AA to charge for FIRST checked bag
 

well, it's bad enough that more bags are being checked because of our friends at TSA, but the airlines apparently see this is another revenue stream so.....

American Airlines to begin charging for first checked bag

11 comments May. 21, 2008 07:29 AM
Associated Press

FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines said Wednesday it will start charging $15 for the first checked bag, cut domestic flights and lay off workers as it grapples with record-high fuel prices.

The nation's largest carrier said the fee for the first checked bag starts June 15 and that it would raise other fees for services ranging from reservation help to oversized bags.

American plans to cut domestic flight capacity by 11 percent to 12 percent in the fourth quarter. American had previously expected fourth-quarter capacity to fall 4.6 percent from the same period in 2007.

Parent AMR Corp. said reduced flying will lead to an undisclosed number of job cuts at both American and its American Eagle subsidiary.

AMR expects to retire 45 to 50 planes from its fleet, most of them gas-guzzling MD-80 aircraft. Those were the plane grounded for faulty wiring last month.

American said rising oil prices have increased its expected annual fuel costs by nearly $3 billion since the start of the year.

AMR shares tumbled $1, or 12.3 percent, to $7.20 after the announcement.

Look for security line wait times to triple. It will be interesting to see the type of stuff people try to bring on board.

And I don't get this "cost of fuel" nonsense. RAISE PRICES TO COVER FUEL COSTS. How tough is that? What does a checked bag have to do with anything? Does a bag weigh less if it is in the cabin instead of the cargo hold? Why the nickel-and-dime stuff?

Booking engines. Now that the compare engines are able to rank by all-in cost, airlines are desperate to add fees that won't show in the all-in calculation.

I agree - this will have a disproportionate impact on the TSA screening process as folks carry more on-board. On the other hand, as AA (and others) reduce capacity and raise fares, fewer folks will fly, reducing the check-point impact (unless TSA cuts staff again).

My first reaction to this: "Is this a joke?"

Even worse - everyone will try to carry luggage on to avoid fees. Overhead storage will fill, and then half the passangers will have to check bags. But imagine the anger as the airline tries to collect the $15 from the "forced" checked bags - and the delay as they try to collect the money. Plus they will need to know, is it the first checked bag, or the second (to know what to charge) - what a mess! There is going to be even more than the usual stampede to rush to get on the plane first. I am only chuckling for a few hours (since I don't fly AA), as I am sure NW will be the first to match the policy!

The effect of this policy on the TSA check point will be huge. It could easily cause a rise of 25% or more of the amount of bags people try to carry on. Just talking to my In-laws this weekend about the new policy for charging for the 2nd bag and how they would now have to start carrying on. They travel a couple of times a year and would always check all their bags so they could carryon nothing, thus not have to fight for bin space, and thus sit comfortably during boarding and board last.

We are going to see longer lines at the TSA checkpoint, more confusion on what can be carried on, more pressure on the TSO's to judge is someone is trying to carryon too large a bag...

It's getting rough out there.
__________________________________________________ ___
"America's greatest homeland security rests in liberty."

Mark Sanford, Governor of South Carolina in a letter to Michael Chertoff protesting REAL ID

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/fil...letterdhs1.pdf

No joke. See: http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/
and http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24756513

Grandfather Clause??
 

Does this affect those who purchased tickets BEFORE the announcement made today regarding the $15 first checked bag?? This blows...i have a flight coming up June 25th too which I bought the ticket 2 months ago.

If AA manages to get away with this, soon the rest will follow suit ... :mad:

Is a gate checked bag, like on a RJ, a carry on, a checked bag, or a semi checked bag for the bargain rate of $7.50?

Everyone will toss their liquids from their checked bag and max out their carry ons.

In case you missed it, here is a picture of a CRJ maxed out with carry ons: click the third picture from the left:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/20...re-photography

Happy screenings, TSA :D

It's a device to raise prices without advertising it "at the pump."

Like you, most people decouple the act of purchasing airfare from checking a bag. But for airlines looking to increase revenue without sending an obvious market signal, nickel and diming pax at check-in is the perfect solution for the near-term.

Sneaky? You bet. Does the market allow it? Absolutely. Will pax be able to effectively revolt (against an ersatz fare hike)? We'll see.

