US Airways Stops Charging for Water, Coffee and Soda

Other posts by MudslideMama

(Thomas Becker)
(Thomas Becker)

We’ve all seen prices of produce and other goods go up when the price of oil goes up, and we can make sense of this: It costs more to get products to us, and the sellers pass the increase on to the buyers. It’s America, it’s capitalism, we pretty much roll with it.  Airlines operate on a somewhat different model, however, with prices fluctuating day to day, even hour to hour. The airline industry has to try to balance its need for profit (or at least try to avoid filing for Chapter 11) and the presumed desire to give passengers as nice a flight as possible. New fees for checked baggage have cropped up, as has US Airways’ quietly announced plan to charge for previously free drinks.

When US Airways started charging for water, coffee and soda, passengers were understandably very angry. What I believe is that US Airways decided on this budget-cutting measure with the hope that other airlines would follow suit. After all, we see different airline companies raising and lowering ticket prices practically in sync anyway; they keep an eye on each other.  But other airlines must have realized that this was crossing a line (nice to know there is one) and did not institute a similar new charge. What a relief! If even a couple of other major airlines had decided also to charge for water, it probably would have eventually become a new standard fee.

The bad press apparently outweighed whatever profit US Airways was pulling in by charging for drinks. This month, US Airways abandoned this ill-conceived plan, and now, soda, water, coffee and tea are once again free. I wonder if the powers that be expect us to be grateful. Air travel can be stressful, and most everyone knows somebody who has a fear of flying. At least we don’t have to fear shelling out a couple of bucks for a cup of in-flight water anymore.

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March 8, 2009 | Filed Under Adventure Travel, Budget Travel, Flying High, Travel News 

Comments

8 Responses to “US Airways Stops Charging for Water, Coffee and Soda”

  1. Kim@Galavanting says:
    March 8, 2009 at

    >> “I wonder if the powers that be expect us to be grateful.”

    Word.

  2. previously.bitten says:
    March 8, 2009 at

    I’ve said this a few times before – but I just don’t understand why a company wouldn’t just raise ticket prices two dollars to cover drink prices. No one would ever notice.

  3. Capt Tom Bunn LCSW says:
    March 9, 2009 at

    No need to shell out anything to fix fear of flying (so long it is of the milder variety). I’m both an airline captain and a licensed therapist, and have posted a number of articles on fear of flying at http://www.fearofflying.com/wordpress/

  4. Skylab says:
    March 9, 2009 at

    Soda and Coffee fine, they can charge whatever they want. But WATER? Thank goodness they changed the rules.

  5. Sharlene says:
    March 9, 2009 at

    Good. I thought that was total crap when I flew US Airways and they were trying to charge for water! Water!

  6. Guam-Hotel.Net » Blog Archive » TravelingMamas Photos: Why I Love The Window Seat says:
    March 10, 2009 at

    [...] love sitting by the window when I fly and not only because I sleep better, but because I love the views of take-off, landing, and all [...]

  7. Bijan C. Bayne says:
    March 11, 2009 at

    I suffered through this inanity during a recent flight from DC to Missouri. Wasn’t the price, it was the principle. Of all the unmitigated gall.

    Thanks for posting their epiphany.

  8. What’s Buzzing? » Blog Archive » Us Airways Stops Charging For Water, Coffee, Soda | Traveling Mamas says:
    March 30, 2009 at

    [...] This month, US Airways stopped their ridiculous, greedy extra charge for water, coffee, and soda.Page 2 [...]

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