Soxfan From United States, joined Mar 2008, 293 posts, RR: 0 Posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 4222 times:
Hi Everyone,
*This topic deals with non-alcoholic drinks only.*
US Airways has now been charging for drinks for the past month and a half or so.
1) How much added revenue would you estimate this gives US? Is it significant?
2) No other US airline (to my knowledge) has matched this move. Given the uproar over UA's transatlantic-BOB announcement, leading to its repeal, do you think there is any chance that negative passenger response would contribute to the US drink charge being repealed as well? I recognize that at least one other US carrier (Allegiant) also charges for drinks, but I'm wondering if US Airways envisioned other airlines following suit, which to this point they have not (although are any contemplating it?).
Silentbob From Vatican City State (Holy See), joined Aug 2006, 757 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 4175 times:
Any increase in revenue has been marginal at best, but use is down significantly. The company will save a lot of money this year thanks to this initiative. We're all interested in seeing if this impacts load factors.
LAXintl From United States, joined May 2000, 9259 posts, RR: 12 Reply 2, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 4164 times:
Quoting Soxfan (Thread starter): How much added revenue would you estimate this gives US? Is it significant?
Well according to Doug Parker at the latest CLT crew news session, its not perse just to make money (estimated to generate $25-40mil annually) but he actually would be happy if no one purchased a drink, allowing US to save money not stocking and flying as many heavy beverages back and forth across the country daily.
From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California
Vctony From United States, joined Aug 1999, 304 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 4151 times:
I flew on two US flights recently (TUS-PHX) and (PHX-SFO). On TUS-PHX not one person purchased a drink. on PHX-SFO I believe I was one of maybe 10 people (out of a full A319 to purchase one).
LACA773 From United States, joined Nov 2004, 1444 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 3988 times:
Quoting Vctony (Reply 3): flew on two US flights recently (TUS-PHX) and (PHX-SFO). On TUS-PHX not one person purchased a drink. on PHX-SFO I believe I was one of maybe 10 people (out of a full A319 to purchase one).
This is very interesting. I think the longer the flight, more people will buy their beverages vs., PHX-California, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Nevada etc..
They have become the U.S. version of Ryan Air.
I'm very interested to see how this works out ( I hope it doesn't).
Yep, just like the baggage charges. It is not really to earn money from the $25 charge, but to deter people from packing heavy and thus using more fuel.
Skyfellow From United States, joined Aug 2008, 50 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 3901 times:
Quoting LAXintl (Reply 2): but he actually would be happy if no one purchased a drink, allowing US to save money not stocking and flying as many heavy beverages back and forth across the country daily.
This is very likely the true objective behind this move.
If you stock a single can of pepsi, fly it around on three or four flight segments in a single day, and somebody buys it during the last segment, that could end up being a pretty expensive can of pepsi let alone all those cans you're left with still in stock that nobody purchased.
Etops1 From Puerto Rico, joined Nov 2005, 407 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 3840 times:
trust me this will stick . even if oil goes down. other airlines are interested as well. we will be recieving handheld credit card swipers in october so passengers can pay with credit. this will benefit both the passenger and cabin crew alike. the initiative is to go cashless but they are still looking into the benefits of that. i have done it and made around $150 on one leg to $40 on the others so it varies. the good thing about this is that there is no waist. when it was free passengers would just take it cause it was free. when you would go pick up they would hand you a full can back opened so you had to throw it away. now if they really want it ,they buy it. plain and simple . i have no problem at all charging passengers for drinks and meals onboard if it means generating revenue for our company. you don't want to pay then you don't get a drink. nothings for free anymore. there is nowhere that you go where that you get a free coke or a free bottle of water . and i don't buy the whole "well i paid such and such for my ticket and i deserve a free drink" excuse. you don't deserve anything but trasportation from point a-b.everything else is extra so pay for it if you really want it. when you get on a cruise they charge you all this money to get on the boat but on the boat you have to buy all the drinks and it ain't cheap.
MMEPHX From United States, joined Mar 2004, 375 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 3761 times:
Quoting Etops1 (Reply 9): and i don't buy the whole "well i paid such and such for my ticket and i deserve a free drink" excuse. you don't deserve anything but trasportation from point a-b.everything else is extra so pay for it if you really want it. when you get on a cruise they charge you all this money to get on the boat but on the boat you have to buy all the drinks and it ain't cheap.
while I think you are right that we are paying for travel and not a restaurant experience, the trouble is the airlines have set precedence over many decades that the travel comes with a food/drink which is now causing them problems with PR and passenger expectations. I think we are in a transition period in the US in terms of the service quality of airlines.
Doesn't the cruise include all you could possibly ever need to eat though?
