Gone are the days of the free sandwiches and pillows, the headphones that didn’t cost $5. The in-flight comforts that were once a given are now nothing more than a nostalgic reminder of decades past.
Out went the free checked bag, in came the fees for those few extra inches of leg room. Want to make sure you sit next to your children on a flight? On some airlines, there’s a fee for that.
Now, on United Airlines, you won’t necessarily get the use of an overhead bin without paying more money.
The overhead bin: “one of the last sacred conveniences of air travel,” as an angry Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., put it Sunday as he denounced the move.
Of course, the airlines, when they come up with a new fee for something that was once free, always say that’s not what they’re doing. They’re just creating a fare tier that does not include it.
As part of the company’s new pricing tier, Basic Economy, passengers who buy the airline’s cheapest fares will only be allowed one personal item that must fit under a seat. Additionally, customers will not be assigned seats until the day of departure, meaning people on the same ticket could be separated.
The move marks the first time a large U.S. airline limits low-fare customers to one carry on-bag that fits under a seat, Reuters reported. The company expects such fare initiatives to add $1 billion to its annual operating income by 2020, as more customers pay to check luggage or select higher fares for two carry-on bags.
The constant nickel-and-diming has led passengers to ask: what will airlines begin to charge for next? Cushions? Oxygen masks?
United explained that this is all for the benefit of passengers. United President Scott Kirby told Reuters that surveys indicated travelers and employees do not like scrambling to store carry-on bags in the limited overhead bins.
The purpose of the new fare structure is to create more options for customers, according to the company’s website. The new fares, which will be comparable to the low fares the airline now charges for economy cabin, will begin selling in the first quarter of 2017 for travel starting in the second quarter, according to Reuters.
