Today, over at usairways.com, I learned that now I could save money on checked baggaged fees by paying online. Checked bag fee change - lower fee online, the website announces in its News column. But when I clicked through, I discovered that this was actually a way of telling us that checked bag fees are going up! The page announcing the change in policy explains:
Save time and money when you check in online.
Beginning July 9, 2009, you'll be able to pay for checked bags when you check in online – $15 for your first checked bag and $25 for your second. For customers who choose to pay for checked bags at the airport, there will be an additional $5 service fee, so save a few when you check in online!
I recently flew back from San Antonio on a United flight. As I waited forever for the one coach bathroom to free up, it occurred to me, didn't there used to be two bathrooms on planes this size? Then I realized United had removed a bathroom to add an extra back row. evil, evil people.
Posted by: Steve Freedman | June 03, 2009 at 04:39 PM
i'm not sure who advises the airlines that decided to charge fees for incidentals, but they must be idiots. surely someone in the room suggested that customers would be more pissed off by these nickel and dime charges than by a simple increase in the cost of flights! passengers might be a bit upset by the higher cost when booking the flight, but the alternative repeatedly pummels the passenger throughout the trip--pulling out the credit card to pay for baggage at check-in, cash for the headphones, blankets, pillows, sandwiches, etc., etc. the repeated small charges make the airlines seem cheap and pathetic! i've become a fan of southwest!
Posted by: title26prof | June 04, 2009 at 07:55 PM
Charging a customer a baggage fee has to be the most idiotic idea i have heard. Now to make matters worse, Airlines are now enforcing a strict policy that all baggage needs to conform to their specified dimensions. What pisses me off so much is that the little bin that is suppose to tell you this is a standard size, when all the specifications for baggage for the various airlines is different. This brings about an unnecessary argument when the security guys who is just doing what he is told stops you and does not allow you to board with your carry on that has accompanied you during so many trips before. So it is a conspiracy to drive up the baggage revenue. I no longer with Fly US Scareways anymore, Airtran and Southwest are by far more accommodating in this way. I will connect through a city if Southwest does not fly direct before I ever board a non stop flight on US Scareways. I travel for business an probably spend upwards of 25K in airline travel a year. I guess we can move that over to Southwest revenue line as they seem to have it figured out. Screw the rest of you idiots for another bad decision to make up for ongoing bad decisions that got you starving for revenue to begin with. Morons!!!!!
Posted by: JC | December 14, 2009 at 04:02 PM
Well its not all talk any more it's reality all the airline are doing it.
Posted by: rita | April 26, 2010 at 12:20 AM