Originally Posted by CDTraveler

Maybe it is common knowlege in your circle, but to assume that everyone, everywhere, shares that knowledge is both silly and arrogant. Your sig line indicates you work for an airline so it isn't surprising you know of the fees; but do you read blogs on subjects unconnected to your life, your work or your general interests? How about newspaper articles on topics you are unfamiliar with, do you read those on a regular basis?

Just recently I was helping a friend plan a trip for her teenage daughter. Even though the mom is a college educated professional, she's never traveled by air. Hasn't needed to, hasn't wanted to, so she asked me for help figuring out how to send her teen to visit relatives 3,000 miles away. Because she isn't generally interested in air travel, she had no knowledge of TSA rules, baggage fees or a dozen other little quirks of air travel. While FT'ers might label her a "kettle" because she isn't a frequent flyer, it certainly doesn't make her stupid, it just means that air travel is outside her areas of interest, and I would venture to guess she is not the only person unfamiliar with baggage fees, despite the regular mention of such fees in the media.