wacky wednesday - how much is too much?

The first time I flew on a plane I was in college. As a young adult I flew across the country a few times but it wasn't until recently that I began flying around the country more than just occasionally.

Throughout my lifetime, I have noticed several trends and changes in air travel. Some are great while others are less than desirable. For example, we can now purchase our own airline tickets online rather than call the airline and wait on hold for the next available representative (all the while listening to obnoxious music and the airlines' assurance that my call is important to them) or, for those who prefer to let someone else wait on hold for them, use a travel agent. On the other hand, I used to get a meal on a cross-country flights that spanned a mealtime.

I have seen airlines implement a policy and then change their mind about it. In August, 2008 US Airways became the only US airline to charge coach passengers $2 for a can of soda, coffee or bottle of water (seems like price gouging, doesn't it?). The airline, of course, experienced several benefits to this policy - increased revenue, aisles were kept clearer and there were not long lines for the lavatories near the galleys. Passengers, however, were irate. Between the nasty posts on social media and other airlines capitalizing on the fact that they provided free soda, coffee or water to passengers, US Airways finally changed back to the old policy in March, 2009. 

But other "charges" have crept in and stayed. Seat size and leg room have diminished over the past 8 to10 years. Exit row and aisle seats near the front of the plane often have a "premium price" and sometimes are saved for "elite" customers. First airlines began charging for the second checked bag, now most charge for ALL checked bags (and charge more for the second). When meals for coach passengers disappeared, we were given bags of peanuts. But people with nut allergies complained so pretzels were substituted. Now you must pay (and by "pay" I mean "overpay!") for your snack or meal - or bring your own. 

So what's next? Airline travelers have jokingly suggested that lavatories will have slots for credit cards. After all, some public "water closets" in Europe cost money to use. Sadly, I don't think that is too far off. 

But perhaps what cartoonist Fred Wagner suggested in his Grin and Bear It comic on Sunday would be the one thing that would have credit cards flying out of wallets!