Personally all this nickel and diming has me flying WN as much as I can these days, not because its $2 for a coke but because once I've paid to fly, that's it I've no extra costs to think about plus the overall WN offering these days in terms of friendliness, space on board, comfort, service, FF program etc. is at least as good if not better than many US carriers (especially when you live in Phoenix and the primary alternative is US)
RussianJet From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2007, 1132 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 3736 times:
Quoting Etops1 (Reply 9): trust me this will stick . even if oil goes down. other airlines are interested as well. we will be recieving handheld credit card swipers in october so passengers can pay with credit. this will benefit both the passenger and cabin crew alike. the initiative is to go cashless but they are still looking into the benefits of that. i have done it and made around $150 on one leg to $40 on the others so it varies. the good thing about this is that there is no waist. when it was free passengers would just take it cause it was free. when you would go pick up they would hand you a full can back opened so you had to throw it away. now if they really want it ,they buy it. plain and simple . i have no problem at all charging passengers for drinks and meals onboard if it means generating revenue for our company. you don't want to pay then you don't get a drink. nothings for free anymore. there is nowhere that you go where that you get a free coke or a free bottle of water . and i don't buy the whole "well i paid such and such for my ticket and i deserve a free drink" excuse. you don't deserve anything but trasportation from point a-b.everything else is extra so pay for it if you really want it. when you get on a cruise they charge you all this money to get on the boat but on the boat you have to buy all the drinks and it ain't cheap.
......and you just summed up nicely why you're going to lose custom and your airline will go down the toilet - because they (passengers) "don't deserve anything but transportation from point a-b".
Каждый удар молота - удар по врагу. НА СВОБОДУ - С ЧИСТОЙ СОВЕСТЬЮ!
Skyfellow From United States, joined Aug 2008, 50 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 3684 times:
Quoting RussianJet (Reply 12): "don't deserve anything but transportation from point a-b"
This is just my humble opinion, but when I travel, getting from point a to b, and on time, is primarily what I spend my money on. Everything else is secondary.
Back on July 31st, I flew Virgin America IAD-LAX and two day later flew LAX-CLT-IAD on USAirways (it worked out that the two one-way tickets were cheaper than a round-trip ticket on either airline). Even though both airlines feature BoB for drinks and snacks, on Virgin America, we had one *free* drink service just after take off. Then for the rest of the trip we purchased drinks and food from our seatback AVOD devices and it was brought to our seats by a smiling flight attendant. Since our flight had departed at 4:55pm many of the pax had already purchased food in the airport and brought it onboard.
On USAirways 1496 August 3rd, an LAX-CLT 321 with virtually every seat filled, a flight attendant announced the new policy before the door closed and that even coffee and tea would cost a dollar a cup. I did walk the aisle on the way to the lavatory, and I couldn't see *anything* being sold. On the next leg (US 1696 CLT-IAD) drink service was over in less than five minutes. I have a feeling the soda cans on that particular drink cart will last a year.
Vctony From United States, joined Aug 1999, 304 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 3664 times:
Quoting KGAIflyer (Reply 14): On USAirways 1496 August 3rd, an LAX-CLT 321 with virtually every seat filled, a flight attendant announced the new policy before the door closed and that even coffee and tea would cost a dollar a cup. I did walk the aisle on the way to the lavatory, and I couldn't see *anything* being sold. On the next leg (US 1696 CLT-IAD) drink service was over in less than five minutes. I have a feeling the soda cans on that particular drink cart will last a year.
Your experience was like mine (on a shorter flight like PHX-SFO). Honestly, I believe that most people feel that the $2.00 charge is ridiculous and they intend to "stick it" to US by not purchasing a drink.
Soxfan From United States, joined Mar 2008, 293 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 3641 times:
Are there any exceptions made for illness, i.e. if someone is desperately in need of water (dehydration or some other medical condition) and either forgot to bring water on board/has no money or can't wait/already bought some but ran out? I don't think it would be fair to withhold water from someone who is ill, just because they can't pay the $2.
Exaauadl From United States, joined Jun 2006, 3421 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days ago) and read 3618 times:
Quoting Silentbob (Reply 1): Any increase in revenue has been marginal at best, but use is down significantly. The company will save a lot of money this year thanks to this initiative. We're all interested in seeing if this impacts load factors
They really wont save much. I know what DL's annual budget is for all non-alocholic drinks and it is surprisingly low. These initiatives are usually pretty bad. They dont save much but are very visible to the consumer. It contributes to an overall perception of a cheap company.
Chepos From Puerto Rico, joined Dec 2000, 5177 posts, RR: 11 Reply 18, posted (2 months 2 weeks 4 days ago) and read 3603 times:
I hope it dosent stick, but Im sure it will. I know we are not a restaurant but we are not a Circle K either , this charging for everything is just huting our brand name. I personally think we are driving customers away,maybe not in the short run but in the long run I dont think this will help us at all. I guess time will tell.
I'm just waiting for the day we announce we are going to sell BOB on TATL flights, I would not bne shocked.
RussianJet From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2007, 1132 posts, RR: 1 Reply 19, posted (2 months 2 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 3481 times:
Quoting Skyfellow (Reply 13): This is just my humble opinion, but when I travel, getting from point a to b, and on time, is primarily what I spend my money on. Everything else is secondary.
Sure, that's fair enough. But where competition exists on a route, these differences matter.
Каждый удар молота - удар по врагу. НА СВОБОДУ - С ЧИСТОЙ СОВЕСТЬЮ!
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