OK, nevermind whatever the on-paper rationale may be from the AA never-fly-coach execs, here's how their new $2 fee for curbside check-in is working in TPA:

Other airlines: several skycaps checking in passengers curbside; lines for ticketing-desk in-terminal check-in of reasonable length. Check in for both groups working smoothly, moving along.

AA: One, lone, unoccupied skycap next to the big sign saying "$2. fee" - no passengers checking in there. Inside, long long line at ticketing desk, winding out into concourse, with lots of annoyed passengers.

Theory: some people will pay for the curbside convenience, and the airline should get the money that's been going to the skycaps. It will be worth annoying those few who don't want to pay the fee or those who have to check-in inside for whatever reason who now have to wait longer because those who could have used curbside no longer can or will.

Reality: Neither skycaps nor airline are getting the money, and EVERYbody's annoyed.

A bone-headed idea, just bone-headed enough that it should be obvious that rescinding would make sense -- but also just bone-headed enough that other airlines might start doing the same dang thing.

I was SO glad not to be flying AA that day.

Its definitely cut down the people curbside at OHare-now the skycaps are like Maytag washer repairmen!

Those skycaps must be covered by the union agreement and nobody can move them to another worksite nor fire them.

Now, where do I apply for this (non)labor position?

It's no longer just AA, unfortunately. I am absolutely sick of this nickle-and-dimeing so that the airlines can publish lower "basic" fares instead of charging what a flight actually costs. Boo!

To heap insult on injury, the airlines actually have the unmitigated audacity to seek government approval to advertise bogus fares!! Talk about your poverty of ethics!

They want to be able to falsely advertise low fares, but then invoke "airline imposed surcharges" to hide the true fares.

Outrageous!!

Sources:
Reported by New York Times, Feb 25 2006
Analysis in Houston Chronicle, March 5, 2006: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...y/3700785.html

I am all for the rock-bottom fares. As I bring my own food and earplugs anyway, why should I pay for it?

What a crap piece in the Houston Chronicle - a paper that I do NOT subscribe even though I live there. They're criticizing the legacy carriers for trying to do the same thing Southwest has been doing for years?

And I don't see they mention the European carriers either, which post $100+ fuel surcharges on their fares.

Give me a break.

Faina, re: skycap's situation, I think you've jumped to some conclusions. The skycap at AA was there for the few AA pax who DID want curbside check-in, but he said there had been very very few. He pointed out that skycaps working other airlines had plenty of work -- which he clearly envied. I don't know whether they rotate duty or why it was his "privilege" to be at the one curbside kiosk without work. But when he isn't checking people in, he isn't getting tips, and he wasn't happy -- why would you want that job? He sure didn't.

Here's some of the rationale. AA (and most other airlines) paid to have curbside service available to 10% of their passengers which was provided by a 3rd party. The $10M, $15M, $20M was spread across our tickets. Remember, we want cheap tickets and who wants to pay for an amenity most of us weren't using.

Curbside service was outsourced several years ago and the 3rd party companies bids for it. The airline thus had no means to manage the staff to match the crowds - however large or small they might be.

Think of it like valet service - if you use it you pay for it rather than bury it ion the cost of the product I'm buying.

Any reason not to think of it as distributed check-in? The model is already there, since not everyone has to check in with a ticketing agent.

My point is that it seems to work well as is for other airlines, regardless of whether they're in Chap. 11 or not -- and it certainly facilitates traffic flow to the gates. The "$10M, $20M, $30M" (f that's the actual cost) spread across our tickets doesn't just benefit the users of curbside, it benefits the others who do not have the option to use it but would like shorter lines at the counters. The curbside fee, which clearly and obviously discourages use of curbside check-in, therefore hurts both groups.