Airlines Charging for Luggage?

Question

What a ridiculous scam!!!

It is something that people NEED to bring with them...how sad how this country and world is turning out to be.

Does anybody know if Delta is one of the airlines that will be charging for luggage? I am going to Florida in a few weeks. Thanks a bunch.

Answer 1

the other major airlines will start charging for all checked luggage. But at least one carrier — Delta Air Lines — says it won’t, for now.

Here’s something none of the airlines with luggage fees are likely to tell you: You don’t have to pay. Here are four ways you can avoid these unexpected extras.

1. Carry on your luggage

Obviously, if you have nothing to check, you won’t be charged. But by taking all of your belongings on the plane, you’re also sending a clear message to the airline: enough is enough. The nickeling and diming won’t work. “It’s going to slow the boarding process,” predicts Jonathan Yarmis, a frequent flier and technology industry analyst Weston, Conn. “Flights will take longer to board. Things will run late. That’s going to cost airlines way more than the revenue they generate.” Joel Widzer, author of “The Penny Pincher’s Passport to Luxury Travel,” agrees. “This could backfire,” he told me.

But don’t let that stop you. In fact, you should carry on the maximum luggage you’re allowed. Take your time boarding, too. If enough passengers do, then it could put this ill-advised fee out of its misery.

2. Cite the contract

Although American Airlines has been clear that it will only charge its new $15 fee for tickets bought on or after June 15 (and United for tickets bought on or after June 13), other airlines have tried to impose similar fees retroactively. For example, Nick Anderson made reservations to fly from Knoxville, Tenn., to Bangor, Maine, last November on Delta Air Lines. “I was careful to check the baggage rules and Delta policy allowed for two bags to be checked free of charge per passenger,” he told me. “Now, many months after making the reservation, I see that the policy has changed to allow only one checked bag per passenger and that they will charge $25 for each additional bag.”

My reading of Delta’s Contract of Carriage — the legal agreement between Anderson and the airline — leads me to conclude that the rules under which he booked his ticket should be the ones that apply to his flight. So I put Anderson in touch with a Delta customer service manager. “The executive told me the fee was retroactive,” Anderson said after speaking with him. “Why would anyone book on Delta when you have no way of knowing what their fees will be when you arrive at the check in?” I think Anderson can, and should, make his case when he gets to the ticket counter — and I hope he does.3. Card ’em

If you’ve got a frequent flier card, flash it. Elite-level frequent fliers and passengers with certain tickets are exempt from the new fees. For instance, American still allows customers with Executive Platinum status and people who paid for full-fare economy class seats to check in a first bag at no cost. Business and first-class travelers don’t have to pay, either. Nor do people with international itineraries — unless they’re flying to and from Canada or a U.S. territory, such as Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Never mind that the very passengers who can least afford to pay the extra $15 — families with children, budget travelers and working Americans — are being socked with this surcharge, as I pointed out in a recent blog post. If you don’t have a frequent flier card, there’s another card you can play: the victim card. I described it in a previous column, and if used correctly, it can be a persuasive tool. Pointing out the unfairness of having to pay to check your child’s stroller or seat can make a compassionate ticket agent look the other way. (And yes, there are compassionate employees — even at one of the major airlines.)

4.) you should complain to the government

In a press conference with half a dozen handpicked bloggers a few weeks back, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters suggested that when it comes to charging extra for luggage, the government won’t tolerate any airline shenanigans. “Passengers should know what to expect, and what to pay, before they buy a ticket or pack their bags, which is why we are calling for carriers and travel agents to disclose baggage fees in their Internet and print ads before anyone purchases a ticket,” she told the group. “We also are making it clear that airlines may not impose increased fees or new restrictions for baggage after a passenger has bought a ticket.”

