United joins American in charging $15 for first checked bag

I might have to cough up $15 for my bag, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna cough up $5 for a not-so-cold Budweiser.

They really should have done this the other way, bump up prices slightly and give discounts for having less baggage. $15 isn't such a big deal especially considering fuel prices, but this kind of nickel-and-diming just seems desperate and petty. For God's sake we pay hundreds of dollars in airport use fees that get jacked up all the time and we have no say. That's the real outrage, the KIX's of the world that were built on taxpayer money, made a bunch of politicians and crooked contractors rich, and now charge travelers a mint to barely stay in business.

... if it's a middle seat you save the 5 bucks

and that $5 will be just enough for a can of soda

Pay more, get less - the American way.

Or more likely just the capitalist way.

I predict next the airlines are going to implement a passenger-weight charge. At check-in we'll have to undergo a weigh-in as well!

Already been done! ;-)

http://flyderrie-air.com/

Another reason for me NOT to use an American Airline.

The few times I flew on an American Airline were less than memorable. From food to service, etc.

Soon they will be down to Aeroflot standards. ;)

While I think that the airlines aren't nuts for charging for extra luggage the idea that anybody can travel for a trip over a day or two with just a carry on is nuts. Back before 9/11 I could get my briefcase and carry on suitcase into a plane. Now I can't because of "fluid limits" and other restrictions on carry on baggage. So I have to check a bag with all it's hassles waiting for the bag before clearning customs, etc. etc. Now I'm going to have to pay for it? This is just bogus.

Flying has become such a hassle that I avoid it as much as is humanly possible.

I predict next the airlines are going to implement a passenger-weight charge. At check-in we'll have to undergo a weigh-in as well!

if you're going on a short trip just wear all your clothes on the plane, and as the days pass just peel off the top layer and throw it away

Spirit charges $5 for a middle seat ? who in his right mind would request a middle seat ? just wait til the plane's almost full and take what's left, if it's a middle seat you save the 5 bucks

This baggage fgee doesn't really affecy everyone yet. For example, most premium milage members (Gold, Platinum, Premier, etc.) do not have to pay. Same with American Airlines.

They are trying to keep fares down by only charging passengers with bags. It was a free, often abused, service that will now cost only people with checked bags. I just hope people will not abuse the carry-on baggage, or they'll start charging for that too.

I do wish that this applied to the first-class and business-class passengers. It's not like their bags take up less space or weight on the flight.

If I'm a businessman traveling with only a briefcase, I don't want to have to pay a higher fare in oder to subsidize the fare of a passenger with baggage. $15 a bag is not that much.

Sending your bags to your destination might be possible, as many people do here in Japan. I don't know if it's cheaper, but it would have the added benefit of getting you out of the airport faster.

Wonder if we'll see the return of passenger ships and Zeppelins when the airlines price their way to extinction.

With this kind of pricing, American airlines can hardly be called honest any more. If the fuel price goes up, well then call it what it is.

The way it is done now is Euphemism in a bad way.

'Did you pay the seating fee, sir? No? Oh I'm afraid you have to sit in the aisle. Just make sure to get up and move when we bring the drinks cart through.'

soon they'll install a coin slot at the lavatories. they'll probably strip out the overhead bins as well...

I guess it is a temporary measure otherwise people will be compelled (reluctantly) to travel wihout baggage and without clothes even.

aww crap, Brillinat=Brilliant of course.

tailoring our products and services around what our customers value most and are willing to pay for

Great, so in plain speak this means "Let's see what our passengers consider important, don't want to give up and then charge the bastards for it! Brillinat! Toilet use and/or breathing fees anyone?

So why don't they just put fares up?

God, flying is going to become extinct soon.

Corporations are finding every new way to bleed a little more money out of people. What they don't realize is that we also have our rising costs of fuel and food and that means that trip to X destination may just get put on the back burner because all the extra fees, fuel charges etc... just make it cheaper to take a train to the countryside for a holiday rather than dealing with flying somewhere.

This is likely to leave only people who Must travel and who travel for business doing much. Already Japan has seen a decline in travel. And yesterday articles were talking about trying to encourage people to do so. Well... adding more fees is hardly encouraging.

With every possible company adding every possible extra charge and both size and quality of everything diminishing, consumers will start to look at alternatives and these companies and airlines will find they have even more reason to worry about revenue and less effective means of generating it. We consumers should teach them a lesson by spending our travel money at home for a while.