No - I wasn't referring specifically to MiNi fares. (KLM also has no luggage allowance for many European flights, too).
The price per bag goes up, the more pieces you have. And rather start counting from the first bag that needs payment, they actually start counting from all the bags that you used up in your free baggage allowance (if any).
Your free baggage allowance (whether as part of your ticket, or as part of your status perks) has the effect of "waiving" the fees that would normally be chargeable for those bags [if any, on longhaul the first bag always goes free]. Which means that your "first" payable bag will often come in at the more expensive rate, because it's not a first/second bag (which get a cheaper rate, for those who cannot benefit from the "waiver" discussed above).
So, an economy flyer without a baggage allowance on shorthaul in Europe pays €20/30 [advance/airport] for this first checked bag.
The same flyer would get that fee "waived" if they had status - but, if they check a second bag, the fee has now risen to €45/70, because this is no longer a "first" bag, but a second (and hence, more expensive) bag.
This affects everyone. Even someone travelling in La Première. If they go over their 3*32kg allowance (4*32kg allowance for status holders), and they wish to check an additional bag (which can only be 23kg!!), they get hit with a fourth/fifth bag fee, rather than the cheaper "first" bag fee. (Well, of course, there is no fee for a "first" bag on longhaul, because everyone gets at least 1*23kg allowance. But, an economy flyer on the same flight,wishing to check in a second 23kg bag, gets a cheaper rate of €80/100. For everyone else - each additional bag is at the higher rate of €160/200
Last edited by irishguy28; Aug 14, 2015 at 7:41 am