US Airways will resume offering free beverages on flights starting March 1, the company’s chief executive, W. Douglas Parker, said on Sunday in a memo to employees. Bless him!
In the wake of soaring fuel costs last year, several airlines had started charging passengers to check luggage and book tickets using their frequent-flier miles. But US Airways drew considerable attention and criticism after it began charging $1 for coffee and tea and $2 for bottled water and soft drinks.
“With US Airways being the only large network carrier to charge for drinks, we are at a disadvantage,” Mr. Parker wrote in the memo. “This difference in our service has become a focal point that detracts from all of the outstanding improvements.”
US Airways expects to make $400 million to $500 million in 2009 from charging for checked baggage, premium seats and pillows. Who knew it was that lucrative.
