Jun 12 2008
United Ups Baggage Fees
V and I have a nuanced understanding of the commercial air travel market after two years of distance dating. Still, it’s stunning to see United adding a $15 charge for each piece of checked baggage on each domestic flight. CNN.com does the reporting.
There is, of course, a great tendency to abuse the checked baggage allowance. I’ve stood in line behind people looking to ship everything short of the kitchen sink. But there are some things that you can only get across the country by checking in (wine) and this new policy certainly hurts a class of travelers.
The more deleterious effect may be on the struggle to fit carry-ons into the overhead compartments. I’ve seen some folks try to stuff small elephants above their heads.
Other airlines have cut down check-in allowances of course. Delta has gone from two bags to one for basic travelers (though the Silver Medallion folks get three for free). It has also upped its fees for pet transportation, which we found out the hard way. American Airlines announced a similar fee in May.
The fee should apply to one in three customers United says. The company expects to make $225 million in the first year from the added fee.
One Response to “United Ups Baggage Fees”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
[…] airlines are increasingly upping the fees on things that used to be amenities. We wrote last week on United’s move to charge people $15 to check a bag. Now comes news that US Airways will start charging $2 for a soda or bottled water on flights. […]