Airlines and 9/11 Security Fee
 

I just heard a radio ad for Delta announcing cheap fares to somewhere in the States. In the fine print (or, "lower, quicker voice"), I heard that there's an up-to $10.00 Sept 11 security fee. I knew that the airlines had started this after Sept 11, but I got to thinkin':<BR>1) Who's collecting this additional money and who is overseeing it (hopefully, NOT Arthur Anderson). I mean, is some, or all, of the money going into the airlines' pockets? Who collects it from the airlines? Who actually spends the money?,<BR>2) How is the money being spent (sure I know the obvious: new screening machines, hiring more people, etc)? But, I guess, my real question about this is, once again, who is overseeing the spending? The government? The same government who can't buy a toilet for less than $40,000?,<BR>3) And just how much money has been collected? and with that thought-<BR>4) When, and if, are they going to quit charging us this fee? Yes, I want security too, but at some point we will have bought every X-Ray screen machine there is to buy. Is this going to be like toll-roads, where the politicians assure us that they will collect tolls ONLY until the road/bridge/whatever pays for itself but keep collecting the tolls well after the road/bridge/whatever has paid for itself? <BR>I mean,c'mon, who is accountable for this money??!?? Is anyone asking about it? Think about it -- how many people have flown since Sept 11. Multiply that number by - let's say- $5.00 (probably on the lowside, but I want to be fair). Wait a minute - my calculator can't count that high. The amount of money collected has to be staggering. Yes, I want security (of course, I also want security that's more than window-dressing, but that's another rant). But this is ridiculous. Don't you think???

Was the Arthur Andersen jab really necessary to put in this question?

dave: yes.

Dave, I wasn't picking on any individual who may have had the misfortune to have worked, or still work, at Arthur Anderson. But, yes, I think the COMPANY is worthy of a jab. When you - the company - put yourself out to the public as being PROFESSIONAL and then you act unprofessionaly (gee, I think shredding incriminating documents to be UNPROFESSIONAL) makes you fair game.

Was this whole posting necessary?

It's travel related and just a wee bit more topical (if not as funny) as the Mullet post.<BR>I guess you're not as inquiring as your name suggests, Inquiring Minds. Or don't you mind just giving your money away?

My wife works at Andersen out of the NYC office. Has she ever been to Houston? No. Has she ever worked on the Enron job? No. Did she know anyone on the Enron job? No. Did she even know Enron was a client before this? No. Is she going to lose her job? Most likely. <BR><BR>Don't hold a whole corporation of 28,000 people guilty when it is a couple of individuals who are at fault. <BR><BR>This is my little rant, and since its not travel related, it will be my last post on the subject.

Dave, I am sorry for your wife's situation. I was picking on the company. Once again, accept my apology and I wish her, and you, well.

The airline industry has been adding "fees" for years. We pay a airport fee that goes to farm subsidies. I would rather the money go to security.