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American Morning

Minding Your Business: Buy Three, Get One Free

Aired June 16, 2003 - 09:20   ET

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

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


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, buy three get one free. How about that for a deal? Is that the -- there you are -- is that the cure for airline woes?
Andy Serwer is minding your business, here to talk about this deal.

Good morning, Andy.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Bill.

Yes, this is a new program the airlines are rolling out. I was flying AirTran the other day and the plane was full. This is, you know, one of those newer carriers and everyone's trying all kinds of stuff. United, obviously trying to get people back on their planes. They're the ones who started this.

Yup, there's -- now they're all doing it. I mean this is how they are. They follow suit, they follow each other. They're like lemmings, etc., etc.

But you, yes, you fly three times in three months and you get a free flight. Now, guess what, though? There's fine print. Airlines invented fine print, didn't they? I mean your frequent flier miles, you can fly anywhere you want except where you want, you know? You can't go to the Caribbean in the spring.

HEMMER: No.

SERWER: You can't do that.

HEMMER: That would make too much sense.

SERWER: No. So not all fares count. Well, there you go. First class, business class, your most expensive coach fares, some air partners excluded, probably the ones you wanted.

Blackout dates, gee -- and you still have to pay fees, $45 is what they now call a free ticket. That's a free ticket for the airlines, $45.

HEMMER: Yes, I tell you, you're not very enamored with this idea, are you?

SERWER: No, I'm not. I mean, you know, they're trying to do what they can to get people back on the planes. They've been cutting back capacity. I don't know if you've seen these stories of those airplane graveyards out west in the Mohave Desert where they have all those airplanes stored that aren't being used. But they're getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And, you know, the woes continue for this business.

HEMMER: That's right.

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







Aired June 16, 2003 - 09:20   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, buy three get one free. How about that for a deal? Is that the -- there you are -- is that the cure for airline woes?
Andy Serwer is minding your business, here to talk about this deal.

Good morning, Andy.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Bill.

Yes, this is a new program the airlines are rolling out. I was flying AirTran the other day and the plane was full. This is, you know, one of those newer carriers and everyone's trying all kinds of stuff. United, obviously trying to get people back on their planes. They're the ones who started this.

Yup, there's -- now they're all doing it. I mean this is how they are. They follow suit, they follow each other. They're like lemmings, etc., etc.

But you, yes, you fly three times in three months and you get a free flight. Now, guess what, though? There's fine print. Airlines invented fine print, didn't they? I mean your frequent flier miles, you can fly anywhere you want except where you want, you know? You can't go to the Caribbean in the spring.

HEMMER: No.

SERWER: You can't do that.

HEMMER: That would make too much sense.

SERWER: No. So not all fares count. Well, there you go. First class, business class, your most expensive coach fares, some air partners excluded, probably the ones you wanted.

Blackout dates, gee -- and you still have to pay fees, $45 is what they now call a free ticket. That's a free ticket for the airlines, $45.

HEMMER: Yes, I tell you, you're not very enamored with this idea, are you?

SERWER: No, I'm not. I mean, you know, they're trying to do what they can to get people back on the planes. They've been cutting back capacity. I don't know if you've seen these stories of those airplane graveyards out west in the Mohave Desert where they have all those airplanes stored that aren't being used. But they're getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And, you know, the woes continue for this business.

HEMMER: That's right.

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