AA baggage policy makes business travel a hassle
 

This new AA policy will cause more delays through security, longer boarding times and more disruption to my business travel schedule. Flyers trying to save $15 will be filling up the overhead bins, meaning that I face the real risk of having to check a bag on many flights (even though I paid double or triple the cost of their tickets). I can't afford the risk of that delay if I'm running a tight schedule, so as a business traveller I'll avoid AA.

And hope the rest don't follow suit :( , although I suspect the charge will not apply to Y, J etc. fares.

This will be interesting; WN won't do it, the other LCCs probably will (or already have). Legacies ? UA and US will go along, but the new DL/NW I'm not so sure. It will only take one hold-out and it'll fall apart.

AC have already done this in a kind of reverse fashion, if you don't check bags they reduce the fare ($5 IIRC).

The AP just reported that DL is balking here is part of the quote.
"The planned fee on the first checked bag immediately ran into resistance. Delta Air Lines Inc. spokeswoman Betsy Talton said the Atlanta-based airline is considering all of its options in light of $130-a-barrel oil, but doesn't plan to match the $15 fee American announced."

So maybe it will fall apart ^

Sam

This is OK
 

There's nothing wrong with charging for baggage.

They should also think about charging for carry-on items.

Another concept would be to add a weight fee, so that the combined weight of the passenger and all items checked or carried on board is captured.

I don't have any trips currently booked with AA, and I'm trying to decide whether it's worth the trouble to put up with what will almost certainly be a massive headache. And I'm Plat for this year and already made at least Gold through early 2010, so I won't even be paying this fee (yet)!

Eventually we'll reach a state where we will be charged for carryons as well, and then charged a "boarding fee" to actually use the ticket we've already purchased. :mad:

You already are; it goes to the TSA.

Yay, DeltaWest ^

No.

From the AA website: http://www.aa.com/apps/netSAAver/Vie...omotionContent

Customers who purchase domestic economy class tickets on or after May 12, 2008 but before June 15, 2008 may check one bag for free and check a second bag for $25 each way. Customers who purchase domestic economy class tickets on or after June 15, 2008 will be charged $15 each way for the first checked bag and $25 each way for the second checked bag. Our carry-on policy of one personal item (such as a purse or laptop bag) plus one bag remains in place.

Please click one of the Quick Reply icons in the posts above to activate Quick Reply.

PLT and EXP exempt?
 

Do we have any indication that non-pax will be immune to this extra charge? (Gld,plt,exp)

Can I get a discount if I bring a few liters of jetfuel to help offset my costs?

Gate-checked bags are free (at least on NW).

This almost has to be true. Otherwise can you imagine the scene on the plane:

> FA: Sorry, that guy just took up the last overhead space, so he gets to carry his bag for free but you have to pay $15.

> Pax: Mass grumbling and complaining.

> Pax: I don't want to/don't have $15 on me!

> FA: I'll go get the credit card machine.

> This is the captain speaking. We'll be delayed here for 15 minutes while we collect more money from folks.

> Pax: Here, I'll move this other person's bag, they can pay the $15!

> FA: Sir, you can't do that! (or not).

> Pax: Why should I pay but not him?

etc...

Only airplanes and submarines can charge for air
 

I imagine a church type collection plate next to the boarding door with a sign: "Notice to Deltaworst Passengers: Our flight crew took a 30% pay cut in the merger and we're plenty p*ss*d off about it. If this plate contains $243.18 by takeoff to bring us up to our old level the pilot will ;) remember ;) to pressurize the cabin. Do you want to breathe vacuum or oxygen today? PS we've got our own masks. Give generously." :D

I came squeaky close to booking on AA for a trip in July....

(waits for other shoe to drop)

Hmm... at least they're not charging for EXP, Plt and Gld members.

Otherwise AA would be seeing little to none of my business.

AWESOME! Thank you for the find! :)

Stupid, stupid, stupid. This just angers me to no end.

Actually, it will be pretty crazy even if gate checking ends up being free. Half the carryons on every flight will need to be gate-checked - that's gotta take a lot of time.

Misery has befallen us
 

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 ? :confused:

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).