Although airlines are unwilling to invest in flight crew comprehensive training in human factors in order to improve safety, and are not willing to apply human factors to operations, there is one area where they have the human factors lesson well applies- passenger's wallets.
Back in 2008, as the price of fuel began to rise and the mismanagement of airline assets began to really show, someone in airline management used the volumes of information on human factors to find a great way to grub a lot of money. The formula involved simply charging a fee for every bag that every slob who was dumb enough to still buy a ticket decided to check. One after another the airlines implemented this little scam and factored that the other airlines would, for the most part, follow suit. They did. The calculation also involved the human factor that once these fees were in place across most of the"legacy carriers" passengers would soon hate the fees, but would also get used to being used in this manner. They did.
A year and a half later, the airlines are no longer facing the steep fuel costs, the pensions of their employees have been erased in the bankruptcy courts, capacity has been slashed and the airlines are raising the checked bag fees. The passengers- in a predictable human factors response- are grumbling, but still pay the higher fees.
In this coming holiday season, my mom will be flying out east here to be with us for Christmas. Northworst Airlines wants to charge her $20, each way, for her one bag. I refuse to pay- instead, I told ma to get a nice cardboard box. She will drive a block two days before her flight and take her box, containing her travel clothing, plus some winter and summer clothing, and she will go to FedEx and, using my FedEx account, ship her stuff by FedEx Ground to my house. When her visit is over we'll store some of her clothing here and what she wants to send back to her home we will FedEx back to her. That process will cost just over $8 each way and will screw Northworst Airlines out of their fee.
Figuring a way around their fees is a human factor too.
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Aviation gone amok
Who and what is this?
This blog is by Wes Oleszewski, cartoonist and author who draws world's only aviation and aero-space editorial cartoon strip, Klyde Morris. In the aviation industry, anybody who is anybody has read Klyde Morris. Thus if you are in this industry and you have never read Klyde Morris, you are a nobody- and you must quickly visit klydemorris.com so that you may finally become a somebody.
Wes has been drawing Klyde Morris since 1978 stopping only to take part in a career as an professional pilot. After 3 different airlines and one corporate operation, he can now state flatly that he has had the privilege of working for 4 of the worst air carriers in the nation. Thus, he went back to cartooning.
Wes has been drawing Klyde Morris since 1978 stopping only to take part in a career as an professional pilot. After 3 different airlines and one corporate operation, he can now state flatly that he has had the privilege of working for 4 of the worst air carriers in the nation. Thus, he went back to cartooning.
He's also the author of more than two dozen books.
Aviation subjects, spaceflight subjects... it's all good!
Sometimes... okay... most of the time, Wes has more to say than can be said in a cartoon and so we have this blog.
Sometimes... okay... most of the time, Wes has more to say than can be said in a cartoon and so we have this blog.
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Terms of use:
1) COPYRIGHT All drawn images found on this web site that have been animated by Wes Oleszewski, or composite images created by that same author as well as text composed by that same author are protected by copyright Wes Oleszewski. No portion of any material presented on this web site may be reproduced for any form of publication without the expressed written permission of the copyright holder. Material that is equipped with a “print” function installed by the management of the web site is expressly intended for the reader’s private viewing only, and this “print” function does not imply or express any release of that printed material from the before stated copyright. Modification of any of the material protected by the above stated copyright is considered a violation of that copyright. The use of any of the material contained within this web site on any other web site or network of computers, other than those specifically contracted by the copyright holder, Wes Oleszewski, is prohibited.
2) SITE MANAGEMENT This web site is a production under the management of Klyde Morris Inc.
3) LINKED SITES Links to other web sites are presented for the convenience of our readers and neither Wes Oleszewski, nor Klyde Morris Inc. are responsible for the content on those sites.
4) CONTENT All content presented upon this web site is presented solely in pursuit of humor and the readers of the material are in no way bound to follow any dictates presented. All characters presented are fictional. None of the activities presented here should ever be attempted by actual persons and neither Klyde Morris Inc. nor Wes Oleszewski are in any way responsible for persons being injured or killed as a result of anything presented upon this web site. Both Klyde Morris Inc. and Wes Oleszewski advise that no one who may be influenced in any way should read any of the content of this web site- ever.
