Airfare a la Carte Pricing - the New Normal

(Dive Travel Business News - November 26, 2008 ) -- Airfare research site Airfarewatchdog.com has released the results of an online poll about a la carte pricing.

“A la carte” pricing — along with “unbundling,” — is the airline industry’s preferred terminology for the practice of separating, and charging for, services that were traditionally included in the price of a ticket. Here’s the operative chunk:

After asking more than 1,600 airfarewatchdog travelers how they would feel about flying under a new a-la-carte pricing structure that airlines such as American Airlines, Spirit and Air Canada are adopting, 67% voted that it was a big step backward. The new structure, which means that flyers get lower base fees but will pay extra for things like soda, pillows, seat selection, checked bags and meals is, according to airfarewatchdog founder George Hobica, “the new normal.”

Granted, such Web polls aren’t scientific. And the 67% who clicked to express their displeasure against a la carte pricing represent a decent majority. At the same time, you might have expected the results of such a poll to reflect an immediate and overwhelming negative response from readers. So, apparently, did the folks at Airfarewatchdog. “We honestly expected that 99.9% of respondents would be thumbs down,” Hobica said.

But airlines themselves have seen that many of their customers are adapting to new fees for airline baggage and the like. In May, American Airlines became the first airline to include a fee — a $15 charge — for the first checked piece of luggage. That move has since been mirrored by carriers including United, US Airways and Northwest. You’ll remember that Continental, another latecomer to first-bag fees, decided to hop aboard the first-bag bandwagon in September.

More recently, when Delta joined the pack of airlines charging customers to check their first bag, the Atlanta-based carrier said “the increase in bags being carried on board Delta aircraft this year tells us that customers are not differentiating Delta as the only major airline not charging for a first checked bag.” In other words, Delta believes customers have adjusted pretty quickly to the new reality of a la carte pricing. Readers, does it seem that way to you?

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