Why can’t they just raise the fares to include all the fees, include everything

They could, but aren’t many people unwilling to pay them anyway? If US Airways charges $100 more than, say, Southwest for the same date/s and route/s with practically similar times and level of service, who do you think customers will more likely book with?

US Airways, like some if not all other businesses, want to maximize their profit potential. Some are fine with making money up to a certain point, but that’s every business’ choice depending on how far they’re willing to push.

It so happens that, also arguably, many people are willing to put up with US Airways’ so-called nickleing and diming. I also know some webmasters who bill customers for their time for extra support after building their web sites for a 1-time fee, some of whom complain they’re also being nickled and dimed for that.

And don’t worry, you can levy your “outrageous” fees to US Airways or anyone who chooses to continue doing business with you. :)

It is NEVER the right business strategy to economically nickel and dime, no HARASS captive consumers. If they convince themselves in the future it is right because “everyone else is doing it”, that is called collusion, illegal and morally wrong.

I am right in line with those consumers on here that object to fees galore. Why can’t they just raise the fares to include all the fees, include everything, and leave people the frick alone on their flight, at the ticket counter, in security, at the gate and on the plane?

Fees are just an annoying slap in the face. I don’t want a drink fee, a pillow fee, a clean seat fee, a bathroom fee, a call light fee, a luggage fee, a tarmac fee, booking fee, counter fee, or any other fee. Do your damn job, take care of people without harassing them, the way it used to be.

As long as fees continue though, I think as a consumer I should be able to charge incompetence fees, inconvenience fees and rudeness fees right back on the airlines and airline employees personally for all the inconveniences airlines force upon us. Gee don’t want customers putting fees in YOUR face? Don’t put fees in theirs.

Whoever said fees are only for coporations to levy and not for consumers to levy in return? It’s a business contract – either party can set the terms or change them or levy fees.

So I can expect a lousy USairways cabin (on which the U.S. flag is painted on backwards) atmospheres of lines to the staph-infected toilet and beverage carts in the aisles, spilling sticky beverages on me 4 ounces at a time, while some old fart interrogates the attendant on the differences between Coke Zero and Diet Coke?
Just stab me with a fork–I’m done!

What put US Air on my personal no-fly list happened as I was boarding my last segment (LAS-SEA). Trusty rollaboard in tow, I lined up to board. The passenger ahead of me was stopped and informed that he had to check his carryon as it was too large. The agent directed that passenger’s attention to the carryon-bag sizer, which appeared to be pretty beat up; there was tape on the base where the bag outline normally was.

As I handed the agent my boarding pass, I remarked that at least I wouldn’t have that problem, as I’d been flying with my rollaboard for 8 years and it had fit everywhere. He then said “Yeah, about that… I’m giving you a warning this time, but your bag is really too large. We shrank our sizers; the size limit for carry-ons is smaller.”

That’s the last time I fly US Air.

Um…ew! So they’re evaluating their service decisions based on…exerting control over our bodily excretion functions? Wow, that’s taking things a wee bit too far, if you ask me…

I say this because the security checkpoints will not allow you to bring beverages on board. so you either go thirsty for who knows how long or you pay an insane markup.

Then that makes offering free drinks a good thing, don’t you think? :)

It remains to be seen if this upcoming move indeed improve their “image” towards the public. But they have an unenviable responsibility of balancing interests among their fickle-minded prospects, paying customers, arguably hardworking personnel, and investing shareholders.

If anything, this might “challenge” the other airlines to do either the same or something similar…or arguably better. We’ll see.