Say Good Bye to Free Pretzels and Peanutsby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 03 Jun 2008 11:40 PM Can the airline industry really do anything more to shock us? And I don't really need to given US Airways latest announcement. One travel analyst referred to it as the "ultimate cost-cutting move," yet somehow I am not at all surprised that US Airways has decided to eliminate free snacks in coach class on all its domestic flights. The new rule went into effect on Sunday the same day the carrier matched last week's fare hikes by United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The increases are from $10 to $60 per round trip and vary based on the length of the flight. (More on that non-shocker in a bit.) As far the free snacks go US Airways reps say the move to cut the complimentary pretzels was initiated as an attempt to save money in a time of extremely high fuel costs. The good news, according to the airline, passengers on most US Airways flights will still receive free soft drinks. Oh joy. No word on when the airline plans to yank that privilege too. Getting back to the airfare hike. Yes, just in time for the start of the busy summer travel season, the nation's biggest carriers boosted a swath of domestic fares by up to $60 roundtrip, while budget airline AirTran Airways raised its leisure fares by $30 roundtrip. (It is rare for a discount carrier to raise fares that much.) The reason? You guessed it... to offset the skyrocketing cost of fuel. If you are flying United you will pay the biggest increase on routes of 750 miles or more (basically the air distance between New York and Chicago). The increases came just days after American said it would begin charging customers $15 to check a single piece of luggage. Representatives from a number of other carriers, many of which are already charging $25 for a second checked bag, have not ruled out following suit. Related Articles: No Such Thing As A Free Ride... Or Free Pretzels Travel Insanity---Airline Charges for One Checked Bag Airline Luggage Wars--Can It Get Any Worse? More Luggage Restrictions... Are You Ready For This? What To Do When Your Luggage Doesn't Arrive When You Do Last-Minute Gifts for Those Fighting the "Black Bag War" Travel Alert: New Airline Carry-On Restrictions Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags Airfare, airlines, air travel, rising ticket costs, Travel Discuss this article
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