United Airlines matched American Airlines’ $15 fee to check a single bag today. US Airways announced the same on all reservations booked on or after July 9th.
US Airways will be charging $2 per nonalcoholic drink beginning August 1st. They’ve already rid themselves of free snacks in economy as of June 1st.
In addition, US Airways will be cutting domestic mainline capacity by 6 to 8 percent in the final quarter of this year, and another 7 to 9 in 2009. By the end of the year, its Las Vegas hub will be down to 74 daily flights from a high of 141 in 2007.
United will be cutting mainline domestic capacity by 17 to 18 percent and eliminate 1400-1600 jobs. The Cranky Flier has some positive thoughts on the subject…Ted is gone, as will be the oldest and most horrible planes in the United fleet.
Cranky is very good at the analysis on this. He has further analysis of American and Alaska’s plans to shrink as well. JFK to Stansted is gone(no big surprise, as the all-business airlines are gone that flew it).
Either way, many people may be responding to the removal of planes and corresponding increasing of fees and reduction of services with less flying. Already, the news is talking about “stacations”, vacations within your state. In theory, we can’t complain. There is so much to see in your own backyard. But, something is lost.