AMR Corporation (NYSE: AMR), better known as American Airlines, recently announced that it will begin to "test new food for sale options," including $3 CLIF Bars, $3 Vitamin Waters, and a $5 turkey sandwich.The Consumerist points out that, for those of you who have been living under rocks, that's a little expensive: "No offense, but according to internet grocer FreshDirect, we can have a Chocolate Brownie Energy CLIF Bar thing delivered to our house right now for $1.50. Just saying." and goes on to say that "Yes, perhaps we are cheap, but if we're going to pay $10 for cheese it won't be because we were extorted on an airplane."
Should consumers be upset about this? Absolutely not! We should be happy. If you think it's a rip-off, don't buy it! I sure as hell won't, and I doubt that the quality of my travel experience will be affected.
And for the morons who do shell out $3 for Vitamin Water: Your contributions to American Airlines' coffers are helping make airfare cheaper for the rest of us. The more dumb, overpriced crap that airlines can sell, the cheaper airfare will be. Perhaps they should try hawking shares of Overstock.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSTK).











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
10-30-2007 @ 9:37PM
p12 said...
Ever been to a ballgame ? Complain about those prices !! Little people are people 2 !!!
10-30-2007 @ 9:01PM
sku said...
I paid $3 for a large cookie on a recent American Airline flight. The plane left early in the AM and I had nothing to eat because I was almost late. It killed me to pay that amount for a cookie, for god's sake, but it was good, I must admit.
10-31-2007 @ 10:59AM
Jackie said...
I find Vitamin Water to be overpriced as it is, not to mention full of sugar- that's the last thing I'd want on a plane anyways. Definitely won't be something I'll be tempted to buy.
10-31-2007 @ 4:05PM
MNT said...
The prices for food on airlines is justified..but why? For one the airlines are not a restaurant in the sky; so you pay for extra weight required for food carried and being available. Period!
p12 spoke of the ballpark being pricey, not to mention almost all sporting events to say the least. But hey in flight it comes with a view and the convience is worth the time and money required. Everybody needs to make a profit. If your looking for no frills try the new Skybus airline( What a Joke!)
Also no one is forcing you to buy anything but the ticket...
To sum it up "it sure beats driving and stoping along the way"
MNT
11-03-2007 @ 6:11AM
g.l. said...
Those ridiculous prices are not reflective of what those items cost them to bring them to fliers,they're reflective of plain ol' GREED.
11-03-2007 @ 6:14AM
knickabob said...
buying overpriced garbage on an airplane will NOT make ticket prices go down. why should they drop the price? you bought the ticket, didn't you? that's just another way to make money... and people wonder why these airlines go bankrupt/bought out... maybe retarded ideas like this. give me stale peanuts in a pouch that takes a chainsaw to open (which you can't take on a plane anymore... what a shame).
11-03-2007 @ 6:47AM
Marie said...
I always pack my own! An energy bar - or some veggies in a plastic bag - I have to carry insulin becaue of being a diabetic - and the insulin has to be cold (refrigerated) so I use a cold pack - it keeps my veggies cold too. Having to buy water after going through "the gate" puts a dent in my pocket - because you can't bring it with you. Let them keep their "snacks" - I only fly once a year and fortunately it's only for 3/4 hours.
11-03-2007 @ 7:04AM
KMF said...
Just like one commenter said, I pack my own snacks. I'm a vegan and so I need to know what's in the snacks I'm eating.
11-03-2007 @ 7:15AM
Angela said...
Of course it's expensive. That's the whole idea. The airline doesn't want people to buy them. It is a last ditch effort to suspend all inflight snacks which must be served by those damned commando flight attendants. But they can't just own up and say, "Yes, the tickets are overpriced, the plane is old and just barely passed inspection... again, the flight attendants are armed and dangerous, in order to give you the best deal on a ticket you must share seating with the goats and the pigs, and there will no longer be any snacks served during the flight." This could be called poor customer service. Instead, they offer an over-priced snack to discourage passengers from asking for them.
11-03-2007 @ 7:23AM
mysticmantra said...
There is no way in hell an airline is going to implement policy that costs the consumer more money - to turn around and pass said money back to the consumer via lower ticket costs? HA! This is likely to be a decent amount of income made for the airline by offering food at a massive mark up to bored, hungry passengers. It sucks, but echo the sentiment that if people are dumb enough to shell out this much for what is basically flavored water? Whatever. Their loss, not mine. What I'm finding that is so completely lame I can't even believe it, is when the person sitting next to me (I normally travel alone) has the absolute lack of shame to ask ME to share the food that I brought along! It's never any big deal, a small back of chex mix & another of trail mix. Damn, though. I feel bad when I need someone to move so I can get out to the aisle, so asking for their food is just beyond my grasp. Completely tacky.
11-03-2007 @ 7:24AM
dapper dan said...
One way airlines could save some money, is get rid of the stewardess. They aren't needed many more. The don't have to serve food so what good are they anyhow....let the engineer or co-pilot make sure things are ready before they takeoff. If you can sit in a car for 3 hours without stopping you can be sure you can do the same thing in a airplane.
11-03-2007 @ 7:26AM
Captain said...
WE DON'T FLY TO DINE. IF YOU NEED NOURISHMENT TAKE IT WITH YOU....
TIMES HAVE CHANGED. LOOK AT THE DRESS CODE OF THE PASSENGERS......
BUT IT'S STILL THE CHEAPEST AND SAFEST .TRAVEL MODE
11-03-2007 @ 7:27AM
Richrr said...
Can't belive you are whining about $2 or $3. Don't buy it.
11-03-2007 @ 7:28AM
DAN said...
I WOULD BRING MY OWN FOOD - SCREW THEM ASSHOLES IN THE T.S.A. IF THEY WANT TO CONFISCATE IT I WILL EAT IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM TOO
11-03-2007 @ 7:35AM
pati said...
Thanks to the terroists, you **** ****** I dont fly anymore, for I cant get that horrible day out of my head. Plus all the rules at the airports. Thanks alot, ******** idiots. Dont fly, the prices will go down. Scares me to death, look at some of those people, foreigners sittin next to ya. and Im being nice here. I still fly in my car. Watch out!!!
11-03-2007 @ 7:40AM
John F.C. Taylor said...
If circumstances are such that you arrive barely in time to board the plane, the airlines got you. The thing is, you won't starve or die of dehydration. If you can't do without for the length of time of most domestic flights, you have self control issues. I usually try to arrive early enough to get something from one of the many concourse shops. As there's usually a stop over somewhere to switch flights, there's always an opportun ity to grab something then too.
11-03-2007 @ 7:42AM
pati said...
i dont fly now, thanks terrorists
11-03-2007 @ 7:55AM
SUE said...
It's not that outrageous when you look at the prices you pay at the airport for food and drink.
11-03-2007 @ 7:58AM
Wigster said...
To Marie, who, at the airport, doesn't buy water after going through "the gate," because its too expensive. Put an EMPTY water bottle in your carry on, then fill it from a water fountain once inside the "gate." Problem solved!!!!!
11-03-2007 @ 7:59AM
SUE said...
It's not that outrageous when you look at the prices they charge at the aiports for food and drink.