Are you serious? I think you have stocks in American Airlines to make such specious comments. I can understand charging for the second checked luggage but to charge for the first piece of luggage is egregious.

The other posters are correct about the impact this will have at TSA. As for me, I avoid carry-on due to the theatrical nature of TSA and the spectacle that may occur at secondary. If I can get away with it, I would check-in only wearing a hospital gown for efficiency.

Just when I thought I can check-in my luggage which contains liquids, now I would be forced to buy such items at my destination point. These days $15 is a lot of money for people who are cutting back on expenses and foregoing breakfast just to save a few dollars. The only good thing about this is that we Americans will soon shed a lot of pounds in the interim while we cut back on high grocery bills.

I pray that the new administration would be wise to see the adverse impact on the traveling public and on the airlines and reverse this nonsense about bringing liquids onboard. We are now caught between a rock and a hard place. If I purchase liquids at my destination it may negate saving the $15 for the first luggage checked. Misery has befallen us.

I asked this question on another thread ---

Is air still free?

Gate-check will remain free. No way they start charging for it; there are too many logistical and other issues to deal with. And, yes, people will now carry-on more, leading to longer lines at the TSA checkpoints and more chaos on boarding as there will be less space in the overheads. It is going to suck, even for folks who normally wouldn't be checking luggage anyways.

Ironically this policy may lead towards elites/FFers checking bags since it will be free for them and they'll not want to fight for overhead space. I won't go that route but some might.

Have a look at what goes on in Europe. Many carriers charge for checked baggage and limit the number and weight of carryon items. We've had it pretty good in the US for a long time.

As of right now, we don't deal with trying to figure out if a bag is a carryon or a checked bag (unless of course it is obviously a checked bag). The contract ticket checkers would do that, but not us.
This is going to be a pain in the a$$, and I am glad that I don't work at an AA CP. I wonder what the fees will be for parents travelling with strollers and carseats?

Totally agree, as long as it fits through the xray, I could care less! Last week I sat a Delta agent call a PAX out of the screening area to come and get his bag. He was told that TSA wouldn't accept the bag in the back because it didn't have a $25 dollar tag on it. Since when do we look for checked luggage tags, those bags zip through the machine, we could care less it they paid extra to check it or not! Don't people hate us enough without blaming the extra cost to check a bag on us?

Huh ?

I had to read this one multiple times as well. I'm guessing this meant the $25 excess weight fee imposed by DL on a checked bag. Sound like the DL agent referenced tried to "blame TSA" for the bag not being accepted.

Given that a number of European airlines have had charges for all checked bags for some time now and yet seem to have no problems, you'd have to wonder why Americans are unable to do the same

Hopefully the plan will de-rail if no one else follows; DL has stated they will not follow.

I do believe, if the airlines are going to charge for luggage, that they should keep a "free" allowance for items such as liquids, but then base the charge on weight.

i.e. 1st bag upto 20 lbs free. Anything about 20 lbs will attract a per pound fee.

On the other side of the coin, it is rare that I check luggage. I manage with a roll-a-board and a backpack (made specifically for laptop), despite the BS liquid rules. Roll-a-board fits above (wheels in first) and backpack goes under the seat.

The heavier a plane is, the more it costs to operate. The person who uses their full luggage allotment at the max weight (i.e. 49.5 lbs a bag) uses more resources and costs more. Combine that by 50% of the passengers on a plane, and that is a lot of weight being carried that the other 50% isn't carrying.

I do believe there are other approaches airlines can use .. and overall, I don't see a problem with a pay for what you use concept .. but until the TSA does away with the liquid farce, pax should at least be able to pack a small, light-weight bag for liquids & such for free (included in the price of the ticket).

I'm not an air warrior like many of you, but I do my fair share of domestic and TATL flights a year and have for many years. you regulars likely have a better perspective on this than I do.

I do agree with others that this move is likely to make boarding a bigger mess than it is right now as everyone fights for overhead bin space. And, I also believe the airlines have to do something to cover shyrocketing costs...but let's get real.

Strictly from a Customer Service (sorry, I had to say it)...and PR perspective...it seems just plain dumb to continue to tack on these annoying fees. It seems to me that ratcheting up fuel surcharges is legit...everyone's dealing with it at home, at work and would make the connection with flying. Unless, of course, I'm completely naive and it's really not about covering increaed fuel costs but just an excuse to make a few extra bucks.

my concern is a longer backup at the checkin counter. i usually check in online or at a kiosk, but if i for some reason have to talk to a ticket agent, will i have to wait FOREVER while people pay the $15 to check their bags? this could mean that lines at the ticket counters will become unbearable.

Delta is already charging $25 for gate checked bags on non-regional jets. Credit cards only. If you don't have a credit card, they send you all the way back out to the ticket counter to check your extra bag.

They don't care if you miss your flight!

Because (correct me if I'm wrong) those are low-cost airlines. Some LCCs in the US also charge for just about everything, but this represents further "dumbing-down" of the once-proud Class 1 carriers (aka "legacy").

As I posted elsewhere, just raise the fares and be done with this nickel-and-diming.

Admittedly, I've only flown non-U.S. carriers as part of a codeshare or NF/NC award. But I've never seen any evidence of per bag fee collections as such at European airports; just for over-weight bags, extra bags, odd-sized checked items. What am I missing?