Baggage fees first came on the scene several years ago and many of us were understandably upset at the newest "fee". As we all know, the fee - among others - became the standard and most all but a small few airlines charged passengers to check their luggage.
Well, Delta Airlines announced that they are increasing their baggage fees. Previously, Delta's customers were charged $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second. Well now, travelers will be asked to pay $23 for the first bag and $32 for the second!! WOW! Not to shocking, as this always happens as each airline watches the others lead, Continental Airlines has announced that they are also increasing their luggage fees to match Delta's.
A little Googling turned up another blog - The Buzz Log - that had a great list of current baggage fees by airlines:
- Alaska Airlines: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second.
- American Airlines: $20 for the first bag and $30 for the second.
- Continental Airlines: $23 for the first, $32 for the second.
- Delta Airlines: $23 for the first, $32 for the second.
- JetBlue Airlines: first bag free, second bag will cost you $30.
- Northwest Airlines: first bag $23, second bag $32.
- Southwest Airlines: two bags for free. Really.
- United Airlines: when fees paid online, $15 for the first bag, and $25 for the second. When paid at the airport, $5 more for each bag.
- Virgin America: $20 for the first, $20 for the second.
Have you ever noticed United's method of constant up selling they do on their website when you buy tickets or go to check in? Jeez.. You can't get out of there without like 5-8 clicks, and most are to get past all of their up sell offers: send luggage ahead or upgrade class or get added leg room, maybe rent a car or add a hotel. AND, have you ever noticed that the button you would normally press to move on and finish the transaction are an "Accept the offer" button and not the "skip this offer" button? They are very tricky in that they do not make the "skip this offer" or "no thanks" a prominent button, but instead, they make it smaller less obvious text based link while the only buttons - what we all associate with moving forward to the next step - are the "accept the offer" buttons.
I want to thank you United.. thank you for screwing up our reservations and starting off our holiday travel on a sour note. I really appreciate it! I paid an outrageous amount - despite buying well ahead - for me and my fiancé to fly for the holidays, only to find out today that your system erased our seat selections and left us no seats together and not in the front half of the plane where I picked so we could move fast to our next gate as we only have carry on luggage. So thank you, thank you for throwing us to the wolves to fight for a pair of seats together on a busy travel day. Thanks, thanks for not helping me fix this on the phone before we got to the airport and thus, the expectation of agitation and having to waste our, and the gate persons, valuable time which is better spent on something else. Thanks, thanks for not keeping up your end of the bargain and honoring my selections I made long ago with your system. And finally - thanks, thanks for giving me no recourse but to just accept it. 
Interesting clash of stories in the news today. Kind of shows, IMHO, how once again the airlines are a day late and a dollar short in their decisions.
US Airways announced today that it will add a 5% "surcharge" onto all U.S. flights on or after May 8. They try to bamboozle us as they claim the "surcharge" will protect the airline in case fuel prices rise or other costs increase. But, my understanding has always been that the airlines buy fuel ahead of time and speculate on fuel cost changes so buy ahead at lower rates. This is why Southwest had such low rates during the original heavy fuel crunch as they bought on future prices that were crazy low while the rest waited and got stuck with prices 5 times higher.
What would you do if you were on a plane and had to listen to a 2-year old scream "‘Go! Plane! Go!’ and ‘I want Daddy’"? Well, apparently the flight crew of a Southwest flight had enough - and they had not even departed yet. Turns out, they turned the plane around and returned to the gate as it taxied out for takeoff and asked the mom and child to hit the road.
For the 2nd time in the last 2 weeks, 5th time total this year alone, airlines have raised their fares to the tune of $10 per round trip. United, US Airways, Delta, Continental and American all instituted the increase. Often, these small hikes get rolled back shortly after they get rolled out, but now that all the majors instituted it, consider it set in stone. As well, most airlines showed a 3rd quarter loss in earnings, despite all of the endless fees we pay, further proof the hike will likely stay.
Just when you though, "what different type of fee can the airlines come up with", United ups-the-anti with one that frankly, I would have never seen coming. It works like this; pay United $249 a year and you get to check 2 bags per every trip on United or United Express for both domestic and international flights. According to United, it also covers standard checked bags for up to eight companions traveling under the same confirmation number as the subscriber and benefits are applied when you book your travel using your Mileage Plus number.
Interesting story coming out of India reports that the pilots and crew of a flight over Pakistan on the way to New Delhi got into a brawl at 30,000 feet. Amongst themselves! 4 people, 2 pilots and 2 of the crew, were witnessed by passengers scrapping in the cockpit and cabin of the plane because the cabin crew alleged that one of the female crew members was molested by one of the pilots. However, according to the pilots, they claim said male crew member was involved in some misconduct that compromised flight safety, and admit to throwing punches, but claim that the molestation story is a red herring concocted to protect the crew member in question.
Yep, American and United airlines are adding new fees for the 2 busiest days around the holidays: Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Oh, but they have labeled it a "fuel surcharge" - uhhh, yeah. This fee, I mean surcharge, is for most of their fares for travel on Nov. 29th, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, as well as Jan. 2nd and 3rd. American apparently added the new fee this past Wednesday the 23rd and United promptly matched it on Thursday the 24th. And you know how that goes.. who's next to add?
