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Thursday, May 23, 2013
Serving the communities of Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties, New York
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Impatient fliers

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Many travelers hate sitting on the plane at their destination waiting to disembark.

Sometimes getting off the plane seems interminable. If there is a connecting flight to make, the tension increases.

That is why airlines may be considering charging a fee to let some passengers get off the plane faster.

A survey found that 16 percent of respondents would pay from $10 to $20 for the privilege of disembarking soon after their plane lands.

Many fliers pay airlines as much as $39 to board early. Why would they not pay for a quick exit as well, the reasoning goes.

The survey by Airfarewatchdog.com may be on to something.

The airlines are making profits getting people to pay for services that once were part of the airfare. During the first quarter of this year, American carriers raked in $816 million in baggage fees and $631 million in fees for changes to reservations.

“I think it means the difference between profitability and financial disaster for some airlines,” said George Hobica of Airfarewatchdog.com.

Airlines keep finding ways of charging new fees. But they have done a better job of getting people to their destinations on time — 84.5 percent in the first four months of this year, according to USA Today.

Yet even when the plane arrives on schedule, there is often little time to spare to make a connecting flight.

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