Delta Raises Baggage Charges

[PetefromRI]

Since we don't have children at home anymore and it's just the wife and I,we have learned to use 1 carryon each.We do laundry on about the 4th day and it costs us about 6.00.That's alot cheaper than checked luggage and we don't have to stand in those lines at the airport.

[RBrooksC]

"My dad would know what they were called, but anyway they supposedly make the plane more fuel efficient too"

They are called "Winglets." If you want an idea on how they help with fuel efficiency, here is what they can do for a SWA flight. A 737 without winglets cannot take off from ISP on Long Island and fly to LAS nonstop. If you use a plane with winglets, that same flight can now fly nonstop from ISP to LAS.

[BMan62]

American raises checked-bag fees
By Marnie Hunter, CNN
January 19, 2010 1:40 p.m. EST

(CNN) -- American Airlines has joined its competitors in raising checked luggage fees.

The airline announced Monday it would charge $25 for the first checked bag and $35 for the second. American is the last major legacy carrier to join in a wave of baggage fee increases that Delta Air Lines initiated earlier this month.

The changes are effective for tickets purchased on or after February 1 for travel within the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Delta, United and Continental airlines, and US Airways all are charging $25 for the first bag and $35 for the second bag checked in at the airport. Passengers who check in online on those four airlines will pay $23 for the first bag and $32 for the second. American does not offer online check-in.

About 25 percent of American's domestic passengers pay checked bag fees, according to the airline's announcement.

Some passengers -- such as first-class fliers, some frequent fliers and military personnel on deployment -- are exempt from most checked-luggage fees.

Most major air carriers started adding checked-bag fees in 2008. The airlines reported collecting nearly $740 million in baggage fees in the third quarter of 2009, according to U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

On discount carrier Southwest Airlines, the first and second checked bags are free. JetBlue offers a free first checked bag and charges $30 for the second.

Update with other carrier baggage charges.

[javamama]

As of yesterday I think most of the carriers joined in. They stopped raising fares, and raised baggage fees, trust me as an employee we would rather the fares go up than the baggage fees also. Mgmnt makes the calls, so this is what happens IMO it's pretty dumb what happens is carryon baggage gets out of hand, and we end up checking bags onboard and taking delays---crazy!!

[bouncer]

Call me crazy but wouldn't make more sense to charge the frequent fliers & first class the baggage fees rather than the average person who can't afford it?!?

[NotaGeek]

Call me crazy but wouldn't make more sense to charge the frequent fliers & first class the baggage fees rather than the average person who can't afford it?!?

The higher tier of frequent flyers are using the airline at least 100,000 miles a year -- which is A LOT of money, and first class tickets are up to 3 or 4 times as much as coach ... so technically, no. One-off flyers and those stuck n coach 2x a year don't mean as much as those people that fly several times a month or who fork out the bucks for a 1st class seat. The airline wants to keep the real frequent flyers and 1st class cabin happy, everyone else can squeeze in back and share water out of a squeeze bottle.

[DizneyRox]

Call me crazy but wouldn't make more sense to charge the frequent fliers & first class the baggage fees rather than the average person who can't afford it?!?

Money talks... That's life...

You don't aggrivate your best customers with these nickle and dime tactics, you keep them happy so they spend more money, unless you're Disney.

In the end, a 1st class passenger gets to the same destination at the same time as someone in coach. Yet they spend considerably more than the person in coach. Don't rock the boat.

Why Disney doesn't follow this, I'm not sure, but they seem to be able to get away with it (ie. DVC). Airlines, not so much.

[QTPie68]

For my trip in April, my ticket to Orlando on SW it cost as much as the other airlines would charge me for my 2 bags!!! I was lucky enough to just "check" right when an internet DING fare came up. I checked other airlines and could not believe the checked baggage rates on top of the airfares.

This is probably why we always seem to end up on Southwest

[LVT]

I don't understand the fee system either. Changing to carry-on does not alter the weight of the items we take. I would say charge by total weight of person and all of their stuff. Families
could get by with the smallest tot have the most
weight in stuff. (People with massive carry-ons appear to be cheating. ) I don't get it.