Posted on 05/30/2008 8:22:19 AM PDT by nanetteclaret
American Airlines’ new bag policy discriminates against women, because most women will have to check their bag while men will not. As an example, here are the non-solid products my husband and I take when traveling:
My List: Shampoo, Cream Rinse, Body Wash, Body Lotion, Spray Perfume, Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Contact Lens Solution, Glasses Cleaner, Face Cleanser, Toner, Facial Night Cream, Moisturizer, Sunscreen, Vaseline Lip Therapy, Hand Cream, Mascara, Lipgloss
My Husband’s List: Shampoo, Cream Rinse, Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Glasses Lens Cleaner
Since we are required to put our lotions in a quart bag if we want to carry them on board, it is clear that my husband’s items will fit into a quart bag, while mine will not. Thus, I have to check the bag with my items, while he can carry his on. I will have to pay a $25.00 fee, while he will not. Cutting down the number of items I take is not an option because I have very dry skin and it is exacerbated by travel.
Most women use about 3 times as many products on a daily basis as men do. American Airlines’ policy is an example of discrimination against women who have no choice but to check their bags.
I agree. I haven’t flown since June, 2002. I don’t miss it. The drives are longer but I can take what I bloody well want to.
Picking up stuff on the other side is often the best solution. I learned about that for my soda habit, I’m a Dr Pepper fiend and paying vending machine prices in the hotel can get scary quick. So I started going to grocery or even convenience store get my soda and put it in the fridge in the room. Then I realized I was going to the store anyway and started picking up other essentials. Anything that cuts down on packing is nice no matter how you’re traveling.
My wife will have to get used to only one suitcase full of shoes?
A lot of that stuff is provided in hotel rooms now. What isn’t you should get in sample sizes, or put just what you need in smaller containers, then they will fit in a quart bag.
I agree with you to a point. From my (male) perspective, it aint the face that's important (thinking below the belt). However, when you are a woman in business, carrying around (and wearing) plenty of makeup, and having changes of shoes is important.
Nevertheless, I still can't understand those annoying women who must bring five bags along, often for just a one week trip.
Seems logical, but the second checked bag fee of 25 dollars only applies to passengers ticketed on or after the day of the announcement (May 22nd.) The 15 dollar fee for the first bag will apply for ticketing on or after June 15th. That is, if the fees even apply at all. It depends upon your FF status and where you are going. International destinations are exempt except for Canada and perhaps some of the Caribbean destinations.
O. M. G. I can't believe you wrote that.
You're either a complete ass or you're not...can we calculate that based on the insults you spewed due to your insecurities?
Where does safety come into this? It doesn't. This is a bungled attempt by American Airlines to increase their revenue - instead they just pissed off their customers.
No safety issue here, sorry.
I'm an ass because I don't care if you wear makeup or not? OK, I changed my mind. You need to spend 3 hours per day making yourself look perfect or I won't talk to you. There, now I'm a nice guy.
Saftey is why they restrict the liquid carry ons in the first place. Duhhhhhhhhh.
I know that. The safety issue doesn't come into play when you address the surcharge for checked baggage.
And don't "duh" me.
And the surcharge doesn't come into play for her unless she wants to take a bag full of skin moisturizers with her. That's her choice. Duhhhhhhh. (I duhhhhh whoever I want)
Because I think if you have had much experience with women, you would know that personal grooming -- even for the ones who don't wear a lot of make-up -- is as important to the vast majority of women as it is to cats. It is an integral part of their nature -- even for the ones who don't wear a ton of make-up.
In my experience, it appears to just be part of what makes a woman feel like a woman. Very rare is the woman, especially once she is over 30, who will not have a bathroom full of lotions, potions and assorted personal grooming paraphernalia, and who will leave the house without at least lipstick and maybe a little foundation.
Whereas all most men need is a hairbrush, a toothbrush and a razor -- and then only if they are going to work or trying to meet women.
I think it depends on where you live. I have lived in waspy east coast towns where women don’t spend more than 15 minutes getting ready, and I have lived in the midwest where they spend 2 hours.
My husband and I have reached the point where we don’t want to check our bags. Logan Airport in Boston is the worst. We’ve waited close to an hour to retrieve bags. It’s not worth it.
