yustyoking

            In 2004, America’s national airline, the behemoth that is too big to fail, was losing $30 per passenger on every flight. Oil prices have skyrocketed since then, fewer people are traveling, costs are up all around. The airline industry reaction has been to charge cancellation fees, change of reservation fees, booking by phone fees and now baggage fees. This we all know, the newspapers broadcast the news.

            Airline X, as I will call them, has a Mileage Program. For every dollar my mom spends on her Mileage credit card, she gets one frequent flyer mile. She’s been a member for ten years.

            Every goddam time we go to cash in the miles and get a ticket, we get hit with a fat fee. The latest rude awakening is our round trip tickets to the west coast. We made the reservation 18 days beforehand and got hit with a 2 x $75 fee for a “close in” booking “less than 21 days before your flight.”

            A $150 fine.

            Has the Mileage Program sent my mom a list of their current fees for 2012?

            Nooooooooo.

            So how is she supposed to know that we needed to hurry up and book?

            Is this good customer service?

            Nooooooooo.

            Does the airline care?

            Nooooooooo.

            Can the airline charge ticket prices that actually cover their costs?

            Nooooooooo.

            Based on the competition of the marketplace, capitalism demands the lowest possible price, so Airline X is forced to play a shell game to make up the difference.

            This situation epitomizes everything that is wrong with America. Capitalism gone wild. Caveat emptor. Price-gouging. Worshipping the Almighty Dollar. To use a quaint term, “unfair business practices.”

          This is the oil companies charging $3.50 a gallon for gas, crying poormouth and then running full-page ads in the national newspapers touting their sense of civic responsibility. First they punch us in the stomach, then they tell us what a favor they’re doing us!

           This is the natural gas industry lusting after new energy sources (“It’s clean! It’s efficient! It’s natural gas!”) while fracturing the environment.

            This is avaricious politicians competing in earmarks to see who can get the biggest piece of the pie.

            This is snake oil presidential candidates telling us the sunrise is just around the corner and we’re actually better off than ever!

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            We used to joke about Impossible Airlines: “Do you wish to sit during your flight? There’s a seating charge. Do you wish to use the lavatories? There’s a charge. Does the passenger intend to breathe during this flight? Oxygen is available for purchase.”

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            There is nothing illegal about heaping on hidden fees. It is just rude and dishonest. Not very nice. It is not user-friendly.

            Does any airline benefit from having angry, irate passengers?

            Nooooooooo.

            Too bad.

            Airline X needs the money. We like Airline X. We understand their dilemma.

            But they keep beating up on us.

            Everybody loses.

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