I’ve been fortunate enough to do a good amount of traveling during the past three months and for the most part my flying experiences have been decent. I went to Hawaii (Delta) shortly after Christmas, took a quick trip to Las Vegas (US Air) in January and was in LA (US Air) last weekend. Delta, like all carriers, charged for checked luggage, but did not charge for in-flight food/drinks. That being said, you can imagine how surprised I was that US Air charged for sodas… on cross country flights. Paying for something that you used to get for free is one hurdle to get over, but to be charged $2 for a canned soda is simply ridiculous.
I’m happy to report that I received a friendly email this morning alerting me that US Air is changing up how they are doing things and are re-implementing free drinks. If you ask me, this is a very smart move for the company. Just give me a free drink as I sit uncomfortably in coach and let me feel like you appreciate my business. I’m sure somewhere along the line an accountant said, “If we cut out the free drinks we will save X number of dollars,” but I’m equally as sure they underestimated the fact that people would choose a different carrier over a free drink. It’s principal!
Before taking away the inexpensive perks, you should seriously consider how much the repercussions could cost.
