And You Thought We Were Done for the Day....

And another one bites and another one bites and another one bites the dust…

US Airways says “Hey!!! Me too! Me too!” and announces their new $15 per bag fee (up to two bags).

Additionally, they announced other fantastic (clearly dripping with sarcasm here) news like:

--They will be significantly cutting capacity.

--They will be cutting 1,700 jobs.

--They will be charging for in-flight beverages.

--They will be increasing buddy pass fees.

Then, following all of these announcements, there’s a big “pep talk” by CEO Doug Parker. As employees and passengers alike partake in a collective eye rolling, he states:

“All of the actions we’re announcing today, when combined with the capacity other airlines have already announced, will have a materially positive effect on the financial performance of US Airways going forward. Our team has been here before and we won’t sit by and wait for external circumstances to dictate our future. A lot of “experts” are counting us out – but like all of you, I can’t wait to prove them wrong again. As part of my commitment to achieve this goal, as well as reaffirming my belief in our company, I’ve made the decision to invest an amount equal to my 2008 salary into US Airways by buying stock in the open market at the next trading opportunity for insiders.”

Soooooo....ya. Delta says they will not be charging the fee, but I'm not so sure. Continental indicates that they will probably be charging it sooner, rather than later, and NWA has remained quiet (presumably due to the pending merger?), so I'm having a hard time believing that, if all of the other majors adopt the fee, Delta will not.

However, lets assume that they don't. Will this present a competitive advantage for Delta? Let's have a quick roundtable. Will the fee(s) affect where you buy your tickets?

Personally, I'm in the market for an international flight at the moment, and have been looking around at options, many of which require me to fly NWA part of the way, and then move carriers. American was one of these options, and I refused to fly them, choosing instead to look elsewhere, even if it meant paying more.

If Delta remains first-bag-fee free, will you forgo flying the other carriers in favor of Delta?
	Yes
	No
	It Depends (please comment below)
pollcode.com free polls

Roundtable

Ok, dear readers. It’s time for our first-ever roundtable discussion.

Since my husband and I recently got back from our wedding and honeymoon, and are now embarking again out into the wild blue yonder, I’ve been fielding the same question over and over and over—particularly from those I work with (since they know I will be taking time off from work soon). What is it, you ask?

“How do you afford to travel so often?”

I have many-a-thought on this topic.

A) When did it become socially acceptable to ask people what they do with their money? I do not ask you how you can afford that brood of children….or the car you drive…or the home you live in…or your smoking habit. Why? Because it is none of my business.

B) What exactly are they looking for in an answer? Is it just a rhetorical question meant to belittle the way you spend your money vs. the way they do, or do they want a day-by-day breakdown of my expenditures?

C) Of all the times I've been asked this question, I can only recall being asked this once by someone of "my generation." The rest have been a generation or two older than me. Is this a generational thing? Is it a regional thing that can be attributed to living in a relatively conservative part of the country?

When asked, I am always taken aback--no matter how many times I've been asked the question. Once I regroup, I always stutter through the standard, “Oh, it’s just a priority for us—we choose to spend our money there rather than elsewhere.” There are usually alternative responses running through my smartas*sed mind that I’d love to give ("I deal drugs on the weekends."), but have resisted the urge thus far. ;)

Anyway, back to the roundtable. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Am I overly sensative? Am I missing something? I’ve included some polls below, and please feel free to add additional comments in the comments section.