Airline 2nd Bag Charge

[vfb2girls]

It might just seem that 25 dollars is no big deal but for those of us who live in areas of the United States that do not have a lot of airline competiton our airfare alone is staggering. So now not only are we expecting to pay around 600.00 per ticket for our next flight to Florida but with the addition of an extra 25 dollars just makes me kind of upset.

[rwilymz]

Don't blame you, girls. Nickle-diming is a hallowed American business practice, but it gets under your skin. In your wallet. Whatever.

 

 

My wife makes our plane reservations, and the last she heard from SWA is that still only charge if your bag > 50#. She hasn't heard anything new.

[GoinCruisin]

Don't blame you, girls. Nickle-diming is a hallowed American business practice, but it gets under your skin. In your wallet. Whatever.

 

 

My wife makes our plane reservations, and the last she heard from SWA is that still only charge if your bag > 50#. She hasn't heard anything new.

 

Here is the new policy...

 

http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/baggage.html

 

Baggage Allowance: Beginning January 29, 2008, Southwest will allow two (2) checked pieces of baggage per ticketed Customer. Size and weight limitations apply.

 

Excess Baggage: Effective January 29, 2008, you may check a third bag for a charge of $25. Your 4th through 9th bag or item will incur a charge of $50 per piece, and any bag or item thereafter will be $110 per piece.

[CruzVinnieCruz]

Here is the new policy...

 

http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/baggage.html

 

Baggage Allowance: Beginning January 29, 2008, Southwest will allow two (2) checked pieces of baggage per ticketed Customer. Size and weight limitations apply.

 

Excess Baggage: Effective January 29, 2008, you may check a third bag for a charge of $25. Your 4th through 9th bag or item will incur a charge of $50 per piece, and any bag or item thereafter will be $110 per piece.

 

SW also gets a little cranky on the size of the bag. My DW has a large bag that she travels with and the SW agent actually measured the dimensions with a tape. I did not realize that the HxWxL has to be less than something like 62 inches total (I think thats correct). She made it by less than an inch.

[cruzdawg69]

Just another reason that if I can't get in my car and drive to the port, I'm NOT cruising !!!!!

[chasetf]

Most of the "major carriers" in the US are in deep financial doodoo. A large part of the reason is because they are inherently inefficient in their business processes and have been getting undercut by the more efficient carriers [like Southwest] for years ... and United, American, et al have been compounding their idiot financial problems by locking up as much of the hangar space and terminal gates at major airports so that the efficient young upstarts can't get them.

 

Rather than becoming efficient, they throw good money after bad.

As we all know, all airlines are suffering from the cost of oil. Those young upstarts have an advantage over the established airlines due mainly to the fact their employee age average is much younger.

 

This means their wages are less and they do not have the large retirement plan obligations the older airlines have. The retirement expenses were one of the major things weighting down United in bankruptcy. Unfortunately... it was a place United could cut... whereas oil prices wasn't.

[ParrotRob]

I read this after I posted. But the question remains, if this becomes the rule across the board, how will it effect your next cruise.

 

It will affect my next cruise by costing $25 more per checked bag if I choose to fly United. I guess I don't understand the question - do you think people will actually pack less or fly a different airline just to save $25?

[Mikel1733]

Given the sheer amount of lost luggage and just having completed the 2nd worst year in history for performance and service the airlines have a lot of nerve. In terms of a cruise I guess the bag surcharge may result in more tuxes, suit, and gowns being left at home.

[sea_u_onboard]

It will affect my next cruise by costing $25 more per checked bag if I choose to fly United. I guess I don't understand the question - do you think people will actually pack less or fly a different airline just to save $25?

The way I'm reading it you would have to pay the $25 for each way - making it $50. No chump change for some. Personally I could afford it but yes I would pack less or choose a different line. But that's me.

[chasetf]

It will affect my next cruise by costing $25 more per checked bag if I choose to fly United. I guess I don't understand the question - do you think people will actually pack less or fly a different airline just to save $25?

Probably both..... and the third option is to pay the freight... dealer's choice.

[Joedog]

I cant remember the last time I flew on United but I can tell you for certain that this new policy is not going to make me start flying United in the future.

 

A lot of people say that "pay as you go" is a fair and wise business plan because they do not have to pay for something they are not using. They pay less for airfare and since they only have one bag, so what if others have to pay for that extra bag.

 

But what if airlines take this idea to the extreme? How about pay toilets on airplanes. Certainly it costs money to have bathrooms on planes, why should I pay the same money for airfare as you do if I dont use the bathroom as much as you? Pay as you go (no pun intended) toilet paper dispensers, now that is an idea worth looking in to.

 

And how about those reading lights, certainly electricity costs money. Why should I be paying extra so you can have free reading lights? Air vents too.

 

And Flight Attendants. Shouldnt I get some sort of price break if I just sit there and keep my mouth shut and not have to pay the same as someone who bothers the flight attendants with silly questions/requests?

 

Maybe I have been looking at this all wrong. If the airlines start charging extra for everthing than my airfare should get really low....either that or the airlines corporate executives salaries and bonuses will get really high. Which do you think would happen?

[GoinCruisin]

This charge is solely about saving fuel... other airlines are doing it too (anyone notice the price of fuel the last year or so???) :p. The more luggage that is stowed, the more fuel the plane uses... very simple way to reduce that, reduce the amount of luggage or be compensated for the extra.

[rwilymz]

Here is the new policy...

Well, there ya go, then.

 

 

Those young upstarts have an advantage over the established airlines due mainly to the fact their employee age average is much younger.

I'm not sure of AmericaWest or whatever it's called, but SWA has it's biggest expense savings in maintenance. SWA uses only the one model in their fleet -- 737 I recall. Only one model to train their mechanics on; only one model to buy and store parts for; etc.

[Cuizer2]

Here is the reason for this new fee ...

 

[chasetf]

This charge is solely about saving fuel... other airlines are doing it too (anyone notice the price of fuel the last year or so???) :p. The more luggage that is stowed, the more fuel the plane uses... very simple way to reduce that, reduce the amount of luggage or be compensated for the extra.

American Airlines did a study some time ago and from that made the following changes.

• They calculated the cost of the magazines and papers they were carrying and determined they could reduce the number of them.
  
• They looked at the comsumption of coffee and water and determined they could cut back those too because very seldom did they use more that a portion of what they were carrying.
  
• The looked at the amount of fuel the planes were carrying and found most of the planes were landing with excess fuel that was not needed and they were paying to haul cost country and around the world. So now the planes only load the amount of fuel the trip will require (with a safety margin of course).