Ticketmaster on hidden fees: “We get it” — is the travel industry next?
To get an idea where this nonsense with hidden fees is headed, consider what just happened at Ticketmaster.
To get an idea where this nonsense with hidden fees is headed, consider what just happened at Ticketmaster.
Unbeknownst to Janice Sinclair, her sister in Spain is paying British Airways a change fee for the family’s airline tickets at the exact same time she is. It’s a double-billing — sort of. British Airways isn’t offering a refund. But should it?
Earlier this week, Spirit Airlines announced it would begin charging for carry-on luggage. That drew criticism from the Secretary of Transportation, who I interviewed on Wednesday. I wanted to give Ben Baldanza, Spirit’s chief executive, an opportunity to respond — and to explain the rationale behind charging for carry-on bags. Here’s our interview.
Calling it the “next phase” of unbundling, Spirit Airlines a few hours ago announced that it would begin charging passengers for carry-on luggage. Seriously.
Back in January, I noted with amusement that Harrah’s had issued a press release saying it does not “impose mandatory resort fees attached to a room reservation.”
There are certain items for which domestic airlines will probably never charge, like strollers and child safety seats. Cashing in on babies is just seen as tacky by most airline passengers. So when Continental Airlines inadvertently charged Greg Sykes for his child’s car seat, he expected a quick refund.