Now that we're tanking like Rome and everyone's been fired and air travel is a luxury few can afford, the airlines are doing exactly what you'd expect in these uncomfortable economic times: taking more of the consumer's money and offering him shittier service in return.
Not only have some carriers started charging for extra legroom and checked baggage, today, US Airways has stopped offering free water to its passengers.
US Airways says it will provide water and drinks for passengers in cases of medical emergency and during extensive delays. If a desperately thirsty passenger does forget a few extra dollars, US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant says flight attendants will likely “err on the side of the customer” and give him or her water. After all, the airline wouldn’t want its customers drinking tap water from the aircraft bathroom. That water is safe to drink, just not very palatable, according to Durrant.
“Frankly, that’s just not classy,” he says.
A bottle of water now costs $2 on a US Airways flight.
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That is just ridiculous. If they could get away with it we would have to load out own luggage.
Note to self: Don't fly US Airways.
Note to everybody, fuck all the airlines.
Don't fly if you don't absolutely have to.
Take you next vacation at home.
US Airways will be gone in a matter of months, maybe a year.
This is the reason why I like road trips over plane trips. Flying is a hassle w/ the security checkpoints, the airlines nickel and diming their customers, etc.
Fly Lufthansa. They offer free alcohol. To everyone, not just first and business class. I love Lufthansa.
I don't want to drink the water from an airplane "mile high" bathroom.
You never know where that faucet has been.
What are they going to charge for the oxygen masks next?
/I stole that from connan o'brian
(I was actually in the green room because my friends band played there tonight and I totally hung out at the studio and I met that dude who is the Triumph The Insult Comic Dog, he's soooo sweet and cute and shy. Then I ate the free food while my friends band got really nervous about going on they almost barfed, but they did awesome, you all should watch tonight)
Sorry I wasted all that space :(
A report about free food is never a waste of space, maria.
I will watch tonight, because you encouraged us to, and I like you. :-)
(maria, I don't know if I can stay up that late.)
It's the mindset of so many businesses and it's driving me crazy.
"We're losing money/sales. Let's cut back on our sales staff by 30%."
"Still not making it. Let's cut back on maintaining the place. Have the cleaning crew clean the bathrooms every other day and vacuum the floors just once a week."
"Business still sucks. Let's cut back on our assortment of products. And cut back on staff even more — say, another 20%."
"It's getting worse. Let's turn the air conditioning BACK, have the cleaning crew come in only twice a week, charge for parking, get rid of the coffee bar for customers, eliminate a couple more product lines, and cut staff again."
Stupidity. Why am I going to spend what little I have to be treated like that? Why are retailers surprised that I won't shop in a sweltering shithole with nothing to buy and no one to wait on me?
Here's my problem. Why does the bottle of water cost $2? WTF? I don't get it.
Aw, Luz! Lufthansa has a special place in my heart because they were so sweet to me when I was a kid. My gay flight attendants brought me little pins that looked like official pilot wings and everything.