Comments on: Checked luggage now costs 20 bucks on lowest Air Canada fares http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2006/04/28/checked-luggage-now-costs-20-bucks-on-lowest-air-canada-fares/ Living the first class life -- at coach prices Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:22:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Lawrence Teagarden http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2006/04/28/checked-luggage-now-costs-20-bucks-on-lowest-air-canada-fares/#comment-15627 Lawrence Teagarden Sun, 22 Jul 2007 16:33:19 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2006/04/28/checked-luggage-now-costs-20-bucks-on-lowest-air-canada-fares/#comment-15627 This is about mind-control. Years ago I went into a bank and there was a sign that stated, 'Open an account by July and get FREE cashier service!' Of course this was the way the bank was spinning and massaging its campaign to get its customers to accept yet another fee for something which they had gotten for free historically. So its all about deception, manipulating, conning, and all other sorts of behaviors that we ostensibly try to teach our children are - what was that word?? Ah yes - wrong. So businesses are allowed to behave in ways individuals are admonished not to and somehow this is a good thing? This is about mind-control. Years ago I went into a bank and there was a sign that stated, ‘Open an account by July and get FREE cashier service!’ Of course this was the way the bank was spinning and massaging its campaign to get its customers to accept yet another fee for something which they had gotten for free historically. So its all about deception, manipulating, conning, and all other sorts of behaviors that we ostensibly try to teach our children are - what was that word?? Ah yes - wrong. So businesses are allowed to behave in ways individuals are admonished not to and somehow this is a good thing?

]]> By: Better Living Through Miles http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2006/04/28/checked-luggage-now-costs-20-bucks-on-lowest-air-canada-fares/#comment-44 Better Living Through Miles Mon, 01 May 2006 03:25:00 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2006/04/28/checked-luggage-now-costs-20-bucks-on-lowest-air-canada-fares/#comment-44 I'll be honest, I'm not sure how to feel about the checked luggage charge. I can understand the business rationale of "a la carte" pricing for all aspects of the airline experience -- I think SAS's chief has said that a la carte is the goal for the airline. (Heck, for that matter, I can understand the business logic of making planes standing-room-only...) But as a consumer, I just detest any escalation in the race to the bottom. We'll see how customers react. I actually checked fares on Air Canada earlier today for an upcoming trip to Montreal, but Tango fares weren't even available. Only Tango Plus, which "comps" your luggage... So I have yet to see the new policy in action. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how to feel about the checked luggage charge. I can understand the business rationale of “a la carte” pricing for all aspects of the airline experience — I think SAS’s chief has said that a la carte is the goal for the airline. (Heck, for that matter, I can understand the business logic of making planes standing-room-only…) But as a consumer, I just detest any escalation in the race to the bottom.

We’ll see how customers react. I actually checked fares on Air Canada earlier today for an upcoming trip to Montreal, but Tango fares weren’t even available. Only Tango Plus, which “comps” your luggage… So I have yet to see the new policy in action.

]]> By: Chris M. Dickson http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2006/04/28/checked-luggage-now-costs-20-bucks-on-lowest-air-canada-fares/#comment-43 Chris M. Dickson Sun, 30 Apr 2006 02:56:00 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2006/04/28/checked-luggage-now-costs-20-bucks-on-lowest-air-canada-fares/#comment-43 Perhaps I'm being contrarian about it, but I think Air Canada are going absolutely the right way about the "lower costs for no checked baggage" move - one which does make a lot of sense and one which I think we can expect to see more of in years to come. Admittedly it's all about perceptions of pricing, but I much prefer Air Canada's approach to Ryanair's approach of proactively knocking GBP 2.50 off all their prices (er... how can you tell? It's not as if tickets previously priced at zero + taxes are now priced at taxes minus GBP 2.50!) and charging everyone GBP 2.50 per checked bag. Sometimes I wonder whether Ryanair's future will be eliminating baggage-handler-staffed baggage holds altogether and insisting that people with currently-checked-luggage-sized luggage have to buy a seat for their suitcase and strap it in, but not very seriously. The whole "perceptions of pricing" matter is an interesting bit of psychological trickery. This might be apocryphal, but Coke once announced they were considering making vending machines which might rise prices if the ambient temperature was sufficiently high, driving up demand. It is felt that the concept would have been much more popular had they announced they were considering making vending machines which might permit discounts should the temperature be cold enough that business was starting to slacken a little. Perhaps I’m being contrarian about it, but I think Air Canada are going absolutely the right way about the “lower costs for no checked baggage” move - one which does make a lot of sense and one which I think we can expect to see more of in years to come. Admittedly it’s all about perceptions of pricing, but I much prefer Air Canada’s approach to Ryanair’s approach of proactively knocking GBP 2.50 off all their prices (er… how can you tell? It’s not as if tickets previously priced at zero + taxes are now priced at taxes minus GBP 2.50!) and charging everyone GBP 2.50 per checked bag. Sometimes I wonder whether Ryanair’s future will be eliminating baggage-handler-staffed baggage holds altogether and insisting that people with currently-checked-luggage-sized luggage have to buy a seat for their suitcase and strap it in, but not very seriously.

The whole “perceptions of pricing” matter is an interesting bit of psychological trickery. This might be apocryphal, but Coke once announced they were considering making vending machines which might rise prices if the ambient temperature was sufficiently high, driving up demand. It is felt that the concept would have been much more popular had they announced they were considering making vending machines which might permit discounts should the temperature be cold enough that business was starting to slacken a little.

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