U.S. airlines may have reached limit on new fees

[Feldmann]

U.S. airlines may have reached limit on new fees
Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:51pm EDT

By Kyle Peterson - Analysis

CHICAGO (Reuters) - It's been a long time coming, but it seems U.S. airlines finally may have reached a limit on new fees they can charge for in-flight perks that used to be included in the ticket price.

After adding fees for things like bag checks, seat assignments, pillows and blankets, there simply aren't many more complimentary items and services airlines can pry loose from the base fare, experts say.

That's welcome news for travelers who find the avalanche of new fees tedious.

"If people knew that this was the extent to which this is going to go, that would make them feel better," said Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition (BTC). "(But) they should also know that there's no reversing it."

Mitchell also noted that airlines are creative and that there may yet be some elements of the reservation or check-in process that they can still unbundle.

Major airlines, battered in recent years by high costs, low-fare competition and economic recession, have generated billions of dollars in new revenue from sales of items and services that previously had been free.

Last year, for example, airlines unveiled a particularly unpopular charge, for checking a single bag. Passengers balked, but now that fee is common among major U.S. carriers like AMR Corp's American Airlines and UAL Corp's United Airlines.

SCRAPING THE BOTTOM

When implementing the new fees, U.S. airlines took their cues from foreign carriers that use the so-called "a la carte" model that charges passengers for items and services that are not absolutely essential to travel.

Ryanair Holdings Plc, Europe's largest budget carrier, last month rankled travelers when its chief executive said the airline might even charge passengers to use airplane toilets. A company spokesman later said the fee had been discussed internally but Ryanair has no immediate plans to introduce it.

Passengers in the United States also have pushed back. US Airways Group Inc recently rescinded a fee for sodas on its flights after customers complained and rivals declined to match.

In general, however, the fees have paid off well for U.S. carriers, which have reported big increases in the ancillary revenue they earn from sales of goods and services.

American Airlines, the second largest U.S. airline, saw its ancillary revenue increase 60 percent to $2.1 billion in 2008 from $1.3 billion in 2002.

"That's been a pretty big success story," AMR Chief Financial Officer Tom Horton told Reuters in an interview last week.

He said the company is always looking for new revenue streams, but he declined to say whether AMR was planning to unveil a new fee or service at this time.

Experts generally agree that airlines are running out of ways to charge for items that customers currently take for granted. But that won't stop carriers from introducing new items and services to sell on flights, said Andrew Watterson, an airline consultant and at Oliver Wyman, a management consulting company.

"Unbundling was the trend, and that did create lots of value in the airlines. The future is in rebundling," said Watterson.

He noted the influx into coach cabins of superior-quality meals, day passes to airport lounges and the option to purchase frequent flyer miles. All these can be purchased on some airlines for additional fees.

BTC's Mitchell agreed. He said that airlines are beefing up their merchandising and soon will sell many more perks in cabins that previously did not have access to them.

"They're going to use the cabin for all manner of merchandising," Mitchell said.

"There's all kinds of opportunities," he said. "You have a captive audience."

(Reporting by Kyle Peterson, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/ ... dChannel=0

[BenitoRBP]

Acho que neste caso, o céu é o limite....literalmente....
A costumização dos serviços a bordo é uma tendencia, que apesar de as vezes ter um lado perverso, cobrando por serviços que antes eram oferecidos de graça, tendo como expoente mais absurdo o "estudo" para se tarifar o uso do banheiro.....
Por outro lado permite aos passageiros acesso a instrumentos que ao serem individualizados, permitem que um passageiro em particular usufrua do serviço, sem aumentar a tarifa dos demias, como, por exemplo fazer uma ligação no meio do atlântico, ou beber champagne a bordo....não era muito justo todos pagarem para apenas poucos beberem.
Talvez num futuro as Cias consigam entregar para os clientes exatamente a medida daquilo que eles podem e estão dispostos a pagar...assim poderei escolher uma assento de executiva com serviço de bordo de econômica, serviço de bordo da "first" na "dog" (este eu acho inviável...kk).
Esta busca por um fator de equilibrio entre o produto oferecido e o que o mercado esta disposto a pagar é "normal" em outros setores....mas em aviação s clientes foram "bem acostumados" com o glamour de outras épocas.
As passagens eram caras é verdade...mas tudo bem...até isso era sinonimo de status.
Mas sem subsidios, este "mundo da moranguinho" não funciona.
Infelizmente temos que nos acostumar com as aviações competindo com viações, aliais outro dia o "serviço de bordo" abordo de um cometa (empresa de onibus aqui de SP) foi melhor que o da TAM no mesmo trecho....o TAM só chegou bem mais rapido...(nem tanto se contar o tempo de deslocamento para os aeroportos e os períodos de antecedência necessária aguardando para embarcar).
O serviço "padrão" de transporte aéreo é o que esta desenhado por ai...o máximo de cadeiras possíveis no menor espaço possível, e nada além disso, vai se diferenciar a empresa que conseguir oferecer a um preço justo a exata medida de "luxo" e "acessórios" que o passageiro se dispor a pagar.
Triste...mas coerente com a lógica mercantilista atual....