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Cheap air fares: just add surcharges

By Walt Brasch - posted Friday, 8 October 2010


"One checked bag and one carry-on bag."

"Yes, sir, that'll be $160."

Apparently she didn't ace her SAT math test. "You said a checked bag was $50, and a carry-on was $30. That's only $80."

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"I'm just assuming you'd want them to return with you. Most passengers do."

"You mean the $80 is for one-way only?"

"That's what the illegible fine print says. Most people prefer to bring their bags back with them."

"Do most people prefer to take trains?" I asked. She let it pass unnoticed.

"Now, sir, if you'll just step on the scale."

"You mean I should put my bags on the scale," I said.

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"No, sir, I mean you should put you on the scale. It costs more in jet fuel if we have passengers, so we add a weight surcharge." I complied with her request. "That'll be an extra $15," she said.

"For what?!"

"According to our weight charts, you're 15 pounds overweight. We charge a dollar a pound."

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About the Author

Walter Brasch is professor of journalism at Bloomsburg University. He is an award-winning syndicated columnist, and author of 16 books. Dr. Brasch's current books are Unacceptable: The Federal Government’s Response to Hurricane Katrina; Sex and the Single Beer Can: Probing the Media and American Culture; and Sinking the Ship of State: The Presidency of George W. Bush (Nov. 2007) You may contact him at brasch@bloomu.edu.

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