How does a $240 flight become $600?

[Jonathan Bird]

This time, my adventure with airlines to post is U.S. Air.

So I gotta run to Florida to shoot these Goliath Groupers spawning this week. I went on-line and bought a U.S. Air ticket: Boston to Ft. Lauderdale. $240.

Add the taxes and fees, and now it's $300.

I go to check in and it's now $20 for the first bag (used to be $15) and $30 for the second bag (used to be $25).

Of course, I'm shooting, so one bag is over 50 pounds. Add $50. (The only alternative is a third bag, which is $100).

Now multiply that by two because I'm going both directions.

Then I find out I'm seated in a center seat, even though I selected Window when I bought the ticket. Oh guess what, U.S. Air now considers most window seats to be "choice" seats. (A choice seat used to be an exit row and U.S. Air was one of the only airlines I knew that was charging people to sit in the exit row. But under the new rules, exit rows are only for special elite frequent flier mile people--normal dudes can't even BUY them anymore). No, a decent seat (i.e. a plain window seat) is now a $10 fee per leg. I have four legs on this trip. Cha ching, $40 more.

So lets add it up.

Ticket started at $240.

Final price: $540.

That is how a $240 flight becomes more than double in this day and age. And I didn't even add in the $20 for food!

Jonathan

[rph879]

Jonathan,

So tell me who do you know hate more: Delta or USAirways...AKA- Useless Air, USScare?

Bob Pitasi

PS: I's started a new UWPC account under my name, so I can get rid of the rph, because no one knows who is rph, but the Bob Pitasi account has no privliges, i.e I can't look up the member list, etc. Can you fix that? Also, I did view the video of the Blue World NE Aquarium episode and it played very well on my Acer PC desktop with 2 gig RAM and standard video card. Looks good- smooth with no flutter, etc.

Thanks

[Jonathan Bird]

Bob,
The confirmation e-mail that you use to do the final activation on your new account probably got de-spammed, which is why you didn't get final approval. I fixed it.

As an update, when I checked in at the airport, they had no knowledge of the website charging for window seats and they did give me a window at no charge, but trust me....if you log in and try to select a "choice" seat on the website, they will charge you $10!

On the plus side, I'm here now and the flights were on time, and the bags all arrived?

Two thumbs up for the Enterprise car rental place in Ft. Lauderdale at the airport. They were probably the most helpful, friendly, efficient people I have ever rented a car from. Fantastic!

Jonathan

[sorvju-f]

This time, my adventure with airlines to post is U.S. Air.

So I gotta run to Florida to shoot these Goliath Groupers spawning this week. I went on-line and bought a U.S. Air ticket: Boston to Ft. Lauderdale. $240.

Add the taxes and fees, and now it's $300.

I go to check in and it's now $20 for the first bag (used to be $15) and $30 for the second bag (used to be $25).

Of course, I'm shooting, so one bag is over 50 pounds. Add $50. (The only alternative is a third bag, which is $100).

Now multiply that by two because I'm going both directions.

Then I find out I'm seated in a center seat, even though I selected Window when I bought the ticket. Oh guess what, U.S. Air now considers most window seats to be "choice" seats. (A choice seat used to be an exit row and U.S. Air was one of the only airlines I knew that was charging people to sit in the exit row. But under the new rules, exit rows are only for special elite frequent flier mile people--normal dudes can't even BUY them anymore). No, a decent seat (i.e. a plain window seat) is now a $10 fee per leg. I have four legs on this trip. Cha ching, $40 more.

So lets add it up.

Ticket started at $240.

Final price: $540.

That is how a $240 flight becomes more than double in this day and age. And I didn't even add in the $20 for food!

Jonathan

Add to that...security checking opens your back and wondering what are the xenon light bulbs...lets open the cover where they are secured...and have a look...ou **** both went broken...lets just throw them to bottom of the bag...maybe passenger think that it happened somehow accidentaly...now two times during past year...

My claim to KLM:
Problem:
I have dive lamps with me and instructions I have gotten says that unload the lamp battery and remove the bulb. I do this every time and take lamps with me inside my hand bag.
This time when I was unpacking (today) my checked baggage I noticed that both bulb covers were open and bulbs separately lying in the bottom of my bag...both broken from the same place.

It is raising even bigger question that this happens also when I arrived from Philippines last November ( KLM flights ).

The checked bag was inspected in Guayaqil in front of my eyes and then everything was OK. Bag went after that to checked baggage system and I got them normally In Helsinki after doing transit in Amsterdam.

Also when I came back from Philippines there was common transit place...Amsterdam.

So I have lost now 3 bulbs, value of each 200 EUR, in two trips covers opened the same way and bulps broken from same place.

First time I thought that it was accident but I do not believe it any more.

Is there security checking for transit bags in Amsterdam? If it is that is only place accident ( with purpose or not ) can happen...if not then this complaint is not valid, but still the questions stays.

I will also check from lamp producer if this has happened earlier to some other divers....

...and the answer:

Dear Mr. Sorvisto,

Thank you for your e-mail dated 20 august 2009.

KLM takes precautions to make sure that passenger baggage is loaded and off-loaded with the greatest care. We regret that even with these precautions your luggage was damaged. Please accept our most sincere apologies for any inconvenience we may have caused you.

Unfortunately, we are not liable for the damage as the light bulbs need to be removed and checked in as handbaggage. We did however made a note of the damaged items and the airports form which they were transported. Should we detect a trend, we will handle accordingly.

Again our apologies and we hope this will not deter you from flying with us.

Kind regards,

So you can add more 560 USD to your 240 USD plus ticket:mad:

Jukka

[Jonathan Bird]

I would leave the damn bulbs in the lights!

[sorvju-f]

I would leave the damn bulbs in the lights!

I did it once...I was asked out from the plane after boarding to remove them:mad:

Jukka

[Jonathan Bird]

I did it once...I was asked out from the plane after boarding to remove them:mad:


@#$%!!!!!! :mad: