Fly like eagle, sip like sparrow at $1 a can
Complimentary soda, snack canceled; coffee, water still free on American Eagle; psst, wanna buy a pillow and blanket--only $5?
By Mark Skertic
Tribune staff reporter
December 15, 2005
First it was the free meals. Then the pillows.
And now, looking to cut costs further, one airline is experimenting with dropping the last little luxury those sitting in coach have to look forward to: complimentary soda and pretzels. American Eagle said Thursday it will charge $1 each for a can of soda and a bag of cashews on flights into and out of Los Angeles next month... Passenger reaction will determine whether sales are expanded beyond the California experiment, Jackson said.
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American Airlines gained notoriety earlier this year when it removed pillows from aircraft, a move that saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in cleaning costs. Although American was the butt of jokes on Leno and Letterman, several other airlines quietly followed suit after the furor died down.
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During the past several years airlines increasingly have tried to pass on costs to customers that were once considered part of buying an airline ticket. Free copies of general interest magazines have disappeared from most flights. Meals have been replaced with $5 snack boxes of prepackaged food. Some airlines' skycaps now charge $2 a bag and carriers strictly enforce rules charging extra for overweight luggage.
This month United Airlines unveiled an in-flight store on some of its Ted flights, which mainly serve vacation destinations. Flight attendants have a cart filled with gifts, toys and other items. Priced between $5 and $25, items can be purchased during the flight.
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-0512150159dec15,1,4453812.story