While I don't disagree about the ever-decreasing lack of competition in general and it being a bad thing, if you simply ban fees for the first checked bag, the airlines who presently charge them will just find other fees to make up for the revenue. The possibilities are endless and ULCCs already impose some of these...

- Ticket booking fees
- Checked bag is free but lower the limit for imposing "heavy bag fee"
- Fee to speak to an agent in person or telephone
- Fees for large carry-ons
- Charge for bottled water, soft drinks, etc. oboard
- Seat selection fee
- Fee for printing a BP at the airport

I totally agree that government regulation is necessary, especially when it come to regulating an industry that proves itself time and time again to be unethical and untrustworthy at almost every possible opportunity. The airline cartel has proven that it can't regulate itself - I get that.

However, I'd rather the government focus on the behaviors of that industry as opposed to regulating the very existence of a legitimate part of the product out of existence. I've booked a couple ULCC tickets in the past year and I'm glad those offerings exist. Perhaps there are *some* garbage fees that don't deliver a legitimate product that should not be legal (ticket booking fees via an airline's own website, for example), but baggage fees seem like fair game provided they're clearly advertised through any booking channel where you can buy that airline's tickets.

Incorrect. I pay bag fees out of my own pocket all the time, and I think regulating the fees is a lousy idea.

Free market, baby. It's what makes America great.

If you fly US domestic airlines more than once a year, get a CC which give you free 1st bag. Problem solved.

I would prefer an incremental charge for overweight fees (like, $5 for every lb) because having bags that are consistently 51-52 lbs and getting charged $75 (sometimes the price of my ticket) for that extra lb is extremely frustrating.

But no way is this every happening unless the whole system goes to that process. A bowler can dream though...

It's great...where there's actually competition. That's where the government regulators have failed...not the individual products/services offered by airlines.

I avoid paying bag fees out of pocket *almost* all the time. Especially if a legacy airline is involved. It's one of those things that would just gnaw at me...make me angry to do if I was also buying an expensive ticket.

On the flip side, if I buy a ULCC ticket (at a proper ULCC base fare), then paying for a checked bag doesn't bother me. If 4 of us travel, we can probably do 1 checked bag and 4 underseat bags. Traveling this way (and with the whole ULCC circus in general) has its pros and cons, but like I said...I'm glad it exists.

It'd be nice if there was real competition in between the ULCC's and the legacy+WN cartel. I guess if you live in a strong Jetblue or Alaska city, you probably have this. But the government's allowance of the consolidation of power at the top makes it very tough for new players to enter this middle ground space.

Your suggestion that there's a lack of competition doesn't hold water. FedEx, UPS, etc. each provide an alternative - and they all cost more for a less-convenient service.

If one compares bag fees with what the cost would be to get that bag to your destination via any other service, one quickly discovers that the bag fees are a bargain.

I can get from my garage to the gate (the gate, not the airport) in 30 minutes not checking a bag. If I check a bag it might take 5 or so minutes longer. What takes you so long?

If you're going to use that logic, don't forget about Greyhound. ;)

Greyhound used to be cheaper. Not any longer. And it's a true PITA to use unless you're staying very near a bus station (and I don't think that applies to most of us here on FT ...).

I used to use Greyhound to ship bulky field equipment a number of years ago. Most recent experience was last fall, and I looked into ways to ship bulky equipment to Alabama via UPS, Greyhound, FedEx Ground Freight, and checked baggage. Using the airline was not only by far the most convenient, but substantially less expensive than any of the alternatives - even for the fourth package checked (which was $200!).

It's the same way with golf clubs. Unless I have a buddy who is flying private or driving to our golf vacation spot, I'll just check the golf bag. Alternatives are all substantially more expensive, unless it's the third bag checked (and I don't need to check more than two under any vacation circumstances).

Just once I'd like to see them board a plane in reverse order according to how much carry-on luggage a person has. Yes it would be a cluster but I'll put up with the extra boarding time to sit back and watch the final few come in with their full bundles in tow.

I know you're joking, but we really should count Greyhound, Amtrak, rental cars, etc. The issue is not that there are no alternatives. There are very few cities in the US that cannot be connected by a method other than airplane. People don't take airlines because they're cheap, or comfortable, or serve great food.

An airline's core competency is speed. You could get from New York to LA without taking an airplane, but it would take you four days and probably cost you more in gas, food and lodging than a flight.

But you'd save a bag fee.

Mike

By your logic, we should also include walking, running, cycling, horseback riding, and (in some cases) swimming.

No, we should not consider Greyhound as viable competition to the airline cartel. I was indeed joking.

Horseback riding? Thus leading to the question, when the Pony Express guys carried bags of mail, did they have to pay for them? :D

Mike