Bag fees on FL planes painted with WN livery?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 187
Bag fees on FL planes painted with WN livery?
I just read this article where a WN spokesperson says that bag fees will remain on FL into 2013 with no target date to end the fees in sight. The article below states that FL planes are being painted to the WN livery as soon as April.
My question: Will those newly painted planes be used for FL flights even though they have a WN paint scheme? If they are, wouldn't WN be required to waive bag fees for those flights since all their advertising says 'Bags fly free on Southwest'? Seems like a big case of false advertising to fly on a Southwest plane but still have to pay fees for the bags in the belly of the plane.
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...ees-after.html
http://www.ajc.com/business/airtran-...n-1400774.html
My question: Will those newly painted planes be used for FL flights even though they have a WN paint scheme? If they are, wouldn't WN be required to waive bag fees for those flights since all their advertising says 'Bags fly free on Southwest'? Seems like a big case of false advertising to fly on a Southwest plane but still have to pay fees for the bags in the belly of the plane.
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...ees-after.html
http://www.ajc.com/business/airtran-...n-1400774.html
Last edited by travelingfool23; Mar 29, 2012 at 11:48 am Reason: added correct URL
#2
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: ONT
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I'm suing WN over false advertising of "bags fly free." They charged me $466 to fly my mother-in-law out from Tulsa.
Where's the rim shot?
Seriously though, I agree they should not charge bag fees if it's a SWA plane.
Where's the rim shot?
Seriously though, I agree they should not charge bag fees if it's a SWA plane.
#3
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 228
travelingfool23
My question: Will those newly painted planes be used for FL flights even though they have a WN paint scheme?
My question: Will those newly painted planes be used for FL flights even though they have a WN paint scheme?
#4
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,412
It's my understanding that, when a plane is converted to WN, it will fly as WN, with no bag fees.
It won't be FL flying as WN or WN flying as FL.
It won't be FL flying as WN or WN flying as FL.
#5
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: MKE
Posts: 2,161
Local media did a story on this last evening. Bag fees will remain intact for all AirTran flights, despite being owned by SWA.
Bags fly free on SWA flights.
Bags fly free on SWA flights.
#6
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: MKE
Posts: 2,161
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 187
Yes, but I think the question is what constitutes an AirTran flight? Can AirTran operate a flight on a 717 (and thus charge bag fees) when the paint scheme is WN? Does the paint scheme change ownership of the plane from FL to WN?
#8
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,412
It does not appear that FL will be operating any planes on behalf of WN or vice versa.
#10
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#11
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
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Yes they can - but they won't, based upon all announcements made. If that 717 has WN livery, you will buy the ticket on the WN web site flying on a WN route with WN seating and flying under all WN rules and WN CoC.
#13
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,653
Same is true if at some point AirTran-painted planes fly as Southwest or vice versa. No laws or regulations would be broken because the contract of carriage is between the passenger and the carrier selling the service. Doesn't matter who operates it. If the E190 is temporarily grounded and JetBlue contracts with Sun Country to pick up some of their flying for a time, it's not Sun Country's contract of carriage in effect --it's JetBlue's
The bigger issue is potential confusion and/or unhappiness with the customer base about fees versus no fees. It's very subjective to guess the amount of bad will Southwest is building based on hammering away at the evil of various fees charged by other airlines, while still charging those same fares at a large subsidiary. Early on it probably wasn't as big a deal, as "nothing will change right away" makes sense. But as more and more time passes, and as Southwest increasingly intermixes with AirTran, the fees charged by AirTran are likely to be increasingly glaring.
#14
Join Date: Oct 2005
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#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 187
what about IROPs?
Does FL put passengers on WN flights when FL has maintenance issues? Is it possible those FL pax are paying for bags that travel on WN planes while the WN pax are not?