US Airways Second Airline to Impose Second Bag Fee
Two Down...Five to Go?
Will other airlines institute a $25 fee for the second checked bag?
I’m reminded of those immortal words sternly uttered by my first grade teacher Miss Hilliard, “Just because Bobby Taylor does it, doesn’t mean you have to do it.” I found her argument weak; Bobby Taylor was the coolest kid in the class. (He must have known what he was doing.)
And so this week, I wish to borrow from the teaching wisdom of Miss H. by informing US Airways that, “Just because United Airlines started charging $25 for a second bag doesn’t mean you have to do it.” (They must know what they're doing.)
Yep, last week, US Airways taxied up to the bandwagon and announced it would do something United Airlines did weeks before: implement a $25 service fee for a second checked bag. The new checked bag policy will apply to travel beginning on or after May 5, 2008, to flights within the U.S., to/from Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe.
The airline pointed out that customers may continue to check one bag free of charge and US Airways will waive the fee for its most frequent customers including:
- All Dividend Miles Preferred members (Silver, Gold, Platinum and Chairman's Preferred)
Confirmed First Class and Envoy passengers at time of check in
Star Alliance Silver and Gold status members
There are also other exceptions. The following travelers will also be exempt from paying the $25 fee for a second checked bag:
Active military personnel (in uniform with ID)
Unaccompanied minors
Those checking assistive devices
The fee only applies to tickets purchased on or after Feb. 26, 2008 for travel on or after May 5, 2008. You can pay the service fee at an airport kiosk with a credit card or at the check-in counter with a credit card, check or cash. Additional information is available at http://www.usairways.com/baggage.
Stay tuned as the $25-second-bag story continues to develop. Two down, and five to go (major airlines that is).
Comments
OK. why do these businesses operate if they cannot meet their financial needs. I think the pricing of flights these days have bottomed out with the current market situation.
Airlines are no longer dragging out the advertisement beast to sell to everyone how much better their airplanes are and only the more established airlines dare advertise in this economy.
Hence the airplanes companies are trying to force another necessary expense such as the apparent safety issues of safety forks and knives on a plane which forces us t buy our meals. And by the way the meals come with forks.
The monopoly on the system will increase till airlines will begin to sell the same service for the same rates owned by a huge company which does not care about what the current rates are.
Kwame
Posted by: Student frequent flyer | March 22, 2008 11:10 PM
When are we as consumers going to stand up and fight back????!!!!! What right do the airlines think they have to impose new fees upon us based on no logic other than to gauge us one way or another? We have all traveled for years with the ability to check two bags - and now suddenly we have to be charged for that? I am currently 7 months pregnant and if I needed to go on an extended trip, I would need to check two bags as trying to carry on a true bag plus a purse/laptop would be challenging and actually dangerous for me! I am a frequent traveler for work but look forward to my maternity leave so I don't have to deal with the unfair, unscrupulous practices of airlines who are basically charging customers any additional fees they can simply because internally they are ALL incapable of running a successful enterprise based on fair pricing and true profit. The United decision to charge for the second bag disgusted me as does the US Airways move - even though I am a Premium member on both, I will avoid using them as often as I can! Last year alone I took about 40 trips for work - I hope to spend that money with any other airline OTHER than United and US Airways.
Posted by: Laurel | March 23, 2008 6:19 PM
Years ago I switched from one large suitcase to two small ones in order to save my back when putting bags into & out of car trunks, etc. I'm probably not the only one who does this, and going back to one big bag will not only stress me, but also the baggage handlers at the airport. I would support a change to charging by total weight, not by number of bags. I am going to look into ways to lash my two bags together and see if they will count this as one bag, since they are typically well under 50 lbs for the two.
Posted by: Rosanna | March 24, 2008 9:05 AM
I agree with flyers who believe that if the added weight of bags is causing the trend on second bag fee, then pasenger weight plus bag weight should be the way to calculate the fee to be charged. I guess this may not be as plotically correct, but if cost of travel is the issue, some customers may take this as an added incentive to get healthy and lose weight. As a matter of fact considering the number of "small" aircrafts most airlines are flying to cut costs, if you are overweight and or, tall you already pay to have the most uncomfortable flight ever. So much for the freindly sky.
Posted by: Annette | March 24, 2008 11:58 AM