Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Airlines Get Tough

Aired September 06, 2002 - 13:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: If you are planning to fly soon, you may find the rules about money are getting as tight as your seatbelt. For example, several major airlines are charging $100 if you change certain non-refundable tickets. If you are a no-show for your flight and you don't rebook by the time it takes off, guess what, you are out of luck. And airlines are eliminating the one-year grace period for rebooking missed flights.
Joining us now from New York now Pauline Frommer, contributing editor for "Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel."

Good to see you, Pauline.

PAULINE FROMMER, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "ARTHUR FROMMER'S BUDGET TRAVEL": Good to see you.

PHILLIPS: All right. So all of us, we have to fly, but this is getting crazy, and it's going to become expensive. We have been able to depend on pushing the ticket off and flying standby. Maybe we should start with what Delta is doing since we're here in Atlanta and that's the hub.

FROMMER: Sure. Well, Delta has followed all of the other airlines, as they tend to do; they tend to copycat one another. And it has made it -- well, it is not actually a new rule. These things were on the books, but they are not enforced. Now if you miss your flight, you can get on the next flight, but you are going to have to pay a $100 change fee. And the other airlines, the restrictions are much more draconian. For example, at U.S. Airways, if you miss your flight, you lose the entire value of that ticket, and you have to start from square one buying a very expensive last-minute ticket to get on the next plane.

PHILLIPS: Is this is for all tickets, or just a certain type of tickets?

FROMMER: These are for restricted tickets, the way most of us fly, in coach class, with out knees up around our ears. If you are in first class, if you are in business class, if you bought one of those more expensive unrestricted tickets, this will not apply to you.

PHILLIPS: You know what else I've noticed, it's impossible to get an upgrade. Even if they make a mistake, they are just not doing upgrades.

FROMMER: I don't know about that.

PHILLIPS: Unless you got the miles or you're a frequent flyer?

FROMMER: Or a good smiler.

PHILLIPS: No, I have tried that. It doesn't work.

FROMMER: There is a lot of new restrictions. I think one of the most onerous is the charges on oversized bags. If you carry more than two -- if you try to check more than two bags, you are going to be charged $80 for the third bag, and if that third bag weighs more than 70 pounds or is more than 62 inches in height, it will be another $80. That third bag could cost you up to $160, which is going to change the way a lot of people pack for their flights.

PHILLIPS: So why is this happening? Is it because fares at an all-time low or flying is at an all-time low?

FROMMER: Fares are at an all-time low. Flying is down about 10 percent. And fares have not been this cheap in 15 years. That's thanks in a large part to the upstart airlines, such as Southwest and Jet Blue, who are in good financial shape, and who tend to keep their prices low, and they keep the rest of the big boys honest.

But yes, if you don't mess up, if you don't miss your flight, if you don't take too much luggage, you are going to be paying a lot less for this flight than you would have a year and a half ago or two years ago.

PHILLIPS: What about frequent flyer miles? Are we going to start losing those if we don't use them?

FROMMER: I haven't heard anything about that. And in fact, a lot of the upstart airlines, such as Southwest Jet Blue and the like, are starting to offer more frequent flyer miles. I think if frequent flyer miles were to go, there would be an uproar and such a loss of consumer confidence that it would totally backfire.

PHILLIPS: And are paper tickets going to become more expensive?

FROMMER: Paper tickets have become more expensive. Certain airlines are charging $20. Certain airlines are charging $25. You want to pay for ticket only if you are worried your flight will be canceled or if you're flying internationally, and you have to prove that you are going to be leaving the country. Certain countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia will not let you in unless you can prove you are going. So this extra fee will hurt international travelers.

PHILLIPS: Do you think this is going hurt flying even more than airlines and flying has already been affected? Could this get worse because of all these restrictions?

FROMMER: I think it's going to anger a lot of consumers, especially those who had been loyal to America, to Delta, to Continental. Those people may switch to Southwest, Jet Blue, ATA, who are not being so draconian in these measure.

PHILLIPS: All right, Pauline Frommer, "Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel," we appreciate it. Thank you.

FROMMER: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com