CPH-Flyer

I doubt it is about the money, it is more about the inconvenience. When the travel agent forgets to add a carry one and the traveller has to go through the motions at the airport. Or generally if the travellers have to pay it themselves every time they go flying.

But let's see what happens.

GUWonder

The same kind of thing was said when airlines got rid of included checked baggage allowance in the main cabin, but business travelers who have checked luggage are paying for it and doing so at the airport or earlier. Whether it’s more or less convenient at the airport than earlier, I would say airline baggage fees are generally inconvenient to consumers. And yet I would say that baggage fees are a bigger expense item now on expense reports than they were three, five, ten and fifteen years ago.

CPH-Flyer

Which is indeed true. But it has also caused people to take for more in to the cabin to avoid dealing with checked baggage fees. There was a way out, a way out that would now also be removed. I think this will be opposed far more than checked luggage fees.

There is also a difference between the US market where all domestic Y fares (except Southwest) are without free luggage allowance, and the European market where the legacies offer fares with and without checked luggage.

Often1

No different than food. Years after US carriers had dropped included meals in Y, European carriers trimmed back their Y offering and then largely went to BOB or eliminated it altogether. One would have thought that the world had ended.

Simple fact is that consumers have different expectations.

usbusinesstraveller

True but that can be mitigated by getting a co-branded credit card. All the US carriers� entry level cards offer a free checked bag. So for a couple each with a checked bag on one round trip the baggage fees ($120, 2x $30 each way) can be mitigated by a $95 credit card, fee usually waived for the first year.

And that benefit is now even better as it extends to transatlantic Basic Economy (set up to compete with Norwegian�s lowfare) where the baggage fee is $60 each way (or $240 for a couple round trip).

Stick to one airline, and flying on that airline operated flights, with an entry level co-branded CC and you get most �silver� frequent flier benefits.

I�m pretty sure Norwegian doesn�t have that. If/when they get into financial shape, getting a credit card and offering a decent points system would be a way to go. Credit card revenue (buying miles/points) is a huge revenue source for the US carriers (American would be making losses without it).

In in the meantime the OHB charges and ending lounge access make total sense for an airline turning the corner but needing to get profitable quickly. In the big picture few will notice.

I suspect the end of lounges for Premium Flex was due to the overhead costs of maintaining the lounge contracts more than the individual access fee saving (or the lounges de-prioritizing so few pax unless the fee went up).

CPH-Flyer

I would expect most US business travellers to avoid luggage fees through a combination of status and credit cards. But, when I look at the amount of revenue that the US3 generates on luggage fees, a lot of passengers must be in a situation where they pay for the checked luggage.

I would have expected there to be a good sized segment of leisure travelers who saw the added things in the Premium fare as a good deal. Fast track, lounge, the seat, food, snacks, drinks. That has slowly been eroded away, and the uplift has not become smaller. So it may slowly get more difficult to get people to buy up. The question is if the short term cost gain will be taken away by a long term revenue loss, as fewer people will pay for the sell up.

Trav1970

The credit card route is usually not a solution for people residing outside the US, as you have to be a resident to apply.

31570324

Booked a short haul Norwegian flight from OSL in April. Got a schedule change, flight will depart and arrive 30 minutes later than original booked.
Tried to cancel the flight (I have of course other reasons for the cancellation than this 30 minutes delay), but they say schedule change must be at least 61 minutes to get a free refund. Is this according EU law? Thought if they change the schedule, they must offer a free refund anyway.

mikkelhk

It seems that the definition of a schedule change varies between airlines, and that there's no fixed definition of a minor or major schedule change, ie. not eligible/eligible for a full refund.
Norwegian does indeed put the line at 60 minutes: https://norwegian.custhelp.com/app/a...chedule-change .
Ryanair, for example, puts the line at 2 hours: https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful...efunds/refunds (1/3 down the page).
AFAIK, EU261 only applies for actual delays/cancellations, based on the posted arrival time on that day, no matter what the arrival time was when the ticket was purchased.

James91

I wonder if someone knows the answer to this. I need a one-way ticket to NYC (moving for work). I saw a solid Norwegian deal through Amex Travel and it's "Economy Q" with checked baggage included, but the fare rules don't clarify if the ticket is LowFare+ or not. Is that the type of thing Amex Travel would know or is the 'Checked baggage included' good enough to assume it's LowFare+? I obviously need a checked bag on this itinerary.

irishguy28

If the ticket is sold as having a 23kg bag included, then it has a 23kg bag included.

If for whatever reason it is important for you that you hold a LowFare+ ticket, then book that ticket type direct from DY.

James91

Fair. I had a look on the Travel Agency portal on DY and it says all GDS fares get 2 bags, a seat assignment and a meal so I guess that's that.

WheelsUpGal

Norwegian has cancelled 22 flights.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidni...es-hit-demand/

Often1

Without interline ticketing agreements, those who still want to travel face a steep curve. As a primarily leisure market, I suspect that most of these will simply take a refund and be done.

SJCFlyerLG

Not surprising. Last summer I rolled the dice a bit and booked DY several months in advance. I am considering the same thing for a June trip MIA-LGW. But I think that lost revenue due to COVID-19 could doom DY. I don't see how they can stay alive through a prolonged demand downturn. They are still offering the FL flights, but without any discount. Premium one-way fares are $799 from MIA, $719 from MCO.