Jun 20th, 2011 at 7:00AM: In April , the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced wide-ranging Airline Passenger Rules that included, among other things, that airlines disclose all potential fees up front in advertising. Airlines want more time and are challenging the new advertising rules.
Airlines say they need another 6 months or so to "overcome substantial technological problems and properly train their ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
baggagefees posts
Airlines challenge new consumer protection rules
Jun 20th, 2011 at 7:00AM: In April , the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced wide-ranging Airline Passenger Rules that included, among other things, that airlines disclose all potential fees up front in advertising. Airlines want more time and are challenging the new advertising rules.
Airlines say they need another 6 months or so to "overcome substantial technological problems and properly train their ...Airline fees are worth more than Facebook
Jun 13th, 2011 at 3:30PM:
Outside the travel world, everyone's marveling at the prospect of a Facebook IPO, which could be valued at as much as $100 billion. So, what are we missing while we fawn over Mark Zuckerberg's creation? How about the slow, stodgy, ugly airline industry. Known for a painful user experience and a steady decline of free features, the likes of Delta and American Airlines are outdoing the hottest ...Airline passenger rights upgraded
Apr 21st, 2011 at 1:00PM:
Flying the friendly skies got a bit more friendly this week as the Department of Transportation upgraded the Airline Passenger Bill Of Rights made the law of the land last year. As a result, fewer checked bags should be lost or damaged, fewer passengers should get bumped and fewer flights should get stuck on the tarmac.
"Airline passengers have a right to be treated fairly," said ...Five airline fees you haven't thought about (but they have!)
Jan 10th, 2011 at 8:00AM: Over the past two years, the fees that airlines have figured out have been seemingly endless. Baggage and cancellations are just the tip of the iceberg. Now, passengers are stuck with a healthy dose of fee fatigue, but the good news is that there doesn't seem to be anything left for which to charge – except maybe access to the flotation devices in the event of an emergency.
Well, don't ...Extra airline fees could mean better service! This is the FUTURE
Dec 21st, 2010 at 3:00PM: Soon, airlines could make all their profits on the extra fees you pay. Seriously. Yesterday, the Department of Transportation revealed that airlines have had their most profitable year since it started tracking the data back in 2002. And, a good chunk of revenue came from baggage fees, reservation change fees and ancillary fees. In the third quarter alone, it was good for more than $2 billion. So, ...Airlines have best quarter ever ... thanks baggage fees!
Dec 20th, 2010 at 3:30PM: Every time you pay to check an extra bag you're making someone's life better. The latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation reveals that the third quarter of 2010 was the most profitable for the U.S. airline industry since the department began keeping score in 2002. The industry's operating profit margin hit 10.5 percent in aggregate. Low-cost carriers, as a class, had an operating ...The 10 easiest ways to improve air travel this holiday season
Dec 16th, 2010 at 3:00PM: It's time for you to drag your screaming kids, annoying spouse and endless amounts of overstuffed bags through the airport, as you find your way over the river and through the woods. Thanksgiving is behind us, and that's the really ugly time to travel, but Christmas is no picnic either. The gate areas and bars will be crowded, and it's going to be awfully hard for you to be happy while darting ...Which airline made the most money on baggage fees?
Dec 13th, 2010 at 2:30PM: Last year, baggage fees were used by airlines to make up for lost fare revenue, as the recession kept people on the ground. This year, it's just been a great source of extra revenue, as passenger traffic and fares are up – and the fees haven't gone away. Almost all airlines are getting in on the action, some more egregious than others.
Well, data for the third quarter of 2010 is in, and ...Review: Balanzza Mini Luggage Scale - avoid nasty surprises at the airport!
Oct 15th, 2010 at 1:30PM:
Traveling with bags means trying to stay one step ahead of the airlines - and staying one step ahead of them, means knowing exactly how heavy your bags are. There no nothing more annoying than arriving at the airport, only to discover that you overpacked, and will either have to pay up, remove some items or move items between bags.
To help prevent these nasty surprises, you could consider ...Airline passengers want more self-service options
Oct 12th, 2010 at 2:00PM: Hey, airlines: passengers don't want your help. Seriously. We'd rather take control of our fates. Let us make our own choices and pay for what we consume.
