Time To Say Bye-Bye To Your Baggage

You might think that's a good thing. But I'm not talking about the kind of baggage you shed after one of those breakthrough therapy sessions. No I'm talking about the kind you pack to take on a trip. Forget your pregnant self, your kids gear, your sporting equipment - if you want to check it - it's likely to cost extra.

First American Airlines announced that it was going to charge $15 for the first checked bag. I had hoped that was going to be an anomaly. I hoped no other carrier would match the fee and it would disappear quietly. It looked possible as the word I got from other carriers was that it was hard enough to get people to accept, what is now pretty much industry standard, the $25 second checked bag fee. (And just a reminder to any of you packaholics this is a per leg charge so it's $50 round trip on a direct flight.)

For a few nearly blissful weeks while fuel prices continued to rise no one match American's fee. Until yesterday when United announced they too would be charging the first bag fee. As if that weren't enough, late yesterday the third carrier to match this fee structure was US Airways. US Airways also announced they'll charge for non-alcoholic beverages and serve snacks for a price. (Just a week before they had announced that they would no longer be serving complimentary pretzels on board.) And with that hat-trick I fear the days of free baggage are over, my travling friends.

As the saying goes, desperate times... No wonder the Derrie-Air spoof has gotten so much attention.

For more travel commentary from Amy Ziff check out the Window Seat blog.

Comments

[TXfemmom]

At this point, if I can go by car, and try to use as little fuel as possible, and several more hours, then that is the way to go, as I hate being at the airport two and a half hours, being frisked, arriving at the gate, and being told two hours later that the plane which was being reported as on time in their system, had not even left the gate at their previous location and the flight was cancelled.

[TXfemmom]

I understand that they are strapped. However, it is their stupid hub concept which is crippling all American Airlines. They sometimes fly twice as far, and use twice as much fuel, to get passengers to where they want to go. The airlines have fought having GPS added to their planes, and the investment in an air-traffic control system which would rely on the GPS, rather than the convoluted and very crowded current airways, in order to go directly to point A from point B.

The airlines, like much of American business, is simply not well-managed, and they consistently fight any innovation out of sheer habit, such as our automakers sticking with big-guzzlers when people want quality-made, good gas mileage vehicles. American workers work hard, are very productive, and earn their money, it is the poor management, which is over compensated, which lack what it takes. Had they started that process just three years ago, they would be well on their way to the new system and they would be able to save billions and billions of dollar in fuel and wear and tear on their planes, if they were relying upon GPS, instead of the current system.