What airlines are doing to make money

They've taken away our pillows, they've taken away our snacks and they're charging us for heavy bags. So what are the airlines doing now to make a buck? <br/><br/>As News on 6 reporter Steve

Wednesday, March 15th 2006, 11:09 am

By: News On 6

They've taken away our pillows, they've taken away our snacks and they're charging us for heavy bags. So what are the airlines doing now to make a buck?

As News on 6 reporter Steve Berg explains, you might want to take this sitting down.

Reserved seating is the latest offer from Northwest Airlines. For an extra $15, they'll guarantee you'll have a reserved aisle or escape row seat, which are a little roomier. Is it worth it? For some the answer is a resounding. Passenger: "No." Steve Berg: "Why not?" Passenger: "Because you can get it for free, you shouldn't have to pay for it." Maybe, maybe not. It's true when you reserve your seats online, you can pick your seat. Passenger: â€œBut if you don't check in early, you're not guaranteed your seat."

It might seem like the airlines are already charging an arm and a leg, but leg room sounds good to some taller travelers. Passenger: â€œwell, it might be a good thing for me, natually, being a tall fella and it seems like the rows get smaller and smaller as the years go by." Passenger: "That's great, I actually like that idea. I love the aisle seats as most people do i think." But would she pay $15. "My parents usually pay for it, so it would be them paying for it, not me."

For some, it's no big deal, until they think about it. Passenger: "I'd take whatever they'd give me, so long as it's not in the middle." Steve Berg: "so you do have preference?" Passenger: "Yeah, I do, I guess I don't like the middle."

Northwest says they'll try the fee for a couple of months to see if it flies with customers. But some passengers are getting tired of the nickel and diming. "Especially after the 9-11 experience, they've been using those things as like a security fee, all that stuff. I just think it's getting a little ridiculous."

The aisle seat reservations are not available on the Northwest flights out of Tulsa, because they fly smaller jets, but if you fly from Tulsa to one of Northwest's larger hubs, you can pick up the aisle seat deal from there.