Flying Today

At a Glance

Who: US Airways
What: Commercial Airline
Where: United States
Phone reservations: 800-428-4322 and

Online reservations: www.usairways.com

Having an emergency that requires making flight reservations on short notice is one of the worst things that can happen to a student on a fixed budget--especially on holiday or major playoff or bowl game weekends. The going price for a flight that normally would cost $300 or less can be as much as $1500 on those days.

I had that experience last week, and it was not a good experience until I Googled "cheap flights to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)" and came across a website that featured US Airways.

Suddenly, there were flights between $516 and $586. Since it said there was only one ticket left at that price, I quickly made the economical choice .

Then the nerves set in.

What was the last plane to crash and what was the name of the airline that landed in the Hudson River? Was US Airways a "good" airline?

I was about to find out.

As instructed, I arrived at the airport two hours early, and made my way through the security checkpoint--twice. That's what happens when you buy beverages on the wrong side of the checkpoint.

Food goes through security checks, beverages do not. And no, you can't stand there in the line and drink it; you have to go through the line again or throw it away.

They said it very nicely.

When I finally arrived at the gate, I realized again that something had changed since the days I thought I wanted to be a stewardess--all flight attendants and ground hostesses are no longer perky 18 to 21-year-old females, with height at least 5-foot-6 and weight less than 120 pounds.

Actually, according to a 2009 Newsweek article on the aging of flight attendants, the days of selection by age and physical characteristics (young, slim, and attractive) are gone.

There was something rather comforting about people caring for your need having smile lines around their mouths and crinkles around their eyes.

But what was up with all of the "fees"? One would think that at $1500 for a seat, luggage could travel for free, and the passenger could have a blanket, a pillow, and a meal or at least a snack.

Well, that was yesterday, and I found myself longing for yesterday.

Today there's the checked bag fee, the curbside-helper fee, the earphone fee, the beverage fee, the snack fee, the meal fee, and a pillow and blanket fee on some flights (although they call some of those "fees" prices rather than fees).

Before Aug. 26, 2009, one carry-on piece of luggage was $15 to $20. After that date prices went up to $20 to $25. In January there was another price increase. (International flights do allow more free luggage than domestic flights.)

There is also a small savings when tickets are purchased online and baggage fees are paid online.

Inflight Cafe offers chef-prepared meals and snacks, if you want to pay the price. Interestingly, the price for most of the food and comfort items in the in-flight catalog was around $7.

Although the airlines hate to admit it, all of these fees are having an affect on the numbers of people who fly. The Travel Insider says it is the number two cause of passenger decline. "All of the nasty fees discourage people." Their research indicates "It is now possible to pay more to an airline to transport your luggage than you pay to travel yourself.

Most of us passengers/customers think it outrageous that it is cheaper to fly a 240-pound passenger, complete with amenities and frequent flier miles, than it is to place 120 pounds of luggage in the hold."

So, here's a piece of advice. If you are taking a short trip, pack a smaller bag to carry on, pay the curbside helper (that's just a nice thing to do), and pack your favorite snack and beverage in the piece of carry-on luggage that will go under the seat in front of you. Because flights are generally chilly, take your own small blanket and take a small pillow if it is a long flight.

Suddenly, I was brought back to the reality of my flight. Forget the price of anything and whether or not I had good service. The pilot's voice was saying there would be turbulence as we entered the airspace near Phoenix. Oh boy. I was already looking out of the cabin windows for birds, praying that the Canada geese were somewhere far from the airport.

Was US Airways the airline that ended in the Hudson River?

I should have Googled that.

Note: US Airways logo from their website (http://content.usairways.com/en-US/Resources/images/layout/hp_header_logo.gif)