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Indeed there are :(

DOT regs don't prohibit interlined bags on separate tickets.

The regs that went into effect - nearly a year ago - sought to specify which airline rules were followed for fee collection. This is an airline cash grab (AS follows US, HA and DL) with an allusion to DOT regs to disguise it.

oh...so then isnt that a federal crime ? maybe I should email my clients and say. Due to new FTC regulations I must collect an additional $20 a transactions to comply will new federal safety standards. No they would be all over my .... You cant cite a government agency in correspondence as a reason you are making money unless its really true, its a federal crime

True enough.

Remember that our congressman, regardless of whether or you agree with his politics or not, is pretty high up on the seniority list. What he says carries some weight. This issue could be a good platform for him to live up to the credo, "Congressman for All Alaska". Esp. since he hails from a village.

Well that guy Ive never been able to agree or disagree with because After a few decades he still isnt clear on where the heck he stands on anything. But as for writing these people. Ive written them all for concerns before and I think two things happen. #1 You get an automated response and secondly #2 you are put on their spam email list for eternity :D

For years the car dealers that I have had the misfortune to deal with have secured monies in their car repair shops by collecting EPA fees....So if it's a federal crime why not sue the whole damn lot of them? Airlines, GM, Ford etc....
This appears to be a poorly disguised fee grab. Shame on Alaska for seeking to dupe it's loyal(?) customers with this TSA BS.

Here's what I just sent to my Rep
 

Feel free to use this/edit this for your message, if you choose to weigh in on this with your Rep/Senator(s). Thanks to Bob W for your astute observations, which I used in my missive.

Dear Congressman:

I am writing to voice my objection to the impact of "Department of Transportation Enhanced Passenger Protection" provisions on airline passengers.

Today, I found out about the changes springing forth from this regulation that Alaska Airlines will implement effective January 13, 2013. I saw them on the Alaska Airlines website. The link is https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...lInfo-policies. I quote:

Effective January 15, 2013: Baggage will only be checked to a stopover point or destination on a single ticket itinerary. Alaska Airlines will no longer check bags through to destinations purchased on a separate ticket. Passengers using multiple tickets to reach their final destination should allow enough time to claim all checked baggage at Alaska Airlines, recheck it with the connecting airline, and pay that airline's applicable baggage fees. Exception: Alaska Airlines will check bags, without additional fees, to another Alaska Airlines operated flight on a separate ticket, provided the applicable maximum layover time is not exceeded.

I believe other airlines are instituting similar procedures.

While I can understand the intent behind this regulation, I am not sure the benefits outweigh the costs. Airline travel is already complicated enough. Starting next month, passengers will have to endure an additional logistical burden, let alone potential extra expense. A fellow traveler put it this way:

"What once was a simple dropoff of bags and stay airside throughout the journey now becomes:

1. Leave security
2. Collect bags
3. Line up at another check-in counter
4. Check bags
5. Potentially pay another baggage fee
6. Clear security and board the next flight"

Alaska Airlines attempts to minimize the impact by claiming that “nothing will change” for over 80% of its customers. Those of us in Alaska travel more by air on multiple carriers than fellow citizens who have access to the Lower 48 road system. The impact here is likely to be more keenly felt, by village residents and urban dwellers alike.

I think this is a regulation with grossly disparate impacts that has not been completely thought through prior to implementation. For this reason, I object to it and request that you ask DOT to delay its implementation until a fairer, more effective plan can be devised, coordinated, and approved.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

dave1013

And let's not forget the untold number of people that have already bought tickets without the additional time needed for this B.S.

Change fees, additional charges for higher priced tickets, etc. is in the offing with this short notice of the change.

Classic government intervention and the law of unintended consequences!

The legislation told the industry how they had to apply baggage fees. The legislation didn't address how to handle interlining with separate tickets. Rather than risk running afoul of the legislation, the industry is choosing to cease offering the service.

I'll bet if the legislation had addressed this situation, the industry would still offer the service.

I was looking at PDX-PHX tickets for the Fiesta Bowl, and expedia was returning options that included a Delta coded Alaska flight connecting to a United coded US flight! Now, who's baggage rules apply to that?!?!?

This will be a nightmare for international transits that heretofore did not require immigration formalities and possible visas just to be able to get your luggage and drop it off at the next carrier. What was a 60 minute connection has now turned into a potential 4 hour ordeal. (Immigration lines, baggage claim, customs, departure check-in lines, departure migration formalities, security, etc.)

Alaska, if Delta discloses and quotes you the AS baggage fee/allowance during the booking process. I do not know if DL's system is that sophisticated enough to automatically identify who you will be checking in with and quote you the appropriate fee/allowance for that airline. Also, in this case, you will only have to pay once since you will be on the same ticket. Granted, if your layover is not considered a stopover [if it is over 4 or 12 hours? I know intl is 24 hours].

In the past, a customer who books a ticket with Alaska then books a separate ticket with United could ask Alaska to interline the bag all the way to the final destination including the US Airways flights. All you had to do was give your e-ticket number for the reservation you booked with UA.

I am still confused exactly what regulation is causing the airlines to do this. So far, to me it seems more like a cash grab that is being masked as government regulation.

HA and DL didn't mention the regulation in their statements, while US and AS did.

The airlines have enough power to ask for clarification on DOT policy.

True for the AS-DL code share. For the United coded US flight please take the following steps:

1. Leave security
2. Collect bags
3. Line up at another check-in counter
4. Check bags
5. Potentially pay another baggage fee
6. Clear security and board the next flight

Have a nice flight:(

Three emails sent that the critters will ignore.

For an award ticket combined with a paid ticket on another airline (i.e., say there's award space to GRU, and you're going to EZE)

1. Apply for Brazilian visa and make an appointment or use a visa service ($160 + two trips to consulate or another fee for the service)
2. Go through Brazil arrival formalities - immigration and customs, including collect bags
3. Line up at another check-in counter
4. Check in and check bags
5. Potentially pay another baggage fee
6. Line up for Brazil exit formalities
7. Clear security and board the next flight

Have a nice flight

This kind of thing is done every day, and transiting through countries that require visas or entry fees (but not for int'l to int'l transit) is currently a breeze if the luggage is interlined, permitting connections of under an hour.

They also have created a situation you can't (pre)pay your way out of, i.e., ok, I'll pay the baggage fee for airline B, but you won't even take their $.