$20 handling fee!?

It's time for E3, and that means it's time for an airplane ticket. After a bit of poking around I finally find something decent, but as it turns out there's no e-ticket option available. Anyone care to guess how much it costs to print out and mail the tickets? Come on, pretend you didn't read the thread title and take a stab at it.

Yep, it costs $20 to print out tickets and mail them. Let's see, that's $0.37 for the stamp, $1 (being kind and giving here) to print out the tickets and the envelope label, and $18.63 for the tip.

Maybe it comes with a tube of KY Jelly?

James

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Originally Posted by James

Maybe it comes with a tube of KY Jelly?

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To ease the pain of how badly you got fucked?

Bingo! :eek:

James

Quote:

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Originally Posted by James

It's time for E3, and that means it's time for an airplane ticket. After a bit of poking around I finally find something decent, but as it turns out there's no e-ticket option available. Anyone care to guess how much it costs to print out and mail the tickets? Come on, pretend you didn't read the thread title and take a stab at it.

Yep, it costs $20 to print out tickets and mail them. Let's see, that's $0.37 for the stamp, $1 (being kind and giving here) to print out the tickets and the envelope label, and $18.63 for the tip.

Maybe it comes with a tube of KY Jelly?

James

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I thought I told ya where to get your ticket from?

Expedia.com, nuff said. (no stupid fees either)

Just look at the extra bullshit they charge you for concert tickets. It's like paying black market prices even though you're buying them legit.

That was Expedia, and it turned out I already had an account there, too. The site itself was free but the handling charge for printing out physical tickets and mailing them was $20. I've done e-ticket before and it's worked fine but for some reason it just wasn't an option with these.

James

Printing is expensive. And they don't just factor in the costs needed. They want to make a profit to stay in business. They factor in the costs of rent, fuel, food, etc. and come up with a business plan that will keep them in business.

There's probably a 30% markup on it.

That is nothing compared to the taxes and fees you pay for airfare these days, especially with all the increased security now.

Exactly. Not to mention that a lot of airlines are in financial trouble right now. It'll be even more expensive to get a good flight when there's not a lot of competition. Travelling through the air is expensive.

Sure is. It's cheaper to go from Venzuela to Madrid that it is from San Juan to Houston. What the hell's up with that? When my wife and I went to Houston to see my dad a few years ago it was almost a grand for each ticket. That's just insane.

My dad did only pay $563 to come to PR last year. I can't wait to see his fare this time around.

People have forgotten the art of walking.

Walking to E3 from the East Coast?! That's not an art.

If one online travel agent won't do an Eticket, you should just keep going until you find one who does. These days, with so many of them, it's likely they all have around the same fares anyway.

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Originally Posted by Rumpy

Just look at the extra bullshit they charge you for concert tickets.

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You mean TicketMaster's "convenience fee". A convenient way of getting more money from you.

I usually get e-tickets by default at nwa.com. When it comes time to check in, I walk up to the counter, and the nwa employee tells me to check in at the stand. I tell them, "Those stands never work for me. I always have to check in here." They never believe me, and instead escort me to a stand, watch me swipe my credit card, and then see the message for themselves that the e-ticket doesn't work. Manual check in required. :rolleyes: I'd rather get the paper ticket every time.

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Originally Posted by RedCoKid

I usually get e-tickets by default at nwa.com. When it comes time to check in, I walk up to the counter, and the nwa employee tells me to check in at the stand. I tell them, "Those stands never work for me. I always have to check in here." They never believe me, and instead escort me to a stand, watch me swipe my credit card, and then see the message for themselves that the e-ticket doesn't work. Manual check in required. :rolleyes: I'd rather get the paper ticket every time.

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OK that's fucking retarded. Those stands are cool and convenient, but no one should be FORCED to used them even with an Eticket... I mean, some people just don't enjoy using those machines. I'm sure it takes the employee more time and effort to escort you there and try it out than just to check you in in the first place.

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Originally Posted by Melf

Sure is. It's cheaper to go from Venzuela to Madrid that it is from San Juan to Houston. What the hell's up with that? When my wife and I went to Houston to see my dad a few years ago it was almost a grand for each ticket. That's just insane.

My dad did only pay $563 to come to PR last year. I can't wait to see his fare this time around.

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More people probably fly from San Juan to Houston then they do from Venzeula to Madrid. Supply and demand.

As it turns out, they ship it UPS. I still think $20 is steeper than necessary, and to a fairly large degree, but UPS shipping does explain a few things.

James