Would you be willing to pay extra for a better meal on an international flight, a ride to the plane in an electric cart or a seat in a child-free area?
These are the questions airlines are pondering as they look for new ways to boost ancillary revenue -- industry-speak for anything beyond the charge for basic fares.
Passengers might not like paying $25 to $30 to check a first bag, but they're going along with it, one reason 50 airlines worldwide reported ancillary revenue of $22.6 billion in 2011, up from $13.5 billion in just two years, according to a new report by Wisconsin-based IdeaWorks and its technology partner, Amadeus.
"Checked baggage has been a huge economic windfall for airlines in the U.S.," says IdeaWorks CEO Jay Sorensen, whose company advises airlines on ways to boost profits and offset rising fuel costs.
So what's next?
Likely new a la carte fees for a combination of "special treatment" and "convenience-adding" features, Sorensen predicts.
Enter Alaska Airlines' $45 day-pass program for its airport boardroom lounges. Also American's "Five Star Service," starting at $125 for a uniformed airline rep to meet you curbside, help with bags and provide hassle-free check-in.
An IdeaWorks and Amadeus report estimates that Southwest, the only major U.S. airline that doesn't charge for checked bags, earned $142 million last year on its EarlyBird service, which provides early boarding for a $10 fee. It took in an additional $96 million from sales of a package called Business Select that includes priority airport screening, early boarding and a welcome cocktail.
