My father just got a bereavement rate on a flight as his mother just died. AA sold him a ticket and quoted him a full fare price of $550. He made sure to ask if his total bill would be $550 and they confirmed. Then he checked his credit card after the trip and there was a $20 added fee. AA then said that there is always a $20 fee if you don't book online (i.e. over the phone). He asked if he could get the bereavement fare online and they said no. He stated that noone ever told him of the $20 fee and he specifically asked what his final charge would be. They told him that he should have known that there's always a $20 fee to talk to a phone rep. No bailouts..no sympathy for these crooks.
]]>@Yankees368: I think it's just a joke that the airline is being praised just for NOT doing something reprehensible.
]]>@kc2idf: Suddenly, I see no humor in the article...
]]>Just kidding, I know what The Onion is. However, my sister told me about one of her classmates in college who actually used The Onion as part of her research. Her presentation was rather amusing to everyone else in the class. Man, that would be embarrassing.
Also, I forwarded an Onion article to one of my economics professors once. From his reply, I got the sense that he was subtly trying to inform me that The Onion is a news parody without actually coming out and saying so directly (so as to save me the embarrassment, I guess). I probably should have said something so he didn't think I was an idiot, but I didn't.
]]>i wish i could see the look on whomever receives her EECB about this. it will be a classic WTF moment!
]]>I gave her an article from The Consumerist on how to do an EECB. I look forward to their response.
ROFLMAO.
]]>I'd gladly pay a reasonable fee not to fly American Airlines.
]]>I wouldn't be surprised if something like this makes it into the not-so-big-three's bailout demands in a not-funny at all way. A fee for those who chose not to support the "American Revolution."
Buy a car, fly a jet, or you're with them.
]]>And here I was, just about to post a "Don't give them any ideas" comment.
]]>I work for a firm that books travel for high-level government and military personnel, and we actually do get charged fees for people that don't fly, all the time.
]]>Where it might come into play is if you're changing to a commuter airline that can't fit your carryon inside. Around here, they check those bags planeside free of charge still, and I still think it'd be more trouble than it's worth to change the system, but you never know what some enterprising corporate individual will consider an opportunity.
]]>Don't mess with these guys!
- Greg
]]>Some jetBlue love at the Onion?
]]>More seriously, What happens when they start charging an extra bag fee for those catching a connecting flight via one of their sister airlines? Say you're flying Delta, and catch a connector from Canada Air, and Canada Air charges you $25 to carry your bags, too?
]]>