Airlines can charge for preferred seats
IN a move that would raise the cost of air travel, the government today said it has allowed airlines to charge passengers for preferred seats on a flight, check-in baggage and meals, among other things.
"Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has decided to permit scheduled airlines to unbundle certain services and to charge fees for these services separately," an official release said.
The services for which the airlines would be free to charge passengers include preferential seating, meals, snacks, drinks (barring drinking water), check-in baggage, use of airline lounges, carriage of sports equipment and musical instruments and valuable baggage which have higher carrier liability.
The practice was launched in 2008 by some US carriers which were facing financial crunch. Their decision to charge for even the first checked baggage had then received flak from air travellers, but the practice still continues with the airlines generating revenue worth millions of dollars.
DDT overheard that the Service Tax authorities were mighty impressed with this Union Government largesse to private scheduled airlines.