AIRLINE: Northwest, and many of the others, must also be saving on weight. The magazines together, might add up to the weight of a small child, but the elimination of some food, might have some savings, too. Has any of the airlines calculated what that savings is? Mike Burris Cambridge, Mass --- lafrance@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote: > Northwest To Stop Supplying Magazines To Save > $565,000 > > > > Wednesday June 1, 11:11 AM EDT > > > MINNEAPOLIS (AP)--In yet another effort to cut its > non-labor costs, Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWAC) > stopped carrying Newsweek, Glamour and other > magazines on its planes and in its passenger club > lounges on Wednesday. > > Cutting magazine subscriptions out of the budget > will save the airline $565, 000 in the coming year, > said Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch. > > World Traveler, Northwest's monthly in-house > magazine, will still be available. > > "Give me a break," said Troy Feldpausch of New > Boston, Mich., who often travels on Northwest as a > software training consultant. "This is unbelievable > ( and) ridiculous. I guess I'll just bring my own > magazines." > > Northwest, the nation's fourth-largest airline, lost > $458 million in the last quarter alone and has been > struggling with high fuel costs and tough labor > negotiations. > > > > Last week, Northwest said that on June 9 it will > drop free pretzels on all domestic flights. > > Terry Trippler, a Minneapolis-based travel analyst, > said Northwest might be making a public relations > blunder. > > "There is absolutely a point where you can take too > much away from the customers," Trippler said. > > Northwest is also proposing $2-per-bag fee for > skycap service. About 15% of Northwest passengers > use the skycap baggage-check service where it is > available. The skycap service handles about four > million bags a year. > > UAL Corp.'s (UALAQ) United Airlines has had success > with its recent fee for skycap baggage checks in > Seattle, so Northwest is running a trial fee in that > city this month to see how passengers react. > > Northwest will also try to assess its possible > savings and the impact the fee has on baggage checks > at self-service terminals and ticket counters. > > Historically, skycap baggage checks have been free, > but it's customary to tip the baggage handlers. > > "I don't think it will work," said Bobby De Pace, > president of District 143 of the International > Association of Machinists, which represents most > Northwest ground workers. "People won't pay." > > If it does work, he said, it would cost skycaps > their tips. > > AMR Corp.'s (AMR) American Airlines, which ditched > all but in-house magazines in the fall of 2001, also > has been experimenting in Seattle with charging $2 > per bag for curbside bag checks. > > > Roger > EWROPS >