January 11, 2017  |   


Happy Old Year!


January 5, 2017
Brace yourself, 2017 will be another
busy year for passengers.
metro.co.uk
A new year is upon us. But a quick look back
at the major airline events of 2016 seemed to be all about airline
industry
 hacking, lowered expectations for passengers and involving less legroom.
Same Old, Same Old, But Hopeful Signs For 2017

If last year’s airline passenger stories have you lowering your expectations -s
ome good news is that getting across the Atlantic may be cheaper than ever. 

Long-haul discount airlines
 such as Norwegian Air, WOW Air and
Condor are offering cut-rate fares, often landing in secondary cities
that may never have had nonstop trans-Atlantic flights before. 

So far, the biggest headliner for flyers this year is United Airlines’ new basic economy,
sans carry-on – 
which all seems to be a clever reverse-psychology tactic to get customers to
pay even more
. 
So if ‘
Basic Economy’ is about pressuring flyers into spending more money for the same product, it’s working out very well!
When They Go Low, We Go High
United Airlines explained that this is all for the benefit of passengers. (Of course it is!)
These changes are noteworthy, because to maintain the current level of service that customers value: being
able to put a bag in the overhead bin, choosing an aisle or window
seat, making sure your family is sitting in the same row, and being able
to change your flight – will cost about $25 more per ticket now.

But the majors seem to be having an identity crisis – they can’t seem to 
decide whether
they are full service airlines or low-cost carriers. (They can’t be
both!) On one hand they’re trying to become Spirit Airlines, 
experimenting with bargain basement fares – while promoting their luxurious business class.

The Last Straw
The idea of not being able to use the overhead
bins may be the last straw. It’s just too obvious that airlines are
squeezing every last dollar out of flyers to maintain high profit
margins. Customers hate being treated so poorly when they pay so much
for a ticket.

Which could bring up touchy topics, such as:

  • Opening up US domestic air travel to foreign airlines, or
  • Making ancillary fees subject to the government’s 7.5% excise tax on tickets.

The FlyersRights
® Insider

This week’s travel-related information tips and suggestions for our readers and members.

How to get through Customs by taking a selfie: cntraveler.com/stories/2015-10-29/get-through-customs-by-taking-a-selfie
Things you should not eat on a plane:

Why planes shouldn’t have free Wi-Fi:

cntraveler.com/story/why-planes-shouldnt-have-free-wi-fi?

What Google’s New Pixel and Home Devices Mean for Travel:

cntraveler.com/story/what-googles-new-pixel-and-home-devices-mean-for-travel

The
above articles can be viewed by clicking on the link. For more in-depth
and up-to-date information on these items, please refer to the source.
FlyersRights’ founder and spokesperson, Kate Hanni, is available for media interviews!

To reach our airline expert Kate Hanni for interview requests, call +1 707-337-0328.
 

Flyers Rights Education Fund
is a 501(c)(3) charity to which contributions are tax deductible. Also
consider adding us to your employer’s gift matching program.
Getting on a Plane? 
Put This Number in Your Phone:
1 (877) Flyers6
  1 (877) 359-3776
The FlyersRights HOTLINE!
 

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