UA Reduces Free Checked Luggage To 1 Bag For Non-Elites, Will CO Match?
 

"As part of its continuing effort to offer customers choice, flexibility, and low fares, United is announcing a new, simplified checked bag policy for customers who purchase nonrefundable domestic economy tickets. United's new checked bag policy is available at united.com/baggage.

Customers who purchase nonrefundable domestic economy tickets and do not have status in Mileage Plus or Star Alliance may check one bag for free and a second bag for a $25 service fee."

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080204/aqm078.html?.v=37

So, will CO match? Will UA back down if the rest of the Big 6 don't match?

Or is this all just a preparation for CoUniHound?

At least it's :-: simplified :-:

I guess it sucks for ma and pop but they aren't really important customers aside from filling marginal revenue. Anyone with any status still gets 2/3 bags.

Don't know if CO or if it will stick, this time...

But, I would be shocked if, in 5 years, 2 bags remains the standard for US carriers. The standard in Europe and Asia, at least, is 20kg in coach, which works out about the same as 1 bag.

It is sad to see an airline such as United which has the great potential to be a leading premium service airline has such a lack of management that they have become more of a discount airline then Southwest and ATA. It is a shame that Continental did not purchase United when it was in bankruptcy and turn this now pathetic airline into a world class airline.

united is so poorly run it's almost laughable. your mileage may vary (YMMV).

This really seems like the type of policy that will piss off the maximal number of people, while not raising much additional revenue.

Unless of course everyone else matches this fantastic enhancement...

UA's a strange beast - and certainly a different management philosophy seems to prevail amongst Tilton's C Suite managers than their respective peers at CO.

That said, UA is all over the place.

I've had excellent FA's/GA's/phone reps/etc. with UA and I've had some real stinkers too. As an 'empowered customer' I've been able to do more with UA than I could with CO (from upgrades to reroutes) but this on account of learning how their system works (or fails) and maximizing the various nuances of it.

But beyond how the system can be worked it is a shame the powers that be at UA, from the execs to labor, are not willing to sit down and figure out how to go forward.

They have great hubs, an impressive route structure, and a strong FFP...if only they had equally as impressive vision. :(

While impressive, these are all unsustainable for UA in the not-so-long run, even if the world economy were still booming.

I think UA will make out just great on it. Everyone said once AA started charging $2 a bag for Curbside Check-in it would be short lived, well not only does AA still charge the $2 a bag but other carriers have joined them.

Seems UA wont be charging their Elites or at least their 2 top levels, the people it will hit the most are those who Bottom fish for their 1 or 2 tkts they buy a year.

I guess UA could have raised their fares but that would have impacted everyone. I doubt it would drive that much Biz away from UA, and those that dont buy from UA werent the ones keeping UA in the Black anyway.

As a customer had I been forced to absorb the charge I would never fly UA again. Unless everyone matches, this won't stick long term. I remember when UA limited carry on size with covers on xray machines at airports forcing people to check baggage and NOW they want people to carry on. I flew to GYE this weekend and I was reminded just how amazingly user friendly CO is, the last real airline in the US.

Off-topic, but do you guys realize how fast UA is shrinking its domestic operation?

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080204/aqm190.html?.v=17

Domestic capacity is down 10.7% from last year, and revenue traffic down 12.4%.

I think it's great. If you can't get your belongings into 1 checked plus a carry-on, you're taking TOO MUCH. If you really need a pile of things, you're going to pay for the priviledge. $25 is a lot less than sending goods UPS air or FEDEX.

Sure, it will hurt the VFR's. But they're the exact rookie's who bog down the whole system.

I think we've all seen travelers with AGGREGIOUS amounts of baggage at the airport. I'd swear they're MOVING, not traveling. Why should I wait for all that baggage to be processed? Why should I wait longer for MY bag to come off at the other end?

I think other carriers will eventually follow. Carrying around an extra couple of tons of needless baggage costs a lot of money. Heck, Air Canada is so conservative, they'll barely let me bring my laptop on-board.

It's the wave of the future.

It's not a manner of 'if' CO will follow, but when.

Crazy. Is there a game show like "What will they think of next?" that UA execs could appear on. Maybe they'd win enough to save the airline.

A couple of posters have suggested that 1 bag is more than enough. I generally agree, but when I have more than one bag/ticket the second is usually golf clubs or a pack-n-play for the kid to sleep in. $50 (RT) is a pretty high premium to take some insurance for when the Hilton "cannot guarantee" the requested crib will be available.

As another poster said, I'll be a lot of ma and pa kettles pay this fee once, and that will be the last time they fly UA. Airlines have to fill the front, AND the back, to make money these days.

Amen to that - watch the vacation golf crowd run from UA like the plague.