Now that the Delta-Northwest deal has closed, the two airlines are now standardizing their operations – and yesterday the airline issued a press release on how fees are becoming standardized.
The first part of the announcement is the best, I think. The fuel surcharge for booking award travel originating in the US and Canada is going away. Yay! Also, the fee for curbside check-in is going away. It was only $3, but I think it’s still nice. The fee for booking tickets (both paid and award) over the phone is being reduced to $20 from $25.
Finally, Delta is going to adopt Northwest’s idea of charging for seat reservations for some of the nicer seats in coach, which will range between $5-$25. Elite members in WorldPerks or SkyMiles will still have free access to nicer seats:
SkyMiles Medallion members, WorldPerks Elite members, SkyTeam Elite members and passengers confirmed in Y or B class may select a “Coach Choice” seat at no additional charge when checking in online or at a kiosk within 24 hours of departure. Coach Choice Seats represent less than 10 percent of all seat assignments available on Delta-operated flights. SkyMiles Medallion and WorldPerks Elite members will continue to enjoy access to preferred seating (i.e. select bulkhead, exit row and forward cabin-seating) without a charge at the time of booking.
Also, the bag fee policy is shifting, and there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that Delta will now charge $15 for the first bag like Northwest. The good news is that the charge for the second bag is coming down to $25. So, if you’re a traveler with two checked bags it will now be $10 cheaper each way. Here’s one tidbit regarding bag fees I found interesting:
“The increase in bags being carried on board Delta aircraft this year tells us that customers are not differentiating Delta as the only major airline not charging for a first checked bag,’” said Steve Gorman, Delta’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.
I have a theory about this – but sadly I cannot prove it. I mentioned awhile back that Southwest said during its media call that many travelers were still not aware of Southwest’s no-fee policy. I think many consumers are just assuming that the industry as a whole is charging for both bags, and aren’t necessarily taking the time to compare fees. Remember, these fees are still a few months young and non-frequent travelers are still adjusting to them.
Note: Fellow BoardingArea blogger Jared Blank also provided his insight on this one.
Your last comment is right on the mark; however freqeunt flyers are aware. Our company has switched to Southwest (yahoo MN gates are coming, finally!), Alaska Air, and some others because of the proliferation of fees. We have gotten rid of our legacy carrier miles as the costs are too high and the programs too complicated to be of use anymore for a small firm. We now typicaly save the cost of an airfare every 3-5 flights — much better than banking the miles on the legacy carriers and less fees = less hassle when traveling often. Fees for seats, fees for extras, fees for baggage (and then they complain that the overhead bins are full — idiots!), higher mileage qualifications, pricing and mileage disadvantages for small- and mid-sized firms, fewer direct flights, and the list goes on — all of this makes travel much less enjoyable, more costly, and more of a hassle. On top of that we’re supposed to feel sorry for them when they make their own troubles and happy for them when they charge us additional fees. The inmates are running the asylum. They should instead be asking, “why would someone ever want to fly this company anymore?” But sadly they’re not.
Dismayed Flyer who recently left Delta and NWA programs
Thanks for the comment! Your case is a perfect example of the negative aspect of fees. I do think that as time passes, more and more travelers will become aware and consider a shift to other airlines.