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Airline baggage fees continue to climb
What started with a single airline charging passengers to check their second piece of luggage has slowly evolved into a massive money making scheme netting some airlines as much as $1 Billion in additional cash.The state of airline travel now means there are just a handful of airlines that do not charge for additional bags, and those airlines that do charge you, are getting so greedy that they are actually raising their prices again.
At the moment, United Airlines and US Airways charge $15 for the first checked bag, and $25 for the second - that fee is about to go up an additional $5 for passengers who do not prepay to check using the airline website.
Delta and Northwest (the same airline now they have completed their merger) will be charging an insane $50 for the second checked bag on international routes.
The only major airline that has (so far) resisted the urge to charge for checking bags, is Southwest. This low cost carrier has even launched a massive TV advertising campaign promoting the fact that they offer free checked baggage on their flights.
Bottom line is that a family of 4, each carrying 2 bags will pay as much as $500 if they fly abroad on some airlines. The only solution to the problem is to bring less stuff, or try and stuff as much as possible into the overhead bin.
A well maintained airline baggage fee chart can be found over at the site of Airfarewatchdog.com.
What strange things have been found on planes?
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
sammy Jun 23rd 2009 10:41AM
The airlines are not making money off the bags, the cost of a ticket (long-haul) is so inexpensive right now that hardly pays for the fuel. If they raise the ticket fair no one is happy, if they charge for a bag no one is happy, if they charge for meals no one is happy if they give away food no one is happy with what they serve. Can they really win with anything they do? When you go to the movies do you get free popcorn and a drink with your ticket?
Bugged Off Jun 23rd 2009 10:43AM
Yeah, it's really not fair for those who get by without paying something at the gate when there is
- either no room for their bag(s) because all the other passengers took up the available overhead space or,
- passengers intentionally take overfull bags to the gate knowing they'll get checked free.
We're all in this mess together but there's no sense of shared pain. We need to get back to "walking in my brother's shoes" instead of being so selfish and me-first all the time.
Airlines should stop all carry-ons, take better care of the checked luggage, get it to the baggage area faster and charge everyone. Fair is fair.
Except life isn't fair. And, there will be always be those who cheat.
Gordon Jun 23rd 2009 10:43AM
Why the base price of the ticket no longer covers the cost of 1 bag is unjustifiable. What's happening now is everyone is bring on bigger and bigger carry ons and it's taking longer and longer to load the plane as everyone tries to put 10 pounds of crap in a 5 pound bag - the whole process is stupid and needless.
tucson Jun 23rd 2009 10:45AM
Try driving from the east coast to the west coast and see how much it cost you for food/hotel/gas-an airline ticket including the extra charges is cheaper. But hey, if you can afford it and also don't mind spending 2-4 days of your 7 day vacation in a car, go for it!!
subsonicstew Jun 23rd 2009 10:56AM
Scott Carmichael probably earns higher revenue when he creates a firestorm to mislead his readers into thinking that they are getting cheated by those "greedy" airlines. If he thinks the bag fees are outrageous, he should look at the ridiculous ticket prices that come before the added fees (which only get charged when actually used). Even he has pointed out that a flight from U.S. to Austrailia is an unheard of $320 !! Not the $1500 that is what it would cost to cover all the expenses to provide the full service that passengers expect to get without additional charges. By charging less than cost for the initial ticket, the only way to break even is to ask passengers to pay for what they actually use. If the public would prefer to avoid extra fees added to their "below cost" tickets, the only alternative is to pay the full fare price for the services you use....and the services you don't use are available whether you want them or not. You can't whine about paying for extra services you use when the price didn't include them.
Savvy travelers are thrilled about getting a ticket from Fort Lauderdale to Philly to Pittsburgh for $60 each way on USAirways, but balk at paying a fee for that extra bag. The ticked didn't even pay for the fuel. That ticket SHOULD be $250 each way just to cover the fuel.
Enjoy the benefit of cheap travel while you can.....and don't complain.......it won't be here for long.
Overcharged Jun 24th 2009 1:04AM
The biggest problem is the airline industries gluttony. This entire checked bag fee was introduced due to the high fuel costs. The fuel costs have dropped back down to previous levels and airlines are continuing to charge these fees and want to increase them now. You can call their policies what you want and you can complain about other flyers finding a loophole in the system and using it or you can do the intelligent thing and find a carrier that is charging lower fees. The price increases apply to every aspect of your life, but no one is asking, "Why are you still charging the fuel charges?", when the cost of fuel is roughly 60% of what it was.
