Air Shuttles from NY to Boston and Washington add perks

The New York Times wrote yesterday about the air shuttles that have traditionally run on the hour (or half hour, depending on the airline) from New York to Boston and Washington.

The two carries that run the air shuttles, US Airways and Delta, have both decided to start offering certain perks to justify the high ticket price and to bring customers back from the trains that travelers have recently defected to:

US Airways now offers a first-class compartment, a change partly born of necessity, since the airline wanted the flexibility to move aircraft between the shuttle and its mainline operation. On the day of departure the airline allows fliers to upgrade from coach for $50.

US Airways also allows fliers to reserve seats in advance, while Delta has an open-seating policy in its cabins. Both offer free wine, beer, coffee and snacks, more generous legroom and dispense free newspapers and magazines in their boarding lounges.

Any which way you slice it, the travel industry has been hurting in various places ever since 2001. Business travel has traditionally remained strong, which may explain why they’re betting that high prices and perks is a better choice than cutting options and ticket costs.