MOST people agree that the glamour of regular business travel is not what it used to be. Budget airlines and cheap long-haul carriers have initiated a race to the bottom, on service as much as price. Charging for every possible add-on has not just made for opaque pricing but has also added new layers of inconvenience and complexity to flying. Add to this increasingly invasive security and demotivated, underpaid airline staff, who seem keener to sell you a scratchcard than top up your coffee, and it is tempting throw up your arms and wonder where it will all end. Even British Airways is considering charging for food and drink.
But perhaps things are finally beginning to look up. Not only are airlines running out of add-ons to charge for, but low oil prices have taken the pressure off margins, allowing carriers to invest in service again. As BA mulls charging for food, United and American have reintroduced complimentary snacks. Delta has gone one step further by announcing that in-flight entertainment will be made free from July 1st.
