I may have talked about this in the past, but since it is now going to be the law of the land, I really wanted to touch on this subject again and then I will stop venting, but I know many an event planner that feels the way I do.
US Air will begin charging an extra 5 bucks for people in coach who want to sit in certain seats (aisles, windows, near the front). They say that this charge will help them offset rising fuel costs.
Rather than candy-coat it, raise all of your prices 5 bucks and tell everyone it is to offset fuel costs. Don’t hide it behind some silly surcharge that makes me absolutely nuts when I am buying a ticket and have to go through 10 extra steps just to get an aisle seat.
The same goes for Resort Fees, tell me the cost of the room up front. Say it’s 300 per night, not 200 and then hit me with mandatory resort fees, parking fees, porterage fees, maid fees, watering the plant fees, recycling fees, we need a casino fee, Bob is getting married fees, and internet charges which make the room 300 per night.
I am old hat, so I add 100 bucks to the cost of everything, but I know that this little gimmick has gotten many an inexperienced planner in hot water because they went to the powers that be and insisted that the rooms were only $175.00 a night. Then they get the contract and oooops, back to the drawing board.
Just tell us the cost of doing business. We can handle it.
Originally posted 4/18/08
