Airlines gouging me for a shot glass of water and soda on a plane.

[Neomet]

I had to recently fly an unnamed major airline and got the experience of the "water and soft drinks are available for $3, please have correct change" announcement after being jammed into a seat out of the back of a Porsche 911. Uh, hello...... I just paid over $600 for this joyride and you now want to insult me with this? Oh, and no, you don't get the full bottle of water, you get the little dixie cup of water. The guys behind me each had two cans of beer. $28! This was in complete contrast to Continental which I flew on recently where the aircraft on all four legs of the trip had seats that were actually large enough for real humans and who did not nickel and dime me after I got on the plane.

I just wish Continental flew more places. I have to fly on the other airline next week. :angry2:

[Flatland Shooter]

My daughter flew from Chicago O'Hare to Oklahoma City this afternoon. An in flight Coke cost her $3.80.

They offered her a $10 sandwich which she passed on. Good thing. For $10 you got one slice of bread, one slice of turkey or ham (the flight attendant's choice) and a dab of mayo.

Bill

[CSEMARTIN]

I'm just happy if my luggage arrives where I'm going.

[North]

I remember thinking that 3.00 was ridiculous for a beer.

Crap I'm going to Tullahoma Tennessee near the end of September. I hope I don't get the $14 beer air line when our good Uncle Sam sets my travel arrangements. After knowing folks that work on Airplanes, I need a little encouragement to fly.

[Jim Norman]

One more reason I am driving to Tulsa!

[ChrisStock]

One more reason I am driving to Tulsa!

If I can't drive , I'm not going

[MarkS_A18138]

One more reason I am driving to Tulsa!

If I can't drive , I'm not going

+++++++1

[Graham Smith]

Don't get me started... When I fly, which is as little as possible, I bring along an empty nalgene water bottle which I fill from whatever tap is available in the airport and some kind of snack (usually nuts and dried fruit). It's not that I'm cheap, it's just that I'm frugal (different things you see).

I neither need nor want bottled water, soda, or alcohol on a plane and I won't pay for them. I'll pay for a large bottle of juice in the airport before I pay for anything on a plane. And thank you so much TSA for keeping me from bringing my juice boxes with me any more. Strip search me and put me thru the xray if you must, I don't care, just give me back my carry-on's.

Ask me, they need to add more legroom, free food and sodas, and just raise the freaking price of the ticket for gawd sake! It's getting to be like daylight savings time; they keep reducing the costs on one end and raising them on the other. You don't save anything, they just nickle and dime you to death. I want to pay a flat rate UP FRONT. And while we are here, how about freeing up some of the better seats in the front of coach - the ones with more legroom that you cannot book unless you are a frequent flyer. I'd pay extra for them and they could get some more money.

One of the best, never implemented suggestions I ever saw came a few years ago. When you booked your ticket, you could also prepay for a meal and a couple drink tickets. Then when they came around with the food and drinks, you were covered. Everyone else could drink the water and eat the kibble they brought with them.

Lastly, I don't mind paying for a checked bag (up front), but before I do, I want them to enforce their own bloody rules about the size and number of carry-on bags. I simply cannot believe what they let people bring onto an airplane. I sat next to one person who had to make two trips to bring in all of his crap. One bag took up and entire luggage bin, and the rest of his crap took up the floor of the empty seat in the middle. And as soon as we were airborne, he set up his own personal office in that empty seat - spent the entire 3 hr flight working and dictating notes into a recorder. No idea what he was going to do if someone had been sitting there.

Aaaahhh... I HATE AIRPLANES!!!

Sorry about that. I feel better now. I think I'll have a little lie down.

[JFlowers]

It does seem very nickle and dime to make you pay for drinks and then sit on the runway for an hour with the engines running, burning huge amounts of fuel. I fly every week and the airline I use started this on Aug 1. Soda is $2 and but you do get the can. But they have signs all over the airport so you can easily pick something up in the airport before you board.

It continuously amazes me the people who go through life in total oblivion. These are the ones who pass three signs and hear two announcements about laptops, shoes, and liquids while standing at security and then get to the actual checkpoint and are completely unprepared. Then they bitch about the fact that I flew through security in seconds and why are "those people" getting special treatment.

[John Dunn]

I recently chose to drive 22 hours one way to Michigan on vacation, with diesel being so high I probably did not save much, if any, money. I chose to do so because the hassle of arriving early, the BS of security, the missed connections, cancelled flights, lost baggage, and pissy flight attendants add up to so much frustration I'd rather set the cruise control, crank up the XM, and feel like a free American.

If I ever have to travel overseas I'll probably fly....but only after checking out passenger ships.

[Hank Ellis]

With a little preplanning you can beat the system.

Each traveler is allowed liquids and gels in 3oz containers that will fit in a quart sized zip-lock bag as carry-on. So fill up a couple bottles with Crown Royal. Get the free ice water when the service cart comes around. Mix your own on the airplane. Since US Air instituted the $2 a bottle for water policy, pick up a bottle of water once past the security checkpoint.

My preferred airline is Continental and they haven't gotten stupid with these kind of charges ... yet.

[HighVelocity]

With a little preplanning you can beat the system.

Each traveler is allowed liquids and gels in 3oz containers that will fit in a quart sized zip-lock bag as carry-on. So fill up a couple bottles with Crown Royal. Get the free ice water when the service cart comes around. Mix your own on the airplane. Since US Air instituted the $2 a bottle for water policy, pick up a bottle of water once past the security checkpoint.

My preferred airline is Continental and they haven't gotten stupid with these kind of charges ... yet.

I like the way you think. Except that consuming alchohol that you bring to a place (airplane cabin) that alchohol is sold for consumption is illegal.

[markm]

Southwest! Fly every week. still love em.

[Michael Carlin]

I remember thinking that 3.00 was ridiculous for a beer.

Crap I'm going to Tullahoma Tennessee near the end of September. I hope I don't get the $14 beer air line when our good Uncle Sam sets my travel arrangements. After knowing folks that work on Airplanes, I need a little encouragement to fly.

North,

If you can use Defense Travel System (DTS) you can select your own travel arrangements. The systems is complex and new user challenging but the vouchers are easy to file and get paid much more rapidly than submitting a DD Form 1351-2 in the old system.

If your service and command is up on DTS, and you travel more than two or three times a year set up your DTS account and go!