cafeteria pricing
n.— «However, there is a catch: a policy Diffenderffer refers to as “cafeteria” pricing. Skybus charges $5 for each checked piece of luggage. Like Southwest, flights are open seating, but you can pay $10 for the privilege of boarding the plane first. Food and beverages may be purchased on board, including soda and snacks. Outside food is forbidden—seriously! And nothing is free: You can purchase a blanket and pillow (and carry them home after the flight if you so desire). The airline also offers flight status messages via email, cellphone, or pager for an additional charge. By the time you add taxes and all those extras, your $10 ticket might cost $80, but Diffenderffer boasts that price is still less than another airline’s $180 fare, and you’re not paying for someone else’s sandwich and soda.» —“Skybus takes flight with low fares—and a slew of fees” by David Grossman USA Today May 21, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A listener named Tami contacted the show by WhatsApp to say that whenever someone would be talking about a subject that nobody else knew anything about, her father-in-law would respond with I had one of those, but the wheels came off. This is part...