John Bernardini Jun 23rd 2009 11:02AM
I will say that the greediness of the airlines now that you have to pay extra for inflight meals and baggage handeling that it makes people feel that they dont want to fly to places no more. Its bad enough to pay for the airline ticket itself, what more do they want? They are getting ridiculous, abollish those Fiendish fees.
subsonicstew Jun 23rd 2009 11:18AM
It's bad enough to pay for the ticket ? ! ! ? What do you do for a living? Surely you don't give your services away for less than it costs you. This is an example of the unreasonable expectations that the "untravelled" public thinks they are entitled to. Maybe the airlines should pay YOU to enjoy first class travel rather than asking you to PAY for for what you use. After all, all the other businesses give away their services below cost, don't they?
The reality is that you just want more than what you paid for.....now that is real greed.
chris Jun 23rd 2009 11:08AM
Its cheaper to ups your bags to your destination.
Kenny Jun 23rd 2009 11:28AM
I'm with you Chris, UPS or Fed Ex your bags, you don't have the hassle of lugging your bags around, and you know your bags will be waiting for you at your destination. No more lost luggage.
ALLEN Jun 23rd 2009 11:50AM
sammy
The airlines are not making money off the bags, the cost of a ticket (long-haul) is so inexpensive right now that hardly pays for the fuel. If they raise the ticket fair no one is happy, if they charge for a bag no one is happy, if they charge for meals no one is happy if they give away food no one is happy with what they serve. Can they really win with anything they do? When you go to the movies do you get free popcorn and a drink with your ticket?
You seem to forget the airlines, and other industries, wanted deregulation. Something about competition being good for everyone. It would lower prices & improve service through competition.
Hasn't worked that way so far!
Age old story, be careful what you ask for - you just might get it.
But, do you understand the consequences?
WootsCute Jun 23rd 2009 11:59AM
This just really sucks. Seems like we'll be eventually paying more of these crazy fees for all kinds of things then for the actual ticket to fly. After visiting my parents in FL I left w/ an extra suitcase. I had to pay 50.00 to check a second bag more than 2 years ago. I think it was w/ Delta.
I think these airlines are making so much money and just crying broke bc, they want more of it in their pockets.
kimboucklenovo Jun 23rd 2009 12:01PM
Fuel prices are bankrupting the airlines. I am ok with paying for a checked bag if it means it will force eveyone to pack less. USAIR is still not charging for checked bags for international flights, only domestic.
kimboucklenovo Jun 23rd 2009 12:14PM
People checking bags at the gate to bypass paying baggage fees should not be allowed. Those bags should be tagged as "fee not paid" then taken by airline personnel at the arriving airport where the person has to go to the baggage office to claim their bags and pay the fee.
CJ Jun 23rd 2009 12:48PM
Southwest is starting to charge for baggage, i work there. Research your info.
Bobby Jun 23rd 2009 12:48PM
I had not flown in a year or so, when I arrived at the airport I was told by the Delta Agent, that will be $15, I said for what? She replied for that bag, because its too large to go in the overhead bin. I was shocked and PO, but I paid it. When we started boarding I noticed other people with LARGER bags which they managed to stuff into the overhead bin. Upon my return home I sent an e-mail to Delta and told them exactly what I thought about this. That was 2 weeks ago and no reply yet, and honestly I do not expect to hear from them, but in the future I will carry a small bag with just what I need and when they get dirty I will wash. I would rather pay a couple of bucks to wash than pay these airlines $15 which I know they are going to raise their priices. Soon, we will have to pay to use their bathrooms, and I will not pay a penny for that. Airlines have gone way too far with "extras" wonder how long before you have to pay for a coke, coffee or water? Thats next wait and see. They are a bunch of jerks who are trying to screw us and while doing that,, they aren't evening kissing us, much less using KY.
Charles Jun 23rd 2009 1:50PM
The airlines have it backwards. They should be charging for a second carry-on bag. Too many travelers are bringing big bags as carry-ons, trying to stuff them in the overhead bins, and causing flights to leave late because not all of the carry-on bags will fit.
As for their rates, the airlines should charge by the flight miles traveled, and stop their price gauging game. A round trip ticket from Atlanta to Dallas was $350, but a roundtrip ticket to Little Rock on a little cramped CRJ was $800 when booked a month in advance. I thought flights on smaller, more economical jets, should be lower.
CJ Jun 23rd 2009 12:51PM
WALK
Brooke Jun 23rd 2009 1:24PM
Delta charged me $15 for my first and only bag between my daughter and I to NY last week. When I asked about it, the response was we started that a year ago. Then why when I flew to Vegas, I not only checked my bag for free but a second bag belonging to my friend that was traveling with me. That was Oct., not a Year ago.
What's worse is that I'm A FREQUENT FLYER. Delta, you sure are pissing off the wrong crowd!!!!!!
Amber Jun 23rd 2009 1:12PM
No the solution is creating legislation to make this illegal