Alaska Airlines joins the ranks of all major U.S. carriers and will be begin charging for the first piece of checked luggage beginning July 7, 2009. The fee will be $15 and it comes with a unique guarantee.

Alaska Airlines will guarantee to compensate passengers 2,500 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles or $25 off a future flight if their luggage is not at the baggage claim 25 minutes after the flight parks at the gate.

Cases where the $15 fee will not apply include: First class, MVP and MVP Gold Mileage Plan members, unaccompanied minors, military personnel on active duty and passengers traveling to or from Mexico City and Guadalajara, Mexico, and solely within the state of Alaska.

It's an interesting concept, and one that begs a couple questions: if one bag is late are not all bags late for the most part and how do you prove or document your bag was late?

I must admit, if it came to getting my bag 23 minutes after landing or 26 minutes and it meant getting 2,500 miles, I'd have to say, yeah take your time.

Posted by Tom at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just for clarification based on the prior post (about body imaging scanners), this is about a security redress not re-dress. 

If you have a beef, concern, or inquiry, or seek resolution about difficulties you've experienced during your travel screening, the Department of Homeland Security has launched the Travel Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) as a single point of contact.

Who Should use DHS TRIP?

Look here for full details. 

Passengers who feel they have been unfairly or incorrectly:

• denied or delayed airline boarding,
• denied or delayed entry into and exit from the U.S. at a port of entry border checkpoint
• continuously referred to additional (secondary) screening

Take a look at One-Stop Travelers' Redress

Posted by Tom at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) can see right through us. With the completion of a pilot program to test a new type of body scan called millimeter-wave imaging, the TSA has decided to take the technology national and make it the standard for U.S. airports, replacing the current walk-through metal detectors.

Designed to expose concealed weapons and explosives, the body scan does its job a little too well and also produces an image that is anatomically explicit. While the images will be out of public view, it's little consolation when your only other option according to the TSA is a pat down. (Decisions, decisions.)  The test locations included Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Baltimore-Washington (BWI) and Albuquerque (ABQ).

Considering the nature of the images, the TSA is quick to point out that to ensure privacy, the passenger imaging technology has zero storage capability and images will not be printed stored or transmitted. (A relief for those of us prone to destroying any photo record of having worn swimwear in public.)

See for yourself: 

• TSA: Whole Body Imaging
• TSA: Millimeter Wave Technology

Clearly, this will be a topic of discussion for travelers, everywhere. Your thoughts?

Posted by Tom at 7:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)