5) WARRANTIES To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, both Wes Oleszewski and Klyde Morris Inc. disclaim all warranties, implied or expressed, including- but not limited to- implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. All material contained in this web site is presented “as is” and without warranties of any sort. This disclaimer includes warranties of function and warranties of non-interrupted service, or service free of errors. Products that are advertised on this site are also not warranted by either Wes Oleszewski or Klyde Morris Inc. but are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. No warranty is given or implied that the contents of this site are free of viruses or other harmful content or elements. Neither Wes Oleszewski nor Klyde Morris Inc. shall be responsible or liable to any person, firm, corporation or organization for any loss, damage, injury, claim or liability of any kind or character based on or resulting from any information contained on this site, or by any service offered though this site.
6) GOVERNING LAW This agreements shall be governed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland, USA without regard to the place or places of its physical execution and performance. Actions of any sort brought against Wes Oleszewski and or Klyde Morris Inc. based on or resulting from these terms of use shall be brought exclusively before the Federal District Court, Southern Maryland or in a state court located in Anne Arundel County. If any term or provision of these terms of use are, for any reason, held invalid, such invalidity shall not effect any other term in the provisions. These terms of use contain the entire understanding between Wes Oleszewski, Klyde Morris Inc. and the users of this web site.
Terms of use:
1) COPYRIGHT All drawn images found on this web site that have been animated by Wes Oleszewski, or composite images created by that same author as well as text composed by that same author are protected by copyright Wes Oleszewski. No portion of any material presented on this web site may be reproduced for any form of publication without the expressed written permission of the copyright holder. Material that is equipped with a “print” function installed by the management of the web site is expressly intended for the reader’s private viewing only, and this “print” function does not imply or express any release of that printed material from the before stated copyright. Modification of any of the material protected by the above stated copyright is considered a violation of that copyright. The use of any of the material contained within this web site on any other web site or network of computers, other than those specifically contracted by the copyright holder, Wes Oleszewski, is prohibited.
2) SITE MANAGEMENT This web site is a production under the management of Klyde Morris Inc.
3) LINKED SITES Links to other web sites are presented for the convenience of our readers and neither Wes Oleszewski, nor Klyde Morris Inc. are responsible for the content on those sites.
4) CONTENT All content presented upon this web site is presented solely in pursuit of humor and the readers of the material are in no way bound to follow any dictates presented. All characters presented are fictional. None of the activities presented here should ever be attempted by actual persons and neither Klyde Morris Inc. nor Wes Oleszewski are in any way responsible for persons being injured or killed as a result of anything presented upon this web site. Both Klyde Morris Inc. and Wes Oleszewski advise that no one who may be influenced in any way should read any of the content of this web site- ever.
5) WARRANTIES To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, both Wes Oleszewski and Klyde Morris Inc. disclaim all warranties, implied or expressed, including- but not limited to- implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. All material contained in this web site is presented “as is” and without warranties of any sort. This disclaimer includes warranties of function and warranties of non-interrupted service, or service free of errors. Products that are advertised on this site are also not warranted by either Wes Oleszewski or Klyde Morris Inc. but are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. No warranty is given or implied that the contents of this site are free of viruses or other harmful content or elements. Neither Wes Oleszewski nor Klyde Morris Inc. shall be responsible or liable to any person, firm, corporation or organization for any loss, damage, injury, claim or liability of any kind or character based on or resulting from any information contained on this site, or by any service offered though this site.
6) GOVERNING LAW This agreements shall be governed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland, USA without regard to the place or places of its physical execution and performance. Actions of any sort brought against Wes Oleszewski and or Klyde Morris Inc. based on or resulting from these terms of use shall be brought exclusively before the Federal District Court, Southern Maryland or in a state court located in Anne Arundel County. If any term or provision of these terms of use are, for any reason, held invalid, such invalidity shall not effect any other term in the provisions. These terms of use contain the entire understanding between Wes Oleszewski, Klyde Morris Inc. and the users of this web site.
Wes,
ReplyDeleteDamn straight, finding ways around the fee is a human factor. When I went to book my Thanksgiving flight, after seeing I couldn't drive the distance, I opened both Expedia, and Southwest.com and ran the numbers, the fares were the same, but Southwest didn't charge for baggage, so it was cheaper overall.
I may poke fun at SWA, but I fly SWA- in fact, both my kids (one age 6 and one age 2.5) both have SWA frequent flyer Rapid Rewards cards. Additionally, my flight down for the Ares I-X launch earned me a free ticket on SWA. Screw bag fees!
ReplyDelete