http://horse-you-rode-in-on.com/2009/03/17/taxing-for-takeoff/ Random rants and curious explanation. Sat, 19 May 2012 14:37:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 http://horse-you-rode-in-on.com/2009/03/17/taxing-for-takeoff/comment-page-1/#comment-3065 Al Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:59:20 +0000 http://horse-you-rode-in-on.com/?p=305#comment-3065 Before getting a job in Starbucks, that MBA would have to learn what coffee is. He sure didn't find out by drinking the swill they serve on USAirways, which was seriously overpriced even when it was free. Before getting a job in Starbucks, that MBA would have to learn what coffee is. He sure didn’t find out by drinking the swill they serve on USAirways, which was seriously overpriced even when it was free.

]]> http://horse-you-rode-in-on.com/2009/03/17/taxing-for-takeoff/comment-page-1/#comment-3064 Steve Alber Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:08:55 +0000 http://horse-you-rode-in-on.com/?p=305#comment-3064 It's true that airlines have the "extras" market cornered (or, in Boston, cahnahed), except of course for the hapless rubes that run USAir. As you may remember, USAir decided their fortunes would be made or broken by charging passengers for soft drinks and coffee. But as they were on their way to counting their extra millions, a strange thing happened: other airlines, realizing the utter stupidity and public relations catastrophe of charing $2 a shot for hydration refused to follow suit, and USAir was left hung out to dry (no pun intended). Such was the outcry from USAir passengers – by which I mean people saying, "What? Two buck for a $.10 plastic cup of coffee? Go fuck yourselves!" – that USAir was forced to give up charging for drinks, and the 28 year-old MBA whose revenue-generating brainstorm this was is now working at a Starbucks. (Although I understand they won't let him near the cash register.) When last heard from, USAir is now thinking of increasing load factors by discounting tickets for passengers willing to ride outside the cabin. No word yet on FAA approval for the scheme. It’s true that airlines have the “extras” market cornered (or, in Boston, cahnahed), except of course for the hapless rubes that run USAir. As you may remember, USAir decided their fortunes would be made or broken by charging passengers for soft drinks and coffee. But as they were on their way to counting their extra millions, a strange thing happened: other airlines, realizing the utter stupidity and public relations catastrophe of charing $2 a shot for hydration refused to follow suit, and USAir was left hung out to dry (no pun intended). Such was the outcry from USAir passengers – by which I mean people saying, “What? Two buck for a $.10 plastic cup of coffee? Go fuck yourselves!” – that USAir was forced to give up charging for drinks, and the 28 year-old MBA whose revenue-generating brainstorm this was is now working at a Starbucks. (Although I understand they won’t let him near the cash register.) When last heard from, USAir is now thinking of increasing load factors by discounting tickets for passengers willing to ride outside the cabin. No word yet on FAA approval for the scheme.

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