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American Airlines to charge for 1st bag
- Thread starter Chip NoVaMac
- Start date
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this is just stupid. bad PR for them and all thats going to happen is that they'll lose customers rather than increase costs somewhere else. tacky.
Okay everyone, calm down, breathe. I can have the Captain drop the Oxygen Masks if you wish...
Think about what it takes to process baggage for the hold.
1. Someone has to inspect the baggage.
2. The baggage has to be tagged and conveyed to the trailer.
3. The trailer has to bring the bag to the aircraft to be loaded.
4. Then the oposite occurs at the destination.
Think about how much it costs to maintain the system to keep track of the bag, the maintenance of the conveyers, the gas for the trucks to take it to the aircraft.
That all adds up.
Instead of upping the ticket price to pay for it, only make the people who are using it pay for it.
It's like the Illinois Tollway system....
(runs for cover...)the problem is, no other airline has had to charge for it yet, so why does AA? it makes no sense, its just ruining your service perspective.
I work in the service industry.
What will otherwise happen, is that they will raise the price of the tickets for EVERYONE and you're paying for someone else's priviledge to handle their bags, and you only have a carry-on.
It's like the tollway system. They were going to do away with it, but then raise everyone's taxes. Then, opponents argued, you're going to make the little-old lady that only drives to the store and church pay for a highway she never uses?
Think about it...
If that's the case, then in light of all the predictions that Social Security will have dried up by the time most of the younger generation reach the age at which they will be eligible for it, they shouldn't be required to pay into it. I personally despise the fact that due to poor government planning I'm paying into a fund I won't get anything out of.
I'm not trying to turn this into a social security discussion, just pointing out that the whole "only make those who use it pay for it" doesn't work all the time.
I'm not trying to turn this into a social security discussion, just pointing out that the whole "only make those who use it pay for it" doesn't work all the time.
^^^
Wait, you just proved my point. People who paid for something may not be getting out what they put in...
People may not want to pay to handle someone else's luggage.
Anyways, the ones that don't charge the fee will just raise the price of tickets for everyone. Someone will always be unhappy.
Trust me, they do take into account the costs for handling baggage.
The people with the bags will pay $25, or instead, everyone will pay an extra $5.
Wait, you just proved my point. People who paid for something may not be getting out what they put in...
People may not want to pay to handle someone else's luggage.
Anyways, the ones that don't charge the fee will just raise the price of tickets for everyone. Someone will always be unhappy.
Trust me, they do take into account the costs for handling baggage.
The people with the bags will pay $25, or instead, everyone will pay an extra $5.
The problem is, it doesn't work like that. I don't support the Iraq war - should I get to say my tax dollars go to something else? I don't support paying millions and millions for superstar athletes to play professional sports - does this mean I should have the ability to have my cable company remove those channels so my monthly bill is in no way providing compensations to those organizations and so on and so on?
I'm not arguing that it's wrong that the people who use it should have to pay, I'm simply pointing out that everyone is pissed because this is out of the blue because NOBODY else does it this way. It's all perception.
If most other people are wrong, should we keep doing the wrong thing?
I don't see anything wrong with it. It is not a big charge, so if you need additional service, then only you get charged for that service. It makes sense to me. The only drawback is the people too cheap to pay for checked baggage, so they will start bringing even more and even bigger carry-ons. It is already a big hassle to find space on the overhead compartments during winter with all those thick coats.
Not at all. As stated earlier, I fully supported the charge of anything beyond your first checked baggage. I just feel it's ridiculous to charge for the very first bag. And I'm not saying that we should continue doing something wrong just because that's how the system is; once again - I am only pointing out that this is the reason people are taking such an offense to it. If it were the norm, we wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place.
Eh..whatever. I don't really see this as a huge issue. It's either raise the entire ticket price, or charge for something if you desperately need it. Yes, it might be a little off balance because the average business traveler only uses carry-on baggage, while the middle-class family of 4 going to Orlando will have to pay an extra $60 to bring their luggage. Still, $60 is cheaper than 1 ticket at DisneyWorld or probably about the same as lunch for 4 ,for that matter.
I usually fly US Airways anyway, I'm just hoping that the other airlines don't jump on the bandwagon and do the same as AA.
I usually fly US Airways anyway, I'm just hoping that the other airlines don't jump on the bandwagon and do the same as AA.
It's like the Illinois Tollway system....
*Throws an iPass at ya!*
We got us some of them hight speed trains already! (Japan that is)
Anyway, some have posted that those wanting to take advantage of service should be willing to pay for such service. And I agree.
However, in this case I don't think that Airlines should concider handeling of baggage as an additional charged service. Of course there should be limits on the size, quantity and weight of bags, and Airlines should be able to set reasonable standards for what can be checked without additional charges.
What if Airlines were then to say that if you check-in at a 'staffed' counter there will be an additional charge as opposed to no charge if you use the self check-in machines. I don't know, do I pay less now if I use a self check-in machine?
Also, and sorry for the rant, I currently have the highest tier of the frequent flyer program I belong too. I get a lot of free stuff at the executive lounges regardless of how much I pay for my ticket or what class I fly (food, drinks, internet, nice area to wait for the delayed flight to leave!). And it is great! But if you think about it, the cost of the ticket also goes toward the cost of maintaining these lounges. Sure frequent flyer programs reward loyalty and even exclude you from the additional charges for checked baggage, but why should someone who travels less frequently or economy have to subsidize these lounges? As I said, I have top tier status but I know I don't pay for the privilege of the lounges all by myself - especially given I fly economy when not on business and get the lounge access anyway - so the businesspeople who complain they have no checked baggage and if the cost of tickets were increased to cover 'baggage service' for all passengers and they would be forced to pay are willing to pay extra for some of the frequent flyer privileges?
Don't know if my point came out clearly, but there are always costs that need to be covered somewhere, whether hidden in the cost to everyone or an add on for those that use it, but there must be a clear idea as to what is 'standard' and what is 'extra' - so is your first piece of baggage 'standard' or 'extra', and how about that glass of wine and sandwitches in the lounge - 'standard' or 'extra'.
I am willing to say 'standard' for the bags and 'extra' for the lounge
Yeah, fat people should be made to pay more; they weigh more, take up more space, and eat more. and smell.
The airlines don't want to do this. Using average weights for carry on luggage and passengers allow them to legally carry quite a bit more than what they could if they used actual weights.
little wrong there delta announced on friday it was going to start doing the same. So it is a given they are all going to do it now.