Please charge me more
That is my request to the travel industry. I don’t, of course, mean that I’m opposed to a deal. I love deals. Deals are my favorite. But nickle and dime-ing? Not my favorite.
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I understand the move toward making travel experiences a la carte. Not only does it allow travelers to cut costs in areas that might not be important to them, it also allows travel companies to advertise lower base costs, making them look more attractive. And I’m sure that if you want to travel with no checked bags and no assigned seat and never eat breakfast or connect to the internet, you’re happy not to pay for those things. But I want all of them, and I hate this trend.
If I go to a hotel, I do not want to wake up only to be faced with the choice of hunting down breakfast in a foreign city or paying something ridiculous like $28 for a piece of toast at the hotel. Even hostels give me free toast, for crying out loud. Tack something on to my room rate, and I’ll never know the difference. For our trip to London, I pretended not to have seen the lower rate which didn’t include breakfast and quickly clicked “book” for the rate which did include it. I just don’t want the hassle that early in the morning.
via Accidental Hedonist
Also, hoteliers of the world. It is 2011. Almost 2012. Give us free internet. Wi-fi would be nice. Don’t make me spend part of my vacation sitting in some business center with a 30 minute time limit. Not only is this just part of keeping up with the times, it also makes good business sense. I cannot tweet or blog about what a wonderful time I’m having on my Cyprus holidays if you’ve cut off my connection to the outside world.
Again, if you really can’t bare to give guests something for nothing, just raise your rates by $5. I won’t blink at the difference between a $150/night room and a $155/night room, but I’m not paying you $5 for internet any more than I’m paying you $5 for tap water. Or how about you take off the charge for a newspaper – instead of making me opt out at check-in – and put that money toward the internet. Where I can read the newspaper of my choice.
via NS Newsflash
Of course, the abuses of the hotel industry pale in comparison to what the airlines are doing. Since I’m spoiled and tend to fly business class on longer flights, I’ve managed to escape the worst so far. But that doesn’t mean I’m immune to the madness.
I do not want to design my own in-flight experience. If I did, I would go work for an airline and/or become the next Sir Richard Branson. When I buy my ticket only to find out it doesn’t actually include anything, I feel gouged as I start adding up the costs. Does it surprise you that I might want to bring more clothes than what I can fit in my purse? Or that I want to sit next to my husband instead of being stuck in the middle of the last row in between strangers?
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I know it shocks you that I actually want to eat airplane food, but after a certain number of hours in the air, even that starts to sound good. What doesn’t sound good is paying $12 for a droopy sandwich. And yet that $12 would have gone unnoticed in whatever exorbitant amount I paid you for my original ticket. Just include it in there, and I will be a happier passenger, less likely to cause trouble for you!
I’m sure there are people out there who like having these costs separated because it allows them to save money. I’m just not one of them. I’d rather pay a bit more upfront than have to get my wallet out every 5 seconds on what I thought was going to be a relaxing vacation. Which is why I’m asking you, travel companies of the world, to please charge me more.
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YES. All of this. I’m always amazed at the nickel-and-dime charges everywhere. I’m with you, I’d rather they raise my room fee in order to get free Wi-Fi, or raise my plane ticket so I can sit with my husband instead of strangers. I have to admit, I was surprised at the title of the entry — “Why does Emily want MORE charges?” But it makes perfect, plausible sense, and I wish more people in the travel industry understood that.
I tricked you with the title, didn’t I? Really though, while I’d love for everything to be cheaper, if that’s not possible then at least charge me in a way that doesn’t make it feel like you’re trying to suck me dry of every last penny.
Amen. Especially about the wifi. I refuse to stay anywhere without free wifi.
In Chile it’s not as big a deal to me since I have a BlackBerry that I can use to access the internet, but when I travel abroad I don’t bring my phone. And I obviously have an addiction to the internet, so I want to go online even on vacation.
So true! I have a post coming up in the new year about travel industry service in general – not good. Unless you get a gem…and they are hard to find. John and I now have a very short list of hotel brand names we will stay with. They’re not on the cheap end because we’ve decided we’d rather pay a little extra to save our aggravation.
Oooh, I’m looking forward to that one!
Especially with social media being so trendy right now for brands, I just don’t understand the logic of not providing your guests with internet. It’s a win-win if you give happy guests access to a way to tell the world about their happiness.
I couldn’t agree more! (Although I never eat plane food the combination of food allergies and a disgust for all things plane food always make me send it back!).
But for the love of Pete, hotels, have free internet.
I imagine your allergies would make it tough. My dad actually got really sick on his flight to Chile last month because they told him something didn’t have garlic when it did. Being sick trapped in an airplane is no fun!
This post was pure genius and I agree wholeheartedly. If you’re charging me $1000 for a flight, I’m just not going to bat an eye if you include an extra $20 in the fare to pay for a breakfast that is only worth $3. All the nickle and diming and after charges really annoys me.
You think airplane breakfast is worth a whole $3?! Haha, I know what you mean though. I’d so much rather just have the cost hidden than have to pay the stewardess.
AMEN SISTA!!! The wifi really kills me. Last week when we were at the beach they were charging…are you ready…$25 a day for wifi. Ahhhhhh! And I had to agree to it, there was no other way around it.
I cannot believe it was that much, that’s insane! I mean, any cost is too much, but $25?! That would be painful.
I. Concur.
I’m sure you must get so sick of it with all of your trips. That’s one upside of not traveling as much as I’d like, at least I don’t run into all this crap quite as often!