This is not about the airlines' habitual financial rape of those who fly with way-over-the-top ticket-prices - particularly now that fuel-costs are very low. And ticket-prices not adjusted downward accordingly. (But - bet on it! - promptly to be adjusted upward when fuel-prices rise again, even if those prices then are just raised to levels prior to the current dip. When current ticket-prices were locked-in.)
An uncontested win-win for colluding airlines!
It also is not about the recent bizarre additional charge for passengers' bags: with no reasonable reason given by carriers. How could there possibly be - historically one would check bags or carry-on whatever when reasonable. Part of the deal. No charge.
It's about this:
I pay 25 dollars to Air Canada in Castlegar - never my airline of choice, but that's another story - for one bag.
Plus tax added-on to these 25 bucks!
The arbitrary charge of 25 dollars is bad enough - motivation for it simply and solely coming from corporate greed and because-we-can: I am getting absolutely nothing in return. So these 25 bucks are pure profit! And while this cash-grab rightly should be taxed: tax on it - insult to injury - is forced on me as well. Not built-in but brazenly in addition to!
Meaning: airlines are paying no taxes on this surely tremendous new source of profit! While this is morally reprehensible - you can't take morals to the bank!
Now - we are used to being taxed on just about any product/service, but - to my knowledge - never before have we had to pay for and been taxed on nothing - literally. Much something for nothing!
While introduction of this scheme was in the news for just a bit - interestingly not with the tax-angle! - Harper's regulatory agencies obviously sanctioned it!
The job of the media is not to protect the powerful from embarrassment.
Simon Jenkins
Journalist/Author
Acceptance of this corporate used-and-abused charge has quickly got to the point where - another profit-scheme! - clothing-manufacturers now are coming-up with jackets in which passengers can carry-on their stuff - to avoid being charged for it.
Instead of flyers being vocal about/against this bag-charge and directly paying the airlines' taxes on this scam!
But no! Nothing!
So talk to your MLA already!
And vote!
A few days later - when checking-in with Air China in Vancouver - I still am 2 pounds over their limit for carry-ons. With the airline's rep suggesting I do some quick redistributing of stuff from the bag in question to my smaller back-pack. To avoid being charged. I do and am approved.
With a smile! Free of charge!
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