每日英語 #046: More Money to Fly

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More Money to Fly

When the price of “gasoline” (fuel) goes up, airlines try to find creative ways to make more money. One of the main ways airlines have used in recent years is to unbundle services that were once included in the price of an airline ticket. “To bundle” is to take several or many things and “to fasten” (tie; fix) them together. For example, behind your desk may be a “bunch of” (many) computer and other “cords” (long piece of material that connects a machine to a power source) that need to be bundled together.

當「汽油」（燃料）價格上漲時，航空公司會想出創意的方法來賺更多錢。近年來，航空公司採用的主要方法之一是將以前包含在機票價格中的服務拆分開來。「捆綁」是指將多個物品「捆在一起」（綁在一起；固定）。例如，在你的書桌後面可能有一「堆」（很多）需要捆綁在一起的電腦和其他「電線」（連接機器到電源的長條材料）。

It’s not surprising that the airlines have decided to “go this route” (follow this plan). The “profit margin” (difference between how much something costs a company and how much they charge a customer for it) for “add-ons” (things added to the original item or service) is about 80%. Between 2009 and 2011, “revenues” or profits on add-ons went up 96% and some airlines get 10% to 30% of their revenues from add-ons “alone” (by itself).

航空公司決定「走這條路」（遵循這個計劃）並不令人驚訝。「附加項目」（添加到原始項目或服務上的東西）的「利潤率」（公司成本和向客戶收費之間的差額）大約是80%。在2009年至2011年間，附加項目的「收入」（利潤）上漲了96%，有些航空公司僅從附加項目就獲得了10%至30%的收入。

Here is a list of just a few things that airlines are unbundling from the price of an airline ticket, as of 2011:

以下是截至2011年，航空公司從機票價格中拆分出的一些服務：

• Exit rows: In the past, if you were a “savvy” (knowledgeable) traveler, you know to arrive early at the airport to get a seat in the exit row, where the emergency doors are located. Those seats “tend to” (typically; usually) have more leg room. Now, you have to pay for an exit row seat and the price is different depending on how desirable the location. 緊急出口排：過去，如果你是一名「精明」（知識淵博）的旅客，你會知道早點到機場以獲得緊急出口排的座位，那裡有應急門。這些座位「通常」（通常；大多）有更多的腿部空間。現在，你必須為緊急出口排座位付費，價格根據位置的受歡迎程度而有所不同。
• Clean pillow and blanket: If you’re worried about “germs” (the very small things that can cause illness), you can pay for a “sanitized” (specially cleaned) pillow and blanket. 乾淨的枕頭和毯子：如果你擔心「細菌」（可能引起疾病的非常小的物質），你可以支付費用以獲得「消毒的」（特別清潔的）枕頭和毯子。
• Meals: If you’re on a longer flight, meals used to be included, but not anymore. Airlines are now offering more options and sometimes better food, but you’ll have to pay. 餐食：如果你搭乘長途航班，過去餐食是包含在內的，但現在不是了。航空公司現在提供更多選擇，有時甚至是更好的食物，但你必須付費。
• Baggage: It used to be that each passenger was allowed one “checked bag” (carried under the airplane, in storage) and one “carry-on” (carried onto the airplane). Now most airlines charge for each checked bag. 行李：過去每位乘客允許攜帶一件「托運行李」（放在飛機底部儲存的行李）和一件「隨身行李」（攜帶上飛機的行李）。現在大多數航空公司對每件托運行李收取費用。

重要單字

• Gasoline /ˈɡæsəliːn/ 汽油
• To bundle /tu ˈbʌndl/ 捆綁
• To fasten /tu ˈfæsən/ 固定
• Bunch of /bʌntʃ ʌv/ 一堆
• Cord /kɔːrd/ 電線
• To go this route /tu ɡoʊ ðɪs raʊt/ 走這條路
• Profit margin /ˈprɑːfɪt ˈmɑːrdʒən/ 利潤率
• Add-on /æd ɒn/ 附加項目
• Revenue /ˈrɛvəˌnjuː/ 收入
• Alone /əˈloʊn/ 單獨
• Savvy /ˈsævi/ 精明的
• Tend to /tɛnd tu/ 通常
• Germ /dʒɜːrm/ 細菌
• Sanitized /ˈsænɪtaɪzd/ 消毒的
• Checked bag /tʃɛkt bæɡ/ 托運行李
• Carry-on /ˈkæri ɒn/ 隨身行李