There's a new Southwest Airlines ad that has a flight attendant assigning costs to everything from a hot meal to using the toilet to even pressing the call button. It got me thinking. I don't pay for the "extras" airlines try to sell nowadays - hot meals, "digie players," etc. - on principle. I feel like I'm paying for a plane ticket, and it should come with that stuff. Of course, by not paying for things like in-flight entertainment (even if I've brought plenty to read, there's nothing like a movie - however stupid - to pass the time on a long flight), I'm only really hurting myself. I'm not sure I'll be changing my habits anytime soon, and it does have me thinking at least.

Do any of you spring for the extras? What are your reasons for doing or not doing so?

Nope, no payee ye here too but not so much for I think other stuff ought to be included but because I know whether it will or will not be, I just accept that a cheap ticket is cheap because you just get being taken from A to B, and so you go prepared - take some nibbles and bottled water from home where allowed of course, and always a book or a snooze to catch up on.

OK, maybe if it had been hot, traffic was a hastle, I was running late and all hot and sweaty, I'd think of shouting myself an expensive beer but only after I had asked to see if it really was cold.

quote:

to using the toilet to even pressing the call button.

charged for either!? - you gotta be joking - like even if you wanted to ask them if they had a cheap potty, you still gotta pay!!

i don't pay for the extras, (and come to think of it, I don't even pay for the tickets anymore, but that's beside the point. ) --

I don't pay for the extras mostly because the "snack packs" are crap, and I have my own music and books and don't want to watch the dumb movies.

but seriously, in some ways, the current system makes sense. if there were hot meals and free drinks and movies on every flight, that cost would be rolled into every ticket, whether you ate, drank, and watched, or not. And let's not mention the huge amount of waste throwing out food no one eats.

So you can pay $200 (for example) for a ticket, and then $20 onboard for your food and drinks IF you want them -- or you can pay $220 for your ticket, and have the free food and drinks available, whether you want them or not.

I think it's mostly psychological.

All the flights I've taken have always come with free non-alcoholic beverages, but lately that's all. I don't really mind as long as I know in advance because the food is usually of poor quality anyway and I'd prefer to bring something of my choosing than have to choose between bland Chicken Diablo and even blander Vegetarian Lasagna.

Also none of this stuff has ever really been free, it was just forced into the price of every plane ticket whether you wanted it or not. With currently half the major US airlines operating under bankruptcy protection, most of them are trying to lose as little money as they can each quarter and just hang on.

My biggest complaint is that the in-airport options tend not to be much better and are usually outrageously priced themselves.

quote:

With currently half the major US airlines operating under bankruptcy protection, most of them are trying to lose as little money as they can each quarter and just hang on.

well, much less than half are in bankruptcy, that's a bit misleading, but as far as losing money goes, the US airline industry as a whole has lost over $40 BILLION since 1990 .... i won't get into the details because it would derail the thread.

quote:

My biggest complaint is that the in-airport options tend not to be much better and are usually outrageously priced themselves.

captive audience with no where else to turn -- just like theme parks and movie theaters. Companies know the vast majority of people won't plan ahead and bring their own, and/or they are prohibited from doing so.

I will sometimes pay for a salad or something on board. I fly United and they don't charge for in-flight entertainment.

I feel like this whole "no liquids" thing is a big conspiracy between the airport concessions and someone (gov't/TSA, etc??). At first, I got it, but now...I can't even bring an unopened bottle of water through the security, so I have to bay 3.75$ for one inside, as I will otherwise get dehydrated on the plane. I could try to plan ahead on food, but I am always nervous they'll figure out a way to take it away from me.

I am all for air safety, but feel like if people really want to do something on a plane, the current security measures won't stop them. Let me bring my water!!

Depends on the situation. I bought water on a flight from Paris to London recently, because we had ours confiscated at security, and then found that past the checkpoint there was no source of water, so by the time the plane actually took off, we were thirsty.

I also occasionally buy a meal, if they have something I'm willing to eat on offer. That's mostly a scheduling thing - for instance, last time we flew to London, we had less than an hour layover in Toronto. Not enough time to grab a meal, and, although the long haul flight still includes a meal (two, actually), who knows when it would be served, so to avoid being miserably hungry, it made sense to spend a few dollars on the flight to TO.

I've never been on a flight that had entertainment that wasn't included. That would be irritating. I find even if I'm not interested in the movie, I have to watch it, otherwise it just distracts me to try to figure out what's happening, so I think my sanity would require me to spend the money for that, if it's ever an issue.

If I pay 800 dollars for a ticket I should get a free bathroom, movies, meals, drinks(non alcoholic), and hot steamy towl. I would also prefer a gift bag with a blanket, pillow, socks, a comb, toothpaste and a toothbrush. On top of that I want a foot rest and a comfy chair with those nice head rests that bend down so you dont end up on your neighbors shoulder. If the airline doesnt offer that, I will go to one that does. Simple. And I will pay the extra cost because it's worth it to me.
I mean if I'm taking a chicken bus for 8 hours through the hot, steamy Central American jungle I get that I'm supposed to be umcomfertable. If I take a share taxi through the desert...I get it...tight squeeze. But those things dont cost bukoo bucks. So I dont care.
800 dollars is a lot.
I want the steamy towel damnit!

I bought a scratch ticket for 1.50 euro.
They said I would win 20,0000 pounds.
Maybe they said I could win 20,000 pounds.
I didn't

I don't spring for the extras, but my guess is it's certainly the way of the future for the majority of airlines.

When flying I always have plenty of reading material and I bring food along. The having to buy H2o once getting through security now really chaps my hide. Before I always had my trusty Nalgene bottle full of water.

quote:

but seriously, in some ways, the current system makes sense. if there were hot meals and free drinks and movies on every flight, that cost would be rolled into every ticket, whether you ate, drank, and watched, or not. And let's not mention the huge amount of waste throwing out food no one eats.

Good points, Steve. It's just the "principle of the thing" argument that comes up again, I guess, and that's not even holding water for me anymore. It also does depend on how much I'm paying for the ticket, I suppose. For that $200 ticket, maybe I don't get indignant. For that $800+ ticket, like Prisa, I'd like the hot, steamy towel, too.

Speaking of airline food, Carrie just wrote about American Airlines' new food choices. I must admit, since we started having to pay for things it seems like the quality of what they're offering is a little better. But seriously - $3 for a baggie of potato chips? Are they out of their minds?!?

I'm going on my first flight this summer on Aer Lingus, which charges extra for food/drink. Do you know approximately how much they charge for meals, etc.? I'm planning on bringing my own food for the trip, but I was just curious.

From the looks of their site, Ashley, Aer Lingus charges 5-8 Euro.
http://www.flyaerlingus.com/cgi-bin/obel01im1/Services/...OID=-8074&Category=3

if it keeps the cost of our tickets down thats fine...it definitely saves money...generally people dont like the food anyway so why have to buy it to have people eat it and say yuck...i always bring my own food...the water thing bugs the heck out of me, but I found a way around it...bring an empty bottle of water and fill it up at a water fountain or bathroom (depending on where you are). It kills me to buy water...

That commercial is funny though...For overseas and long flights my general concerns are: free in flight entertainment and free booze...