Posted by Alanna Vallee on Fri, Aug 01, 2014 @ 11:25 AM
Finding & booking the lowest airfare, with the best schedule, and least agony should be straightforward. Yet, the airlines are getting more creative about “ancillary fees.” Bottom line is profit for them but more work, confusion, and frustration for travelers.
Air Taxi customers are typically frequent airline fliers. When they consider switching to Air Taxi, we help them evaluate the true cost of a trip in terms of total trip time rather than simply comparing ticket price vs. ticket price. For example, three colleagues in the Greenwich, CT area need to get to Albany for a day of meetings. Here are the three options to evaluate:
The good news is, our customers value their time. When they understand how much time they save with Air Taxi vs. a traditional commercial flight, another Air Taxi convert is born. The bad news is, the airlines are getting more and more “creative” with how they merchandise the cost of a ticket on a commercial flight. Making the evaluation process that much murkier.
It’s not surprising. The airline industry has been struggling to achieve profitability for years. Things are looking up as the economy strengthens, new fuel-efficient aircraft come online, and capacity is closely monitored. But one of the major factors driving recent profitability is the high-margin fees for pillows, extra leg room, additional baggage, headphones, and food.
And the kicker on the nickel & diming is these fees add up throughout the travel experience, not up-front when your ticket is purchased.
Next time you do travel on a commercial flight, evaluate your total trip time afterward.
- Calculate your door-to-door travel time.
- Add up the total cost of your trip. Ticket, additional fees, parking costs, etc.
- Compare the total travel time & cost vs. Air Taxi.
We’re willing to bet the numbers will surprise you!