So does this mean the government is on our side? I’m not sure if I’d go that far. After all, the Transportation Department’s “Bloggers Row” press conference appeared to be nothing more than a sham designed to generate favorable coverage for Peters. (If there were any real bloggers at the meeting, they would have churned out posts of well-deserved criticism.) Still, the government is obligated to report your complaints — and airlines pay lots of attention to that. Here’s how to file yours.

You can avoid the onerous new luggage fees by bulking up your carry-on luggage, flashing your frequent flier card, quoting from your airline’s contract and complaining to the government. But if these fees stick — and let’s hope they don’t — then you’ll have to change your attitude toward the airline.

What do I mean by that? Well, if American, United and other airlines unbundle the cost of luggage from your ticket, and you’re paying extra for all of your bags, shouldn’t you get something for the money? Like a guarantee that your property won’t get lost. Or at the very least, an immediate refund of the fee when your luggage disappears.

But beyond that, maybe it’s time to draw up a separate legal contract for the carriage of our luggage, which will offer more generous compensation when an airline loses it.

After all, if you’re paying more, shouldn’t you expect more?

Answer 2

You're fine for you trip to Florida.  As nikki stated, DL has indicated they don't plan to follow the trend (for now, anyway).  Even if they do start charging, you should still be safe as they will almost certainly not charge it retroactively for reservations already booked.  

To nikki:

1) I agree with the notion of carrying on your bags, but completely disagree that passengers should try to "stick it" to the airlines by carrying on the maximum and attempting to hurt their bottom lines.  It may naturally backfire, but know that additional cost to the airline by intentionally trying to hurt operations will only come back to the traveling public in the form of more and/or higher fees, higher fares, reduction of services, devaluation of frequent flier miles, etc.  As much as it may backfire on the airlines, that sort of activism will almost certainly backfire (or at least shorten the timeframe for additional fees) on the passengers.

2) This is good advice.  Although complicated, you could try to cite the Contract of Carriage at the time you booked your reservation, particularly if it appears that newly imposed fees may end up applying to you.  Most are not savvy enough to try this, or even know that this may be possible.

3) The elite flyer exemption is nice for folks like me, however, I recall seeing research that indicates that a majority of airline revenue is from occasional (ie, non-elite) travelers.  This is who they are targeting, fair or not.  

Disagree with the victim card.  There may be some compassionate airline employees, but most also know that doing something like that could cost them their jobs.  Also, as far as I know, strollers and carseats do not count toward the checked luggage allowance (at least for UA, US, DL, and AA).  

4)  Complaining to the government will likely not yield much, if any, result.  Peters is only saying that airlines need to make it clear when and to whom the policy is applied.  As UA recently did with their "matrix" of the fee summaries, other airlines can just follow suit to avoid Peters' consternation and criticism.

Answer 3

I flew United in May and one checked bag was free, one extra 25.00 and if your bag is over 50lbs , 25.00. I heard that some airlines are charging for the first bag. Call the airlines your flying with and find out. Theres nothing worse than last minute surprises when you flying . Oh..make sure you have all lotions liquid makeup, colognes etc., in a zip lock bag. They will make you throw it away or go find a bag to put them in. I was enraged at that. Out of the bag, danger to fellow passengers? In the bag everyones safe. Go figure.

Answer 4

You can check in one bag (50lbs) and have a carry on plus a personal item (purse, camera bag). Anything after that involves a charge which varies by airline.

USAir no longer offers food, but they'll sell you what they call a snack or sandwich. Bring your own if you can. I heard that they were going to start charging for beverages but can't verify when that's to start. Get ready for their credit card commercial while in flight.

Answer 5

Hey ! Delta Airlines use to charge some amount as excess baggage fee, you can use this link to know their current fees.....

http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/b...

Answer 6

I think American Airlines is the only one that is doing it. It is their way of covering costs without having to raise ticket prices to stay competitive. But if you think about it, it is pretty much the same as raising the ticket price.

Answer 7

They don't charge for the 1st bag, but they charge $15 for the 2nd bag.