Spring Break
Airlines may face more drastic cuts
Kelly Dawes Smith
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: OpEd Page
I had to wait about 90 minutes for a tiny table I had all to myself. Half an hour later, I was finally waited on. The only hors d'oeuvres were purely the re-filtered oxygen I was breathing. The good news? They had the sandwich I wanted for only $6. A turkey sandwich the size of my fist with a withered leaf of lettuce and a packet of mustard on the side in case I'm feeling ambitious. Naturally, they are out of any kind of club soda to soothe my stomach and instead I have to settle for warm tomato juice. Don't worry; all of this was brought by a server who never gave me eye contact. The total bill? A whopping $250. Don't you just love flying these days? I wish I could lean away from the huge man invading my seat and fall asleep in the cool air by resting my head against the window, but wait, there aren't any pillows or blankets to be found. Maybe I could listen to some classical music to put me sleep. Oh no, there is a $1 surcharge for headphones. My wallet is already empty from paying the $25 for my checked bag and buying my $5 water bottle once I passed through airport security.
Flying used to be a luxury in this country. You used to be able to have a seat that fully reclined, you could even smoke if you chose while aboard and you were served exquisite food. Flying was originally only for those wealthy enough to afford a ticket. Today, in our economy flying has become more and more of a nuisance. Just a year ago, when gas to fill up your car's tank was more than $4 per gallon, flying prices were astronomical. With the price of oil about half of what it was a year ago, prices to fly domestically and internationally have somewhat cooled. In return more and more airline companies are filing for bankruptcy or cutting back on flight schedules. Just last week, Delta Airlines announced it was cutting 15 flights a day from Cincinnati's airport. Airlines are trying to figure out ways to cut spending. A popular way to do so is to make customers pay for any luggage they check. About 90 percent of American-based airlines charge $15 to $25 for the first checked bag and even more for a second bag. What is the result of all of this? Naturally, many of us decide to not check bags and instead roll them onto the plane with us, which leads to extreme overcrowding of overhead bins on planes. In the last six months, I have been on half a dozen domestic flights and my bag had to be checked underneath the plane every time because the overhead bins were too full. When they put my bag underneath the plane they don't charge me anything. Ironic.
How far are airlines going to go in cutting costs? Airlines know everyone needs to keep flying. A solely European-based airline, Ryanair, is considering having flights where you can stand. The airline took a survey and found that almost 99 percent of people they surveyed agreed if the price was that much cheaper, they would do it. Standing while flying? Read that one more time to let that fully sink in. Even on a very short flight it is absolutely crazy and takes the concept of flying to a completely different standard.
With each dollar that airlines continue to lose, how much will they have to cut? Already we have seen the disappearance of pillows, blankets, decks of cards, meals and even peanuts. How far will airlines go?
Kelly Dawes Smith
smithkd3@muohio.edu
Flying used to be a luxury in this country. You used to be able to have a seat that fully reclined, you could even smoke if you chose while aboard and you were served exquisite food. Flying was originally only for those wealthy enough to afford a ticket. Today, in our economy flying has become more and more of a nuisance. Just a year ago, when gas to fill up your car's tank was more than $4 per gallon, flying prices were astronomical. With the price of oil about half of what it was a year ago, prices to fly domestically and internationally have somewhat cooled. In return more and more airline companies are filing for bankruptcy or cutting back on flight schedules. Just last week, Delta Airlines announced it was cutting 15 flights a day from Cincinnati's airport. Airlines are trying to figure out ways to cut spending. A popular way to do so is to make customers pay for any luggage they check. About 90 percent of American-based airlines charge $15 to $25 for the first checked bag and even more for a second bag. What is the result of all of this? Naturally, many of us decide to not check bags and instead roll them onto the plane with us, which leads to extreme overcrowding of overhead bins on planes. In the last six months, I have been on half a dozen domestic flights and my bag had to be checked underneath the plane every time because the overhead bins were too full. When they put my bag underneath the plane they don't charge me anything. Ironic.
How far are airlines going to go in cutting costs? Airlines know everyone needs to keep flying. A solely European-based airline, Ryanair, is considering having flights where you can stand. The airline took a survey and found that almost 99 percent of people they surveyed agreed if the price was that much cheaper, they would do it. Standing while flying? Read that one more time to let that fully sink in. Even on a very short flight it is absolutely crazy and takes the concept of flying to a completely different standard.
With each dollar that airlines continue to lose, how much will they have to cut? Already we have seen the disappearance of pillows, blankets, decks of cards, meals and even peanuts. How far will airlines go?
Kelly Dawes Smith
smithkd3@muohio.edu
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