You can fool some of your customers some of the time, but can you fool them all the time? Spirit Airlines, a self-defined “ULC” or ultra low cost carrier, announced earlier this week that they would continue to offer ultra low fares, but charge you an arm and a leg is you wanted to store something in the overhead bin!
Now, I may be blond, I may be stupid, but I’m not dumb! If a ticket is $100 to fly somewhere, then it should cost me not much more than that to get there. If you sneak in a 45% fee to store my bag above my head, I’ll notice! How stupid is their management? (God, I hope none of them went to Cal!) What’s next, a fee to use the jetway? (Perhaps a reduced fee is you can hop in the plane as it heads down the runway?) One airline is planning on installing pay toilets!
Southwest, a carrier I spend A LOT of time on, has the right idea. The ticket price is the ticket price. It’s bad enough that you get hit with all those taxes and other fees when you get a ticket these days. Southwest has, so far, resisted the urge to nickle and dime their customers to death!
Anyone who flies a great deal can attest to the sheer frustration that has been created in the nation’s airports since 9/11. I’m all for safety. As a matter of fact I really don’t mind waiting on the tarmac for a couple of hours, as long as I get to my destination safely. However, the last time I checked, most bad guys don’t bring luggage on the plane! Note to Spirit Airlines: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING!!!??? I like to see people carrying on their luggage – It makes me feel like they have something to do after the flight. Not to mention, the easiest way to get flagged in security is to have no luggage at all!
So, I recommend a couple of things those good guys at Spirit should do:
#1 – Call me! We can work with you to change the culture at your company. It won’t be easy, but you’ll stay in business, if it’s not too late.
#2 – If you choose not to take my advice, I would start calling around to see if anyone wants to buy some slightly used planes. You’ll be ahead of the curve this time, but it will be time well spent!
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