Zone 4!
#46
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP, DL FO, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 6,712
It still means wasting time stopping by the check-in counter, diverting from how I usually exit the airport, still almost guarantees a wait unless I'm in the back of the airplane, and also risks getting my bag lost. I have zero desire to deal with any of that. Way worse than the alternative.
#47
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,994
...which means you're waiting even longer for your bags. Delta wants 40K SkyPesos to be worth $400. $400 is not worth a year of spending an extra 20-30 minutes per trip at the airport. That's an hourly rate of around $15-30 even if you fly just weekly. Would you work for that amount of money?
#48
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,268
...which means you're waiting even longer for your bags. Delta wants 40K SkyPesos to be worth $400. $400 is not worth a year of spending an extra 20-30 minutes per trip at the airport. That's an hourly rate of around $15-30 even if you fly just weekly. Would you work for that amount of money?
I can remember getting off the plane next to a guy with a Platinum brag tag on his carry on who was all 'It's Saturday night and I see people getting off an Allegiant flight over there. It's always 23-25 minutes when you land the same time as Allegiant because they don't have enough baggage handlers to keep up with how the airport is growing. Don't forget to claim your miles."
And unknown Platinum guy was right- Thanks!
#49
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,994
I do pretty well at VPS making claims in the 20-25 minutes after cabin door opens time band. It's a small airport so it's never going to take too long, but things do bottleneck if they get two mainline planes in at about the same time and it's cheaper for Delta's accounting ledger to issue some service recovery miles because a handful of flights tend to have a median of 23 minutes to carousel than to hire another ramp agent (either working directly or throwing more into the contract ramp agent kitty).
I can remember getting off the plane next to a guy with a Platinum brag tag on his carry on who was all 'It's Saturday night and I see people getting off an Allegiant flight over there. It's always 23-25 minutes when you land the same time as Allegiant because they don't have enough baggage handlers to keep up with how the airport is growing. Don't forget to claim your miles."
And unknown Platinum guy was right- Thanks!
I can remember getting off the plane next to a guy with a Platinum brag tag on his carry on who was all 'It's Saturday night and I see people getting off an Allegiant flight over there. It's always 23-25 minutes when you land the same time as Allegiant because they don't have enough baggage handlers to keep up with how the airport is growing. Don't forget to claim your miles."
And unknown Platinum guy was right- Thanks!
Point is, checking a bag rarely makes sense, and 2500 skypesos every few weeks certainly doesn't make up for it.
#51
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
Like, why would you care enough about other people checking bags to get into an argument on the internet and tell them they're wrong? Who cares? They're not trying to make you check your own bags.
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,199
#53
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
Well there are some things other people do that actually have an impact me. Checking bags isn't one of them. If anything, more people checking their bags is good for people who only carry-on.
#55
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,268
Fundamental point: I'm cheap. Really really cheap in a picks up pennies from the street level cheap. I love All The Free Things and am more than glad to pick up a few pseudo-service recovery miles here and there .
#56
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
#57
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,994
@pvn's comment - you are right, different people have different opportunity costs and preferences. For me checking a bag falls squarely into the "never makes sense" category, but for others perhaps it does.
#58
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
I like free stuff.
#59
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,268
In an uncompetitive market situation, my cheap self arbitrages the heck out of FF miles and typically gets 2 cents a mile or better on redemptions. (Another reason why I'm not part of the WN cult- dollar based redemptions with them are v. poor rates compared to those that I can float a bit)
#60
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,994
Those cash prices are if you're talking competitive markets. In the land where Delta has probably 70% of the local passenger and gate counts, I've got a hard time finding cash fares for where and when I want to go and do not involve a departure time of the butt crack of dawn for less than $400 or so, With miles from here, I can 'pay' 27.5K with about two weeks notice for far better flight times so the Spousal Unit can go to a family memorial service on the other side of the country when the cash price was something like $650 round trip for bog standard economy.
In an uncompetitive market situation, my cheap self arbitrages the heck out of FF miles and typically gets 2 cents a mile or better on redemptions. (Another reason why I'm not part of the WN cult- dollar based redemptions with them are v. poor rates compared to those that I can float a bit)
In an uncompetitive market situation, my cheap self arbitrages the heck out of FF miles and typically gets 2 cents a mile or better on redemptions. (Another reason why I'm not part of the WN cult- dollar based redemptions with them are v. poor rates compared to those that I can float a bit)
I'm sure there can be some decent last minute deals but for leisure travel I do actually book pretty far in advance so that doesn't give me much value. But, as mentioned above, different people face different opportunity costs so it may make sense in your case but not in mine.