Airline Baggage Fees

[RAY-NER]

****** COMING SOON TO AN AIRPORT NEAR YOU ******

Understandably, "GENERAL DISCUSSION" allows a wide range of topics to be aired here. too numerous to mention. Here's one you can realy sink your teeth into.

Now let's review the latest news about baggage costs as you use air travel to get to Indianapolis (SEGFEST) or Disney World, Orlando or any other destination for that matter. There's going to be a $15 per bag charge when you check them aboard your flight and that's the same cost for the return trip.

Can you imagine FEDEX, UPS or the Post Office adding another $15 per box to ship it anywhere in the USA? You'll revolt and march on Pennsylvania Avenue!

So, do this. Calculate the amount you'll need to pay for your baggage (round trip). Go to your bank and ask for an equal amount in rolled coins, preferably nickels and pennies. At the airline counter, pay your baggege fees with rolled coins which of course is legal tender! Imagine a 747 boarding 300 passengers each with two checked bags and it makes you wonder where would they store all of the coinage? How would they manage to move it to the bank?

Consider the delays at the counter as planes are held at the gates waiting for passengers to board long after the scheduled departure. Imagine the frustration as airline clerks count the money. They may even require you to write your name and phone number on each roll of coins. Guaranteed, the airlines would soon rethink their new ploy to rake money from your wallet.

Join in by circulating this message to everyone you know, letters to the editor, comments on blogs, etc. Tell the airline travellers to quietly protest this robbery by paying in U.S. CURRENCY!

RAY-NER (Building the new Travellers Aid Headquarters).

[shep]

Huh? I don't get it. If the cost wasn't itemized in the price of your ticket, would you be so incensed? That is, if the airlines just raised the price of the tickets by $30 for everyone, checked baggage or not, would you still be ready to take down the government? Or would you just do as others have done in the past and use another, less expensive, airline or even choose a different mode of transportation altogether?

No. What bugs me is it means all the passengers are now going to be trying to jam even more of their crap that won't fit into the overhead bins to save themselves $15. I'd much rather the airlines charged a fee based on the size and/or weight of each carryon, increasing the rate exponentially as the size increases.

[KSagal]

Every time I fly from point A to point B, I have found that the ticket from different sources and different airlines varies quite a bit, most usually far more than $30.

If you go to a good discount airfare website, or fly off peak, you can more than make back the extra $30.

I don't like increases any more than anyone else, and these nickel and dime charges are very annoying, but that is the way the world works.

By the way, if a private company like Fed Ex or UPS did raise their rates, it would not occur to me to blame the government. That is not the government's job. I would find a way to get my best deal, and if enough people left one company for another, then market forces would force a correction.

For me the solution is to give my money to the place that best suits my needs and to not give it to those who do not.

[RAY-NER]

In re-reading my post, I find it quite a stretch to be told that there's a plan to overthrow the government afoot! However, it's not hard to believe that if the USPS added $15 for any and all packages that there would be no protest or rebuke of their services. Currently, I am flying to Las Vegas today on a senior ticket for a cost of $68 for the basic fare. If I were charged $30 for two ordinary suitcases, the trip would cost an extra 44%. That's a good reason to boycott air travel altogether, causing a big dent in total revenues that keep the planes flying. When the time comes, bring U. S. CURRENCY (in rolled coin) to make your feelings known. And don't forget to look at the current administration's record of promoting U. S. independence of foreign oil.

RAY-NER

[bentbiker]

Ray,

While we all hate to see rising prices, I think it wise to keep things in perspective. Like:

1. Boycotting air travel to Las Vegas and driving would cost you approximately 327 x .52 = $170 instead of $98; and the $170 is based on outdated cost of car travel per mile.
2. Airlines are generally losing money because of the giant cost increases in fuel and the decline in travel. They aren't trying to get rich with their increases.
3. Because of their losses, airlines are trying to cut costs to minimize price increases. This method of charging for checked bags allows them to potentially reduce the number of baggage handlers, if more people carry-on their baggage. Perhaps they calculated that a $40 increase in ticket prices would be necessary if they didn't simultaneously cut costs.
4. The airlines are victims of the oil cartel (just like you and me), not a part of it.
5. If enough people do as you suggest, it will raise the airlines' costs even more and they'll be forced to increase prices still further.
6. Delaying the boarding process just might cause you to miss your flight.

[quade]

Paying with coins - foolish strategy.

It would only make things worse for everyone. The ticket agent has no control over pricing policy so it's a waste of energy and the people in line behind you may rise up and smite thee.

[LibertySegway]

I don't really like the idea of a first baggage fee but a second...sure. I tend to travel light and am often amazed but the huge amount of luggage some people feel the need to travel with. IMO carry-ons should also be limited to one per person.