<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by rollyo11:
Come to think of it, how how was this more efficient for the company? Especially considering I left with quite a bad taste in my mouth RE: alaska's newfound level customer service I continue read about all over this board.</font>
Well, despite the fact that you don't want to hear it - 50 pounds is 50 pounds. If they make an exception for someone at 52 pounds, they'll have to start doing it for everyone who asks. And then the people with 53 pounds will complain until exceptions are made, and so on - until there is zero enforcement of the weight rule whatsoever.
The logic for AS (or any airline, for that matter) to charge extra for oversized luggage is that the increased weight of any bag will increase the risk of injury for their baggage handlers. And while the real risk for a 52 pound bag is no more, in reality, than for a 50 pound bag - there has to be a cutoff somewhere.
IMO, I think AS, by giving your wife a bag to check to get under the weight limit, exhibited pretty good customer service on their behalf. After all, they could have just said "Sorry about the luck, would you like to pay by cash or credit card?", right?
Mike
[This message has been edited by nako (edited Dec 16, 2003).]