airlines

Feel like the airlines are flying off with your hard earned money? You could be right.

You may hate arriving at the airline ticket counter only to find out your luggage isn’t going to land safely unless you shell out more money. But the airlines love it; in fact some say those extra fees are the only revenue they’re bringing in.

Last year the airlines made $3.4 billion in baggage fees. This is up 29% from last year. A small consolation for airlines when you consider the price of jet fuel has climbed 39% since last year. And as the cost for them to fly rises; so does the cost for your seat.  read more »

Flying the not so friendly skies is getting expensive with extra fees for luggage and food. But which airlines rank the worst when it comes to customer satisfaction?

Earlier this week the University of Michigan released the latest American customer service satisfaction index for the airline industry. The survey shows that the level of contentment is on the rise, but most of the time just being content is simply not enough. Passengers took the opportunity to vent about plane food and flight attendants. And when it came to high flying cuisine, Delta/Northwest reportedly serves the worst, followed closely by United and American. And if travelers were given the chance to speak to the CEO of any airline they would request, “to be fed food you’d eat yourself.”  read more »

It’s no surprise that most people think flying has gotten more expensive than it’s worth. So how do your complaints about extra fees stack up against your fellow passengers?

An online poll of nearly 2,000 people asked passengers which service they hated shelling out extra money for. The poll conducted by Air Fare Watchdog.com found that 52% of people hated paying for the privilege of picking their seat.  read more »

With the fees and the packing and the delays flying can be annoying. But no matter how bothered you may be there are certain people you should try very hard to keep happy.

A flight attendant who chose to remain anonymous has put together a list of grievances from her days strolling the aisles on commercial planes. The list, given to MSN Travel describes the seven things you can do that would annoy any flight attendant. And they are tips you should pay attention to, since the flight attendant has the power to make your flight as enjoyable or as terrible as possible.  read more »

The airline industry is flying to places no one wants to go. Places like extra fees and hidden charges, places that your wallet isn’t ready for.

Earlier this week American airlines announced that it will start charging passengers fifty dollars to fly coach on stand-by. The airlines says they are trying to ease the congestion caused by stand-by passengers during boarding but do admit there is some revenue involved. And it’s just the latest in the long list of additional charges for bags, blankets, headsets and special meals. CBS Travel Editor Peter Greenberg says in these low travel times these fees are keeping planes in the sky.  read more »

With unemployment on the rise, more and more workers are taking pay cuts in exchange for keeping their jobs. Some are even working for free.

In an effort to cut costs and show work-place solidarity, British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh is planning to work the entire month of July with no pay. There’s only one glitch in his plan for generating some positive public relations. He forgot to tell his wife.

Walsh says because he neglected to tell her about the plan to turn down his July paycheck, she wasn’t too happy when she first read about it in a London paper.

Walsh enjoys an annual salary of $1.2 million U-S dollars, and is hoping his lower salary encourages employees to also cut costs. This comes after 2,500 employees at the airline have already lost their jobs.  read more »