Well, that's what a new survey reveals. The fifth annual SITA/Air Transport World Passenger Self-Service Survey finds that air travelers would like a bit more independence. Seventy percent, this year, want automatic boarding gates – ...Five reasons airline fees up 50% year-over-year
Sep 27th, 2010 at 3:30PM: Does your wallet feel a little bit lighter? A new USA Today analysis reveals that airline fees are on the rise, with some up more than 50 percent relative to a year ago. The study compares the extra fees (not to be confused with fares) of 13 airlines and shows just how important this revenue source is to the airline sector.
According to USA Today, "The numerous fees are a sore subject for many ...Airline extra fees: $2 billion in three months
Sep 21st, 2010 at 11:00AM: Airline fees are definitely not going away anytime soon – not after the second quarter it gave the airline industry. Carriers in the United States raked in $2.1 billion in fees and extra charges in the second quarter of this year, a 13 percent year-over-year surge. And, it was good enough to deliver the sector's first profitable quarter since 2007.
Well, here's the worst part for you: ...Flying Wizz Air, European low-cost airline
Sep 13th, 2010 at 10:00AM:
I just flew with Wizz Air, a major budget airline in Europe whose name and stunts I had previously only snickered over. It turns out in addition to offering low fares across Europe, they are also the largest carrier in Hungary (at least according to Wizz, Malev Hungarian would beg to differ) and a major player in Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria. Last week I traveled to Bulgaria (look for some ...Could airline baggage fees create another Steven Slater?
Aug 14th, 2010 at 2:00PM:
We're still in the early stages of figuring out just want made flight attendant Steven Slater jettison himself from a JetBlue plane via the emergency slide. There are conflicting accounts from the passengers on board, including those who allegedly pushed Slate over the edge, and then there's Slater's story about having been beaten by an unruly passenger's bag. He raised the issue of how ...
Southwest wins on bet against extra fees
Aug 1st, 2010 at 5:00PM: How did Southwest score its recent record revenue? Well, it could be because it isn't jacking up fees for all the extras. The decision to do business the old fashion way seems to have been good for a quarterly profit of $112 million and may provide a good reason for other airlines to reconsider these unpopular measures.
In a roundup of coverage on the airline's quarterly financial results, USA ...Airline fees: Please don't lie, don't be moronic
Jul 9th, 2010 at 9:00AM: As much as you may hate ancillary fees on airlines, they're clearly making a difference. The nickel-and-diming of the average passenger was good for a whopping $7.8 billion last year ... up 42 percent from 2008. Airlines are making serious cash on inconvenient fees, which means they aren't going away. The coming travel market recovery (look for it in 2011) will put more asses in seats and, of ...Irish Minister's fury over Ryanair $120 baggage fee
Jun 2nd, 2010 at 10:30AM: Ryanair has yet again managed to make the news with their outrageous fees - though this time, they may have annoyed the wrong person.
For the busy summer season, Ryanair passengers will have to pay £5 more for their checked luggage - making the first checked bag £20 ($29) , and second bag £40 ($58). The real kicker comes when you are unable to check in online - which will ...BREAKING: Spirit Airlines to charge up to $45 fee for carry-on bags
Apr 6th, 2010 at 1:38PM: There's big news in the airline industry today, as Spirit Airlines announced the addition of carry-on baggage fees to their already healthy roster of post-ticketing charges.
For those paying online, each carry on bag will cost an additional $30 unless you're in Spirit's subscription-based $9 Fare Club. Those lucky members will only be charged $20 per bag. If paying for the service in-person at ...Trick, repack and rethink your way around the new luggage fees
Jan 20th, 2010 at 12:30PM:
If you regularly check a bag, then I'm sure the airlines would like to personally thank you for the extra income. In just two years, we've gone from one airline experimenting with a pay-to-check baggage system, to an industry where paying to check any bag is the new standard. Thankfully, there are ways around having to check a bag.
tweetmeme_url = ...What? You're still paying the airlines to carry your bags?
Jan 19th, 2010 at 10:30AM: Now that the airlines have raised, yet again, their fees for checked bags, it's time to take another look at the alternative: shipping your bags, or better yet (if you're staying in one place once you arrive) just the contents of your bag ahead of your arrival using economical ground shipping services.
Why deal with the airlines, when UPS Ground and FedEx Ground offer better tracking, insurance ...
