Change on the plane
James Forsyth 10:38am
Airlines these days seem to be finding any number of ways to squeeze some extra cash out of us. Some are now charging to check a bag, others for priority boarding. But as Phillipe Reines, who has taken more plan flight this year than most of us have had hot dinners in his role as Chelsea Clinton’s press chaperone, points out in a rather witty Wall Street Journal op-ed, there are other, better ways for the airline to make an extra buck or two.
I’d certainly pay the supplement to get away from the screaming children. I also have to agree with Reines about the absurdity of the ban on using your phone on the plane:I like kids, I swear. But I'd pay almost anything not to sit in close proximity to one who is misbehaving. I will fork over 15 cents for every year of age over 10 for each passenger sitting directly next to me, in front of me, and behind me. So if I'm in a window seat, and the three passengers closest to me are each 50 years old for a combined 150 years, that's an extra $18. And I'd tack on another $5 to have my row and the rows in front and behind me completely child-free. That's another $23 right there.
I don't know of a single documented case of a consumer electronic device interfering with a plane's avionics. If they did, al Qaeda would just fly around with iPods. Since we don't fear an iBomber, why not just let me use my BlackBerry as much as I want, whenever I want.
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Always turn left
July 9th, 2008 11:11amWell, I would pay to get away from self-important people braying into their telephones
Richard Chaplin
July 9th, 2008 11:20amMobile Phones: There is an extensive list of laboratory studies showing that mobile phones can and do interfere with the operation of this equipment. There are also frightening lists compiled by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in the UK and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US, containing reports of cell phone-related 'incidents' on board real aircraft. That much is known. Other than that I don't want to listen to inane idiots saying 'yes, at 30,000 feet...' on every call....
Chris
July 9th, 2008 11:27amI agree, the phone ban is pointless, but I would not want to be stuck on any sort of flight next to a phone user (Imagine a train journey lengthened out for 7 hours with no escape)
Ruairidh
July 9th, 2008 11:33amThe ban on mobile phones etc has more to do with their disruption of the ground based systems than anything else. Mobile phones moving across cell sites at hundreds of miles per hour can cause havoc with the network. I believe the solution is to put a mini ground station on the plane which will happen soon.
Stu
July 9th, 2008 11:34amInterestingly, there was an article in Wired yesterday which explained why Southwest Airlines are making huge profits while all the rest of the airlines are sinking.
http://www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/news/2008/07/portfolio_0708
One of teh major reasons they give is that Southwest Airlines keep it simple - they only fly 737s, they only have one class of ticket and they generally only fly point-to-point. They also don't serve meals, just snacks and drinks, and they don't charge luggage checking fees, fuel surcharge, standby fees, travel change fees... they just have a price, and its all inclusive.
Verity
July 9th, 2008 1:39pmStu - Southwest Airlines is the love of my life. Not only have they been running a wonderful no-frills airline - and the first in the world. And not only do they do all the things you list above, but in addition, they have self-ticketing. No standing in line. Just go to their gate and shove your credit card in one of their ticketing machines and walk on board.
I don't know whether they still do this, but before the descent, the staff went down the aisles with big plastic bags held wide open, and we were all encouraged to throw our containers in. (It's probably been outlawed by some prissy tight-arse like Obama by now, but it was light-hearted and good-natured.) Of course, this was for commuter flights. I admit it wouldn't work on long-haul.
Hysteria
July 10th, 2008 2:09amVerity - all the US carriers I have flown do the plastic bag thing - more than once per flight. Recently flew Jet Blue - good plane, free satellite TV and XM radio, great staff (Captain at the gate as part of the team) - and very low prices.
Verity
July 10th, 2008 4:02amHyteria - Nice to hear that. SW Airlines was the first. They shocked the industry. Innovation often works that way.
They flew out of a downtown airport in Houston - Love (an actual name)Field - long left to degenerate, but they took a chance and commuters loved a downtown airport. And they termed it "Yur Love flight!"
The "plastic bag thing" was a total innovation. Flight attendants used to be clad as mini-pilots, for authority, and all of a sudden they were wearing hotpants and shouting, "Y'all throw 'em here! We cain't land 'til all y'all's drinks are in the bag! We're not foolin'!"
Stelios Wossname - can't remember the name of his airline - has admitted he got his template from Southwest Airlines.