# The weighty rationale for airline fees



## CHamilton (Jun 30, 2014)

Why Budget Airlines Could Soon Charge You to Use the Bathroom


> An urban legend in the airline industry claims that the former CEO of American Airlines, Bob Crandall, once saved his company $100,000 a year by calling for the removal of a single olive from every in-flight salad.1 As the story goes, some of these savings came from lower fuel burn thanks to fewer olives, and thus a lighter load on each flight in the American network.
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> This story is particularly relevant today, as fuel prices are near historic highs and airline executives are searching for every possible way to cut costs. Take Southwest Airlines. Have you ever noticed that the airline doesn’t offer typical in-flight entertainment systems? Outside the costs of buying, installing and maintaining those small TV screens in airplane seats, entertainment systems also weigh about 7 pounds each and cause airplanes to burn more fuel. As Rob Fyfe, the former CEO of Air New Zealand said in 2013, “There is an enormous economic incentive to reduce the weight of the systems.”
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> ...


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 30, 2014)

Wonder if the "cut squad" @ 60 Mass will try to justify their cuts on the basis of saving fuel???

And pay toilets aren't as unlikely as one might think, they used to be common in train and bus stations back in the day! Contrary to common belief most states and cities don't have laws requiring public bathrooms for customers!


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## Ispolkom (Jun 30, 2014)

jimhudson said:


> Wonder if the "cut squad" @ 60 Mass will try to justify their cuts on the basis of saving fuel???
> 
> And pay toilets aren't as unlikely as one might think, they used to be common in train and bus stations back in the day! Contrary to common belief most states and cities don't have laws requiring public bathrooms for customers!


This wouldn't fly in Minnesota. Pay toilets are banned in public conveyences.

Next month we're flying Frontier, an ultra-low price carrier, for the first time. We'll see how they are. Frontier charges more for a carry-on than for a checked bag, I notice. On the other hand, a $130 ticket Minot-Denver is remarkably inexpensive.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 30, 2014)

Ispolkom said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > Wonder if the "cut squad" @ 60 Mass will try to justify their cuts on the basis of saving fuel???
> ...


Glad to hear the good folks in Minnesota have the sense to prohibit pay toilets in public transportation! Guess that Idaho Senator that was nabbed @ the MSP Airport Men's room was in a freebie! LOL

And my gf got a $240 RT fare on Frontier from Austin to Bozeman to go to Yellowstone! Travel light and travel cheaper seems to be the MO for airlines!


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## railiner (Jun 30, 2014)

Wasn't it the CEO of Ryanair that proposed pay toilets on their airliner's? Not sure if they ever tried it......


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## tp49 (Jun 30, 2014)

railiner said:


> Wasn't it the CEO of Ryanair that proposed pay toilets on their airliner's? Not sure if they ever tried it......


He did, and they didn't. Though I still wouldn't put it past him to attempt at some point in the future.


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## The Davy Crockett (Jul 1, 2014)

So what's next? "Weight Watchers Airlines... We charge you by the pound." ???


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## Trogdor (Jul 1, 2014)

tp49 said:


> railiner said:
> 
> 
> > Wasn't it the CEO of Ryanair that proposed pay toilets on their airliner's? Not sure if they ever tried it......
> ...


He didn't propose it. He mentioned it (along with standing-room-only tickets on planes or something like that), but wasn't serious. One of Michael O'Leary's tactics is to say outrageous stuff just to get attention, even if he has no intention on actually doing it. He also made a somewhat vulgar comment when describing a potential premium service that, again, would never happen, but it kept him (and his airline) in the news.


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## Bob Dylan (Jul 1, 2014)

The Davy Crockett said:


> So what's next? "Weight Watchers Airlines... We charge you by the pound." ???


Southwest started this with the Extra- Large folks muat buy two seats campaign!


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## railiner (Jul 1, 2014)

Trogdor said:


> tp49 said:
> 
> 
> > railiner said:
> ...


He must be in the school of "there's no such thing as bad publicity".......


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## Swadian Hardcore (Jul 2, 2014)

......"as long as it's publicity!"


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