Charging money for check on bags now

[eatyualive]

American to charge $15 for first checked bag

No. 1 carrier also plans to cut routes, lay off workers amid high fuel prices


FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines will start charging $15 for the first checked bag, cut domestic flights and lay off possibly thousands of workers as it grapples with record-high fuel prices.Rival Delta has no current plans to match American’s fee for the first checked bag, a spokeswoman said.
American, the nation’s largest carrier, said Wednesday the fee for the first checked bag starts June 15 and that it would raise other fees for services ranging from reservation help to oversized bags. The other fees will mostly range from $5 to $50 per service, the airline said.



Last month American announced it would join other carriers in charging $25 for second bags checked for some passengers, but it wasn’t immediately clear how Wednesday’s announcement would affect that.
Its proposed fee for a first checked bag would exempt people who belong to elite levels of its frequent flyer programs, those who bought full-fare tickets and those traveling overseas.
Delta Air Lines Inc. spokeswoman Betsy Talton said the Atlanta-based airline is considering all of its options in light of $130-a-barrel oil, but has no plans “at this time” to match the $15 fee American announced.


Chairman and Chief Executive Gerard J. Arpey said he expects the new or raised fees will raise several hundred million dollars, but that was the best estimate he would give.
The changes were being made to adapt to “the current reality of slow economic growth and high oil prices,” Arpey said. He said the fees are an effort to get customers to pay for services they want.
Arpey didn’t put a figure on the layoffs, but when asked whether he expected the figure to be in the thousands he said yes.
American plans to cut domestic flight capacity by 11 percent to 12 percent in the fourth quarter. American had previously expected fourth-quarter capacity to fall 4.6 percent from the same period in 2007.
Parent AMR Corp. said reduced flying will lead to an undisclosed number of job cuts at both American and its American Eagle subsidiary.
AMR expects to retire 45 to 50 planes from its fleet, most of them gas-guzzling MD-80 aircraft. Those were the plane grounded for faulty wiring last month.

[dizzydank]

well good to know not to fly with american. united never charges me for shit other than the ticket.

[Lookyhere]

That's a bunch of shit. I understand maybe charging for bags that weigh over 50#. My sister would have 3 150# bags for a week trip if they didn't charge anything. Charging for your first checked bag is ridiculous. If they are trying to make up money for gas prices going up or for whatever reason, just increase each ticket by $15 and don't mention it.

[Lefty]

deleted

[Hippie3]

when you become mod, lefty,
it'll be up to you to decide
what's appropriate.
until then
plz refrain from taking it on yourself
to discourage
or to berate anyone for posting here.

[Lefty]

There is a new agency online that details travel comforts/details such as leg room & accurate schedules that I would find much more useful than who charges what for luggage. I'd pay $50 if they can guarantee no screaming infant sitting behind me, or allow me to smoke hash.
Whatever, I stand behind my last post even if there are consequences.

[Lefty]

okay, but I see no need to shoulder such narrow responsibility. Can I not raise such a question?

[rocketman]

Originally Posted by Lefty

okay, but I see no need to shoulder such narrow responsibility

Lefty, too bad they dont pay for being a prick, you would be loaded.

[CoyoteMesc]

This is ludicrous. I read the other day how some agencies were in question as to why they would fly some routes with no customers on board. Yeah, if no one made or showed up for the flight the planes would still move and land in areas where no passengers would load. When questioned I remember one airline saying that if the planes weren't showing in ever predetermined location they would lose that 'spot' at the given airport.

Now imagine the fuel being wasted because the airlines have got to fly to those airports when its not needed. lol, if they dont want to lose their scheduled spot.

Ill try to find that article.

[Lefty]

They do, and I do quite well

[Lefty]

It's also oh soo social that a mod can stoop to name calling. I thought better of you.

[Hippie3]

take the rest of today off, lefty.

[Doctor D]

Originally Posted by Lookyhere

If they are trying to make up money for gas prices going up or for whatever reason, just increase each ticket by $15 and don't mention it.

Why would that bother you less than a baggage fee? At least this way, people who don't need to bring checked baggage won't have to pay extra to fly... for now.

It's not just American doing this, it's going across the board. American is just following other carriers' examples. A la carte flying appears to be the airline model of the near future.

[dice4717]

I feel like this is a crock of shit, gas goes up tickets go up, people stop flying cause the price, then they do stuff like this to get there money in the end.

[Lookyhere]

Originally Posted by Doctor D

Why would that bother you less than a baggage fee? At least this way, people who don't need to bring checked baggage won't have to pay extra to fly... for now.

It's not just American doing this, it's going across the board. American is just following other carriers' examples. A la carte flying appears to be the airline model of the near future.

It would bother me less because then I wouldn't know about it. Stores mark shit up 50% so that they can put a sign out that says 50% off, and people feel like they're getting a deal. That pisses me off because I know they're doing it. If they just added on an extra $15 per ticket and kept their mouth shut, no one would know, no one would care.

[Hippie3]

see no evil
eh ?
ignorance is bliss.

[Lookyhere]

I guess I just have the attitude that if someones going to fuck me, don't tell me about it just do it and get it over with. If I were in prison it would be a different philosophy.

[Leary's Ghost]

on the other hand, i can shell out a few hundred bucks and be on the other side of the country in a few hours with almost a perfect safety record.

beats the shit out of a covered wagon.

i dont know about you guys, but i am still counting my blessings.

[Oblivion]

Doesnt bother me. They gotta make money too.

[TVCasualty]

The airline industry is way too heavily subsidized to be considered a capitalist enterprise. We're just being bled to death slowly from all the little fees and fee-fees (the fee to pay for processing your payment of the fee) and taxes and double-taxation and triple-taxation ad nauseum. It's happening to our phone bills, water bills, bank accounts, and everywhere else.

Where's my discount for checking no bags at all? Why not just have a scale at the check-in counter and charge according to total gross weight of the passenger and all their crap? That would be the most fair, since a 150 lb passenger with 60 pounds of baggage shouldn't have to pay more than a 300 pound passenger with 40 pounds of baggage IMO.

Because isn't that what this fee thing is all about? How much weight we're carrying is directly connected to fuel consumption and therefore cost, so why not just deal with that issue directly? I think I know why, but it's still ridiculous.

[Doctor D]

Originally Posted by TVCasualty

Why not just have a scale at the check-in counter and charge according to total gross weight of the passenger and all their crap?
...
Because isn't that what this fee thing is all about? How much weight we're carrying is directly connected to fuel consumption and therefore cost, so why not just deal with that issue directly? I think I know why, but it's still ridiculous.

That would be an arguably discriminatory practice. A lawsuit would surely follow. It works for me, though.

[Yale]

Reminds me that my local quiznos started to charge for adding extra vegetables on a sub because of the gas crisis. I just hope it is a global decision else I don't know wtf they need that gas money for.