Posted on 07/01/2008 12:25:21 PM PDT by Eepsy
MIAMI (CBS) ― Savvy travelers who think they can get around an airline's new fees for checked bags by just bringing a big carry on may have to come up with a 'plan B'
American Airlines has started cracking down on the size of the bags passengers stuff into the overhead bins.
"I'm very frustrated because I travel a lot," said Corrine Celestine.
Air passengers like Celestine say they're upset that American is now scrutinizing the size of carry on bags and charging an extra fee if the bags are over the stated limit.
"It's really frustrating, the airlines are complaining about losing money, but if they keep doing this, I will try to get where I'm going without flying, I will," said Celestine.
Fellow frustrated traveler Chelsea Link agrees that something must be done.
"This morning I was on Delta, I didn't get charged for checking in two bags but when I switched over to American I was charged fifteen dollars and now if the carry on is to big they want to charge another fifteen, it's too much, too much," said Link.
American Airlines and US Airways, along with United Airlines, were the first to announce fees for a single checked bag; $15 each way. Most airlines specify that a carry on bag must be under a certain weight, generally about 40 pounds, and must meet certain size requirements. If the bag is too heavy or too large, American charges the passenger $15 to check it.
The airlines point out that the policy concerning carry on bags came from the Federal Aviation Administration, not the airline industry. American and US Airways say they add extra staff during peak flying times to make sure bulky carry on bags are checked before they are deemed a problem, thus reducing delays for all passengers.
United Airlines says they have not decided how it will handle passengers with oversized carry on bags and US Airways says they will allow passengers to check overweight, or oversized, carry bags at the gate for free.
Not everyone is against the new fees.
Traveler Catherine Coleman believes the new fees are fair.
"We all want to take more with us than we can but we need to do what's right, what's fair is fair, we have to change our habits," said Coleman.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Awwwwwwww.......poor widddle babies.
I can’t stand people who get around checking their bags by using huge carry-ons anyway.
I’m talkin’ about YOU, Mr. America. That bag that has 10 days of vacation clothes....that’s not a carry-on.
Those folks fussing about the extra charge are gonna have to just suck it up! It’s annoying having to deal with their oversized carry ons. If it doesn’t fit the box they have at the check-in desk, it shouldn’t be brought on. There is only so much overhead storage, and each passenger should be able to put his or her bag in the overhead, if they have one, without the space being taken up by someone else’s giant bag.
It’s all about the price of jet fuel; hence, it’s all about weight. Weight is weight, whether it’s checked baggage, carry-on baggage, or passengers.
If it were up to me, I’d weigh each passenger and his/her luggage (checked or carry-on), and base the ticket price on total weight. Some sort of volume restrictions would be needed as well (you can’t let passengers bring 10-foot cubical boxes, even empty), but weight should be the primary determinant.
True, and if I didn’t have to worry about the TSA taking home anything they wanted out of my checked luggage, I’d be happy to leave the carryon bins empty.
The airlines have always had a bag fee. Before it just was figured into the total price of a ticket.
Have they discounted tickets now to reflect this separation of charges?
My boss just got back from a vacation and said the baggage fee for checked bags just had everyone carrying on instead. It slowed down boarding and delayed their flights.
If they are serious about the baggage fee they have to do something about oversized carry-ons.
All the theft in the airlines could be stopped in 24 hours if they video taped the back area, searched the thieves...er employees in baggage, handling, TSA and stealing and prosecuted thieves under FEDERAL law with minimum mandatory of 10 years with 15 years for theft greater than $1000.
I avoid flying as much as possible now. If it's more than a 10 hour drive I'll fly, otherwise why bother with the hassle.
There you go! They can fly themselves anywhere they want to go, and pack as many bags as they can fit in their little planes.
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