US Airlines Start Quietly Charging More for Solo Travelers

Newsweek ^ | May 30, 2025 | Jesus Mesa

[FamiliarFace]

Exactly.

[mabarker1]

Or just buy 2 seats and bring a case of Your favorite Liquor and strap it in the seat.

[tflabo]

Herb Kelleher the one time visionary CEO of Southwest Airlines would be rolling in his grave to know the modern bean counter corporate hacks now running things have destroyed the original concepts and fun flying experiences that he fostered back in his day. How many passengers would be ok checking in bags if they weren’t charged the hefty bag fee? A round trip flight paying the bag fee would just about cover the cost of buying a new luggage set. It would also free up the flight attendant’s from having to move overhead luggage around on full flights. On American Airlines can they serve you anything else but cookies and cheap ash pretzels? Customer service gets worse never better with these lunkheads in charge. None of them worthy enough to have licked the heels of Herb Kelleher.

[dfwgator]

Problem is, airlines are basically monopolies in the city you fly out of. At DFW, it’s pretty much American Airlines.

[EVO X]

Good point. Chicago area road construction can be just awful this time of the year...

[dfwgator]

Certainly kept away the riff-raff.

[Honorary Serb]

Phooey!

[EVO X]

Problem is, airlines are basically monopolies in the city you fly out of. At DFW, it’s pretty much American Airlines.

Good point. My local airport has only the regional AA carrier. Peoria mentioned in the article is big enough to have both AA and United as well as free parking..

[Dr. Franklin]

If there is an industry begging for re-regulation, it is the airlines. I'm old enough to remember when flights were comfortable, flights were affordable and not overtaxed, and the airlines made a profit from operations.

There are a limited number of gates in the airports, flight routes are limited, and government employees ensure safety by inspections and managing air traffic. It's very reasonable that the government should regulate the business. Things the government should regulate include the number of seats on a given plane, the spacing between the seats, advertisement of seat class and baggage limits, etc. When different airlines have different baggage allowances, travelers get very unpleasant surprises checking into the flight when the price goes up. That used to be standardized, but has gotten muddled up by the so-called "discount" airlines. There also used to be international agreements about this too, but that is long gone. Some things should be regulated.

[Dr. Franklin]

Hubby is a seasoned air traveler, and he has gotten to the point where he hates traveling for business trips. People have no decorum anymore. They wear pajamas, don’t have earbuds or headphones so everyone nearby has to listen to whatever they’re listening to, try to squeeze an obviously oversized bag into the overhead compartment, etc. He schedules as few trips as he possibly can these days. If a video call can handle the situation, he prefers that anymore. Of course, sometimes it can’t, but that’s when he has to put up with air travel.

I don't think any reasonable person wants to fly economy. I particularly dislike getting whacked in the knees when the person in front of my reclines the seat. Legally, that called battery, but its somehow OK on airlines. I want that fixed. Either the seats shouldn't recline or the person sitting behind should be able to lock the seat.

[FamiliarFace]

They do offer extra legroom for a price. I’m pretty small, and the seats are barely comfortable for me. Forget flying for more than 2 hours. Pure torture for me. I have restless leg syndrome, and it flares up if I’m confined or if I’m over tired. I take medication for it, but it makes me drowsy, which is great for bedtime, and only tolerable when flying. I willingly pay for an aisle seat if they’re available.

[Dr. Franklin]

They do offer extra legroom for a price. I’m pretty small, and the seats are barely comfortable for me. Forget flying for more than 2 hours. Pure torture for me. I have restless leg syndrome, and it flares up if I’m confined or if I’m over tired. I take medication for it, but it makes me drowsy, which is great for bedtime, and only tolerable when flying. I willingly pay for an aisle seat if they’re available.

Yes, but the issue isn't just legroom, but a right to be free from getting whacked in knees. That is legally a battery. No one should need to pay more money to be free from being battered on a plane by the back of the seat.

[JoeRender]

Single people get screwed on everything including taxes.

[FamiliarFace]

I hear you. I don’t have that problem, but I can see that other people do.

[ExSafecracker]

Last time wife and I flew. booked way in advance. Ariz to Atlanta to Fort Meyers. Covid scam was going on so Delta used it as an excuse to change our itinerary to Ariz to Salt Lake to Atlanta.
Little problem was Salt Lake to Atlanta flight left about an hour and a half before we even got there.
I have a few skills and talents, but time travel isn't one of them.
Delta gave us some jive credits on future bookings.
I'm 76 years old and if I ever get on another jetliner, it will be with an escort and handcuffs on.

[alexander_busek]

PAR35: So, you can save a couple of bucks if you buy two seats and make sure no one is sitting next to you. Then if the flight is overbooked, surrender one of them for compensation and come out ahead.

FreedomCalls: It doesn't work that way. The empty seat will be counted as a "no-show" and the seat automatically assigned to one of the ones waiting. You won't have an empty seat to surrender if it's overbooked.

I recall reading about some famous musician who was once appalled at seeing how airline personnel manhandled his precious guitar when stowing it (as baggage), and who thereafter always purchased a ticket for a seat right next to himself in which he would then carefully deposit his guitar. Question: Under your (FreedomCalls's) premise, could the airline - in a pinch - have simply forced him to stow his precious guitar in the overhead compartment so that some overbooked passenger could sit down?

If NOT, then one could simply purchase a ticket for an extra seat as PAR35 suggested, and place a kazoo on it. If the airline then insists that they need the seat for an overbooked passenger - slip your kazoo into your breast-pocket, but demand full compensation for the inconvenience.

Regards,

[PAR35]

I like the way you think.