Airlines leaning on pet owners

Every year, I look forward to heading to Massachusetts to spend Christmas week with my parents, siblings and nieces and nephews. The kids are always happy to see me but are elated to see Sadie Mae, my miniature-schnauzer mix. They —- and I —- are crazy about that dog.

Since adopting Sadie Mae in 2004, I have watched the fee to fly her in-cabin with me climb steadily. But this year, I was shocked to learn that the fee for carrying my dog on board the airplane and placing her beneath the seat in front of me would actually be more expensive than my own fare.

That’s right, it now costs more to put my dog in my own foot space than to buy myself a coach seat. And didn’t I already pay for that foot space when I bought my ticket? For a round-trip ticket from Atlanta to Boston, my fare was $272 while the fee to bring Sadie Mae on board was $300. For that price, shouldn’t she get her own seat and maybe a chew toy?

I contacted Delta’s customer service department to try to ascertain how the company rationalized this ridiculousness. Here is the answer I received:

Due to the rapidly changing competitive and economic environment, Delta has changed various fees and charges. These changes will make our fee structure more in-line with other airlines and also address our increasing cost pressures. These fee changes are all in accordance with general industry practices.

Translation? All the other airlines are gouging pet owners so we can, too.

I know times are tough for airlines. But, as I pointed out to Delta, to try to raise revenues by unduly burdening one segment of customers is simply unfair.

Rather than charge me $300 for the “convenience” of keeping my small, quiet dog in a bag in my foot space, why not simply charge every passenger an additional 38 cents? At 400 passengers per plane, that would generate an additional $152 in revenue —- $2 more per flight than they are getting by gouging me.

For those of you who scoff and say that I’m crazy to raise such a fuss —- dog-haters, I’m sure —- you need to ask yourself one question: Who will be next?

Perhaps those of you who bring a laptop on board will soon be charged a “technology accommodation” fee. Those of you with a little extra girth should be on the lookout for a “seatbelt extension fee.” And lefties, can an “irregular handedness charge” be far behind?

So Delta, please stop the madness. Someone’s got to be a voice for sanity in airline fees. Why not you?

> Christy Lynn Wilson is a public relations strategist and writer from Lawrenceville.