Virgin America cabin…which space is up for sale next? Photo: Virgin America
If you’re wondering what comes next in the world of airline fees, check this interview with airline execs at the Phoenix International Aviation Symposium.
David Cush, CEO of Virgin America, which so far doesn’t charge for carry-ons thinks that maybe they should. In his view, the wrong kind of luggage is paying the freight, so to speak. “We give the most valuable space in the airplane other than a seat away for free, which is the overhead, but we charge people for the least valuable place in the airplane, the belly.”
The question seems to be: who’ll go ahead and try it. So far only the ultra-low-cost carriers are charging for the overhead, and they’re charging for the belly, too.
So what else is new? The execs aren’t looking at any new kinds of fees at the moment (although that could happen in a blink if fuel prices rise). Instead, they’re looking at ways to squeeze more out of existing fees. Among the possibilities: Having baggage charges vary by flight, just as ticket prices do. And there’s more to be made out of reconfiguring seat selection, too.
MORE here.
