A Basic Burn.....

After my recent post about the unfortunate introduction of Basic Economy fares by American, let's just say I was more than a little amused to scroll through Facebook today and come across this little gem of an add by Southwest:



Well played, my friends, well played.

This is a company that knows when it's about to get an influx of customers fleeing the competition.  That's not base speculation either, as United covertly stated when it rolled back Basic fares just this week. 

In all honesty, if you don't fly enough (or far enough) to need the perks of a big international network, at this point you're much better off flying Southwest, JetBlue, or Alaska domestically.  The prices are fair, and in many cases, the service is much better. 

Plus, they have a sense of humor.

~CruisingAltitude

Buyer Beware: AA Rolls Out Basic Economy

Don't look at me like that, I'm still mad at you.  You know what you did.

Basic Economy: The product no one needs, absolutely didn't ask for, and definitely don't want.  So...thanks for that.

Overnight, AA has rolled out their new basic economy pricing across their domestic flights, and it's bad my friends.  The pricing starts for flights later this month and continues on indefinitely.  It's a plan that all of the major airlines have gone with, and AA was just the last to conform.  We knew it was coming, and had already started in some markets earlier this year.

In theory, the idea is to let the major US 3- American, Delta, and United, price match the ultra low cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier by offering a ticket that removes all possible benefits and guarantees you'll hate flying just as much as if you were on Spirit.  Nice, right?

They justify it by saying it 'gives the customer the choice' to pick the benefits they want.  However, benefits like a seat assignment, or a carry on bag, are a bit necessary to the vast majority of travelers and so it's really just a way to nickel and dime people who don't understand, or don't care about the fine print.  In most cases you'll end up spending as much or more on the ticket once you have to add on everything that's necessary.

What's worse though, is the hypocrisy of how AA changed the pricing structure overnight.  Instead of actually creating some new lower fares and making those Basic Economy (which was how they advertised the upcoming change), they simply took the existing pricing and made the cheap tickets Basic, and started charging about $40 more round trip for the exact same main cabin ticket that had been there the day before.  Classy.

So, I hope anyone who had their eye on those cheap LAX-DFW fares I posted about last week managed to click purchase before today, because guess what?  Those $79 tickets are now booking into Basic Economy, and won't come with a seat assignment, a carry on bag, any flexibility, and will earn half of the qualifying miles and segments they would have 24 hours ago.  Oh, and they also aren't eligible for elite upgrades anymore either. 

Being elite does get you out of some of these restrictions, if you happen to find yourself in Basic.  You will still have your baggage privileges and priority boarding, but being off the upgrade list and earning fewer qualifying miles will hurt. 

As I said, AA isn't alone in this move, the others having done this already.  They're now set to make extra off of the up-pricing of the main cabin tickets they were already selling, as well as raking in millions in baggage and seat assignment fees from people booking into Basic.  There really is no upside for the consumer, but that's pretty well the point. 

In the end we have the big carriers' bottom lines to thank for this, but more importantly the likes of Spirit and Ryanair for showing them how to make air travel just a little less pleasant. 

From here on out, book wisely.

~CruisingAltitude

We Need To Talk

I realized what was missing from my blogging life, and maybe my life in general.  That is a place to air my pithy but, to me, SUPER IMPORTANT gripes about travel. I have a lot.  I usually forget them within a day or so, but nevertheless, the truth must get out!

So, without further ado, I give you...

"We Need To Talk"

Yes, I'm talking to you.

American Airlines, We Need To Talk about the alleged new boarding times.  For eons, when to get to the gate was quite simple- 30 minutes ahead was boarding, and no getting there less than 10 minutes before or risk having the aircraft door slammed on your face.  This I could live with.  Now, when I roll up to the gate exactly on time, like I did today, you're boarding Group 8 and there's no overhead space.  I don't want to pull a DYKWIA here, but if you're in 1st, you shouldn't have to get to the gate 45 mins or more ahead to claim space and then sit on the plane for that much longer. 

At the very least, if this is our new world order, just say so.  Make an announcement that we now board 40 minutes ahead and let us plan for that.  Common courtesy people, come on.

This is what an upgrade looks like

Marriott, We Need To Talk about what the term "upgrade" means.  You seem to be under the impression that an upgrade is just the exact same room on a different floor, with no added benefits.  This isn't a thing in my book.  Overall, your room upgrade treatment of elites is painfully bad in comparison to SPG, which you're now gobbling up.  Please try to learn something along the way.  Or if you won't, just tell me straight up you're not giving me a better room, own it & move on.

Yes, KAL, you have the best pavilion view & plenty of seats, but you still need soy sauce

KAL Lounge at LAX, We Need To Talk about the fact that you serve sushi, but there's no soy sauce.  First off, you're KOREAN air lines.  You know the score.  Secondly, your 'sushi' NEEDS soy sauce.  This is not an opinion.

Oh, and I thought I was done....but wait, there's more.

Sushi bar at the ATL Airport Marriott, We Need To Talk about the fact that you served me marginal miso soup with a TEASPOON.  It's taken me like 30 minutes to eat.  Soup spoon, or just let's pretend it's the NRT location, and I'll just drink it like you're supposed to.

And on that,

~CruisingAltitude out.