fti

That would prompt me to write to DL for clarification. Everything I have read says that your fees are based on the fees for the airline with which you first check in. I seriously think the ticketing agent was mistaken, but without something in writing from DL, you are at their mercy (it is hard to "hang up and call again" when you only have 1 or 2 agents in HSV). Better might be to see what the kiosk says when one tries to check in at the kiosk.

DiverDave

Last trip, the kiosk in HSV only offered options up to 2 bags. No option to go past 2.

I thought that was odd, so I did write to Delta for clarification. I was told that they would collect a bag fee if I checked more than two because AS only allows two free bags in FC. This was reiterated several times in follow-up e-mails.

I am dumbfounded, since as you note, this has not been the standard. I will be checking in again on Sunday to go to FAI, and I will see what happens this time. There will be a minor difference this time in that my SEA-FAI leg is on AS ticket stock this time, last time it was a Delta code share.

I started a thread on this a couple of weeks back, but it didn't garner much interest. I'm surprised it didn't get folded into the most minor complaint thread, but it didn't even merit that.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...tegration.html

David

fti

Whose ticket stock the tickets are issued on should be irrelevant and that is different than codeshare agreements that you mentioned. With codeshares (nothing to do with ticket stock, one or two tickets, etc) you always follow the rules of the operating carrier of the first flight you check in with.

In any case, it will be interesting to see what happens on Sunday. Let us know.

DiverDave

Once again, the kiosk only gave me the option for up to two bags.

David

craig44485

Just wondering if these baggage fees are mere rip offs to milk more money out of the public. For instance, I watched a man check in 1 bag, he had no status, so the fee was $25. When he put the bad on the scale, it weighed 54lbs, now the fee goes to $100, but the GA was kind enough to let him remove 4 lbs and repack right there. So he removed 6 lbs, and carried that item on as one of his 2 allowable carry on's.

Now, either way, that extra 4lbs got on to that plane, does it matter if it was in the luggage bay or in the overhead compartment? So they would have charged him $100 if he could not repack, but either way the 4 lbs is going on the plane for that flight. Just a rip of?? hmmmm???? Now he has 2 items to carry on and take up more overhead space and needing more time to board and deplane. When will this end??

hyflyer

So where do you draw the line as to what is too much weight?

Zomba

Think of the baggage handlers. The total weight of the aircraft hasn't changed, but consider all the touch points for the checked baggage. Baggage handling isn't free to the airlines, so I have no problem with passengers being charged for luggage (as long as this is disclosed during the sale of the ticket).

formeraa

I don't think any of the legacy carriers really want to charge for luggage or food for that matter. However, the public simply won't pay the full cost of the flight+luggage+food. So, they de-bundled the prices.

That said, air travel (leisure travel) is still a bargain compared to what many of us paid in 80's and most of the 90's. However, now I have to pay extra for luggage and food -- still far less in real dollars compared to what I paid 20 or, even, 30 years ago.

craig44485

Used to be 70 lbs, and either way, if you pay the extra "overweight fee" they just put a tag on it marking it as overweight, so they are still forced to handle it either way. I suppose the extra $75 would go towards workers compensation in case of a back injury for the worker.

davetravels

Rip off? I'd say no. A new(ish) way to milk more $$$ out of customers - Absolutely!

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this statement. I don't really think it was a kind gesture. If my bag is over a by few lbs, and I state that I'm going to take a few things out and stuff them in my carry-on, I don't think the agent can possibly say - "No, you can't do that - Once it's on the scale, it's too late".

Just a side note, that I've witnessed pax with bags 2 lbs overweight that have paid the fee - and overheard them state that they don't feel like taking things out! Amazing!

javabytes

Somebody's got to lift all those checked bags. You lug around your own carry-on.

huge

I know this has been discussed, but my situation is slightly complicated and it seems like things might be changing recently, so I'm going to present my situation and see if anyone can give some clarity...

I'm flying RT from Seattle to St Thomas (in the USVI, designated as "Carribbean" and treated in almost all ways as a domestic flight) with a layover in ATL in both directions. Flights Dec 4/5 (redeye) - Dec 15 return.

Mrs Huge (PM) is flying with me (GM) outbound, but taking different flights home. My sister and her husband (no status) are with me for the whole itinerary, but they are together on a separate PNR from mine.

Both Huges have Delta Amex and Amex Platinum cards. My Delta Gold Amex was used to buy my ticket and my sister & bro-in-law's.

Outbound I believe we can clearly take at least four checked bags without fees (two for me, two for Mrs). We can take 1-2 more if 1-2 Huges get upgraded (on all legs? first leg only?) before airport checkin.

On the return flights it gets stickier, because Mrs Huge won't be with us and because we might have boxes of DUTY-FREE RUM!! with us that we'll want to check. So we might have something like 5 checked bags between the three of us and only one measly GM to try and cover them all.

Previous posts indicate that this all is likely moot - that if you check-in with other passengers and you have status and you ask to have their baggage fees waived, that they will get waived whether you are on the same PNR or not. But a couple of posts hinted that this might be harder to achieve lately. Thoughts?

If I ran into trouble I guess I could try to get my companions bags in under my Delta Amex card, but I don't know whether that would help me to say "I want my two free bags each because I'm GM, and I want them to get one free bag each because I have this credit card".


And then there's the "companion upgrade" issue, which I'm guessing is a non-issue for the SEA/ATL flights, but maybe we have a crazy long-shot chance on the ATL/STT flights. (Mrs Huge is already UG on ATL-STT)

I've never requested a companion upgrade before. Should I request it at T-25 over the phone? At the airport? Is there *any* chance that requesting companion upgrades will hurt my chances of getting UG'd (given that we are on different PNR's)? I'm guessing that the best way to go is for me to call in and request companion UG for my sis, and Mrs Huge could do the same for bro-in-law. (And then on the return I can only request an UG for one of them)


Sorry it's so long ... feel free to throw an answer/correction at only one of my questions if that's what you can help with. Thanks for slogging through my blather.

-huge

Icypackattack

So I'm flying from SLC to PDX on Delta and then I fly on United from PDX to ORD to CMX.

I was wondering if I am going to end up paying fees again when I transfer in PDX ?

Thanks for the help!!

Dovster

If both segments are on a single itinerary and the bags are transferred from one plane to the other then, no, you will not be charged twice.

If you have to retrieve your bags and re-check them, then, yes, you will be charged twice.

DJMeatBall

so show both itineraries to the agent at your first airport and ask for interlined luggage all the way to CMX.