who are already making money from this lucrative revenue source. For a full agenda click here.

Which Ancillary Revenue Products deliver the greatest ROI? How do you manage Ancillary Revenue internally and across your partners? And how do you make ancillary revenue strategy consistent with your brand - or do you inevitability end up alienating customers? These questions and many more will be answered at America's first event Ancillary Revenue conference for travel.

[kyshel]

Delta is adding full service travel booking on their website.
You can also find advertising on boarding passes, starting with select Las Vegas flights...

[travel2fun]

-O-, are you kidding with the title of this thread: COULD BE! Come on, everyone knows theairlines (sorry kyshel) are parking their old planes, reducing service, laying off or buy out as many of their unionized dinosaurs as possilbe and jacking the fares through the roof.



I keep doing Internet searchs for that airline management list showing the elimination or drastic reductions in their multi million dollar income packages. Can't find that can we?



Why did you post this? It just get me heated up everytime I think about it.

[kyshel]

t2f--I'm not offended at all.
My husband and most union pilots get the same amount per hour as he did before airline starting charging extra for bags, etc to offset fuel costs, so they can have a profitable business.
You aren't going to change exec packages for any major company that wants to pay those people their asking price. Pilots have already taken it in the shorts more than once in recent years, losing pensions, re-negotiated contracts, ad infinitum. They can't stop what exec gets, any more than you can stop a sports org from paying 10's of millions for an athlete to sell tickets. If people want to see a game, they pay. If people want to fly, they pay. The airlines are not in business to make you happy. And it isn't so any of us can get from point A to point B(that just happens to be their MO)--it's for profit. I paid my usual $9.99 for a floral delivery yesterday ALONG with the $1.83 fuel surcharge they require if I want the delivery made. What's the difference what it's for, execs, fuel, charitiable contributions, etc--it's the cost of doing business. If they charge it and we pay, it is what it is.
So take a deep breath...we're all in this, whether we like it or not.

[Mountie]

travel2fun, you are having one of those bad days, or maybe bad weeks -- I can just tell from the tone of your post. I have days and weeks like that myself and I just have to work through them.


We are going to have to pay more for air travel here in the US. Just get a grip and accept the changes.



I can't believe I paid more than $60 to fill up my tank today.

[omegaet]

mountie....not to defend the recent increases in domestic air fares, nor ignore the likelihood of future increases, but I did read something in a recent issue of Business Week alluding to the $75,000 - $80,000 costs associate with topping off a Boeing 767.....and they burn about 9,000 gallon of fuel to completeone transcontinental flight.



Given that reality andin the interest of continuing toparticipate inleisure travel, if we can't enjoy the previous lower costs of air travel, then we need to seek out the bargains once we reach our destinations....ergo, Luxury Link!

[omegaet]

t-2-f...forgive me for taking so long to respond.



Consider Valium.....5 mg will usually get the average person through a long TSA line, while 10 mg takes the edge off of a three to six hour tarmacdelay....weather related or not!



And let me add, there COULD BE MORE INCREASES COMING and FEWER FLIGHTS and HIGHER MILAGE REQUIRMENTS FOR AWARD TICKETS.



......and I hope the airlines begin installing SMALLER SEATS......I so enjoyed the "overflow" from the persperation coveredcorpulant chatty lady flying in the 19E adjacent to me in 19D yesterday!



Feel better?

[Mountie]

I just reread this post and clicked on the link to the agenda for the October meeting. I am really concerned about what else the airlines will come up with when they get together in Las Vegas. I have really started to look at each of my upcoming business trips involving air travel and am wondering if I really, really have to fly. I will explore customer contact using alternative methods.



At the end of the day, maybe all of these increases will have a positive effect in the way business people deal with air travel in general.



Leisure air travel is another matter all together.

[disneygal]

I like the valium idea! My upcoming flight on Spirit was just rescheduled. This was not one of their $19 flights - it was $700 for 2 of us to Florida. To get a new seat assignment I now have to pay: $15 for window, $10 for aisle and $5 for the middle. I recall this being mentioned, but when they hit you with it, wow! We decided to take our chances and just go to the airport without an assigned seat. If I take enough valium, it won't matter where I'm sitting, right?

[Mountie]

disneygal, I know omegaet frequently talks favorably about using Spirit Airlines, but my two experiences with them have been second to third rate at best. They have a history ofoverselling every flight. I guess most airlines do the same, but Spiritmust rate at or close to top of bad customer service in dealing with these types of problems.



By the time you add of the "extra fees" to their fares, I don't think trading their poor service for a slight savings makes much sense. As you can plainly see, I would not recommend anyone fly with Spirit.