We just spent a week in Fort Lauderdale with all our kids and grandkids and picked up everything on that end. The hotel gave every family a fridge and everyone stocked it with milk, juice and soft drinks. Saved a fortune. There’s no need to spend alot of money for meals when there are 5 kids 6 and under.
Most of my travel is business, so meals will be reimbursed but I need the receipt and it needs to be under the per-diem limit. Much easier to hit a grocery store and get 90% of my food on one receipt, most of the decent hotel rooms have a fridge/freezer and a microwave so it’s pretty easy. Sure I don’t eat the most awesome food available, but that’s not what I’m there for, and one day’s per-diem can give me food for a week. I don’t think the company appreciates the savings but I appreciate the simpler paperwork and spotting the company less money.
YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO OUR GENDER!
The males who replied to you were way too kind. They, but especially your husband, should say to you and other women like you:
GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR SELF-CENTERED ARSE AND QUIT YOUR WHINING!
How much do you spend on all of your potions? $100, $200, $300? And you can’t spring a few bucks to take it all with you because you need it as your security blanket? When I travel for weeks with my husband to Europe, my bag is smaller than his. I fit every thing I need in a bag that’s 18x18x8.
Why are they adding this charge? Because every time they try to raise rates to cover costs, the bankrupt airlines (you know, the ones that aren’t paying their bills) undercut the effort &/or congress holds hearings to ‘investigate’. It’s people like you who think you’re entitled to fly across country for $99 or you’ll go crying to your Senator or Congressman that have screwed up flying for everyone else. A business is entitled to make a profit. I’ll say it again: A BUSINESS IS ENTITLED TO MAKE A PROFIT! Flying is NOT an entitlement.
The airlines have to put that much more fuel on board to carry all the weight. As others here have said, why should other flyers have to subsidize your ticket just because you can’t leave home without all your stuff? Here’s a suggestion, pack it all into your car and drive to where you’re going.
Did you read post #68 by nralife?
“And AA has to compete with all the major carriers that went into bankruptcy to lower their operating costs. AA has not only chosen not to go into bankruptcy, but THEY HAVE NOT DUMPED THEIR PENSION PLANS ON THE TAX PAYING PUBLIC LIKE SO MANY OF THE OTHER AIRLINES, EITHER.”
So go ahead and punish AA like you want so they can declare bankruptcy also. The flying public is getting the level of service they are willing to pay for.
I wish the airlines would start charging by weight. Make all passengers weigh in, both themselves and their bags, and pay by the pound. THAT WOULD BE FAIR!
And you obviously did not get the memo from Obama:
“We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK”
In other words, in the future only those who believe themselves to be the elite of this country are going to be allowed the privilege of having a giant carbon footprint which includes being able to jet about.
So stay home and quit your whining... at least until we get a President and Congress that eliminates all existing taxes and replaces them with a whiners tax. Then by all means, whine away!
Don’t know why I was pinged for this lovely little vent, but I personally don’t wear makeup that much, and the little quart baggies, while annoying, certainly aren’t causing me any lost sleep—my complaint is with the airline SERVICES (or major lack thereof) itself! I don’t care HOW much you pay to fly from one place to another, service should still be something that is included in the price. The last time we flew (aside from the atrocious treatment we received at the boarding counter) my 6 y/o, myself and my husband had 3 seats together. We were right next to the stewardess’ area. When my daughter lowered the tray in front of her, it was all sticky with (I hope!) a soft drink that had been spilled on it. I asked the stewardess if she would clean it up for us and the look she gave us could have curled paint. She totally ignored me, walked down the aisle to do something else, then came back and started fiddling with some cabinet. I asked her again for help, and she just looked at me. Finally, I told my husband to move so I could get up and go to the bathroom to get a wet paper towel to clean it up myself. The stewardess gave me a look like I was stupid and told me I couldn’t get out of my seat because we were about to take off, THEN she tosses a wet towel at me for me to clean the mess up myself!!! >:-(
Now I’m all about capitalism and the airlines saving money in anyway they can, yada yada yada. But this kind of thing is totally uncalled for, especially since we paid over $600 for our round-trip tickets. Is basic hygienic cleaning too much for a paying consumer to ask of a service provider? If so, then I will gladly take my business and $$$$$$ elsewhere to get a little bit more respect for myself and my family.
Then to charge exorbitant baggage fees in the name of ‘saving money’—straw that broke the camel’s back, IMO.
Too much competition out there to subject ourselves to high prices AND bad service.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.