Who says there’s no free lunch? Anyone flying economy on a domestic flight, that’s who!
Still, there are still some freebies and bargains for the coach-class crowd, including a few that may be new to you. I've broken it all down for you below.
What Other Countries Warn Their Travelers About the US Everything You Need to Know About 'Cheap Flight Day'American: The airline just announced free movies and TV for coach fliers, which can be viewed on phones or tablets or on seat-back screens (only about a third of the airline’s fleet have such things though more are being added each month). Looks like there are shows for everyone, from episodes of "Game of Thrones" to movies like "Captain America: Civil War."
Delta: This carrier actually jumped on the free-entertainment bandwagon first with an announcement back in June and they too offer #GOT.
United: There are some free entertainment options on certain United aircraft, and darned if they don’t include "Game of Thrones" as well. One difference: United is concerned enough about the exposure of youngsters to on-screen carnage that it has asked travelers to “try to make sure that any children seated near you aren’t able to see scenes with violence or adult theme.”
United and Delta: OK, so they aren’t meals, but you do get a certain "je ne sais quoi" feeling with freebies like United’s stroopwafel (a waffle-shaped confection filled with caramel) and Delta’s buttery Biscoff bites (more than 1.5 billion consumed). I like them both, and others seem to enjoy them. But does anyone turn down free cookies?
Virgin America: You’ll have to pay for your meal on this airline, but you can get it whenever you want, thanks to the airline’s touchscreen Seat-to-Seat Delivery + Chat service. Where does chat come in? As the airline puts it, you can use the screen to “debrief with co-workers in other rows, mingle in a chat room or flirt with someone you saw in the gate area, you know the one.”
Southwest’s big bags: The only U.S. airline that allows passengers to check any bags for free offers the freebie for not one, but two pieces of luggage. You wonder how long this will last, though. The airline gives up a lot of fee-money for this passenger amenity, and besides, people who fly Southwest frequently tell me more and more of its passengers are forsaking the freebies in favor of convenient carry-ons.
Spirit’s tiny bag: It may not hold everything, but it’s free, and Spirit claims you can fit plenty in what it calls a "personal item," as long as the bag is no larger than a backpack or large purse. Caution: If the bag doesn’t fit under the seat, you will have to pay.
TSA PreCheck: Pay $85 and you get through security faster for the next five years, plus your kids 12 and under get the benefit too at no additional cost. I highly recommend this and consider it a real bargain.
Alaska: If your checked bag doesn’t make it to the carousel within 20 minutes of your arrival, the airline will give you a discount code good for $25 off your next Alaska flight (or you can choose 2,500 bonus miles). As far as I can tell, it’s the only airline that makes any kind of gesture like this, and it’s a good one. When was the last time an airline told you, “We’re sorry”?
All airlines: Baggage refunds are coming for late luggage (you know, ‘temporarily misplaced’). The new FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 requires airlines to automatically refund baggage fees if a suitcase arrives 12 hours or more late after a domestic flight or 18 hours late for international.
Delta and Southwest: Both airlines had systemwide computer failures within the past few weeks that rocked their flight schedules and inconvenienced thousands of travelers or trashed their travel plans altogether. What sort of “We’re sorry” perks are they getting? The airlines don’t talk much about this, but it appears it’s the usual vouchers-good-for-future-flights (we’ve heard amounts of $200 tossed around). Some aren’t happy, including the Travelers United organization.
If airlines can’t make their electronic systems work 100 percent of the time, maybe it’s time to add more humans to the mix to bridge the gap when computers come crashing down.
Rick Seaney is the CEO of FareCompare, a website that curates the best deals on flights from around the world. Any opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author.