United Air, Rivals May Join American's $15 Bag Fee

[brooklynite]

Source: Bloomberg

May 22 (Bloomberg) -- United Airlines and three other large U.S. carriers are considering whether to join AMR Corp.'s American Airlines in charging travelers $15 for one piece of checked luggage to help counter record jet-fuel prices.

UAL Corp.'s United is ``seriously studying'' the fee, the first of its kind in the U.S., spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said today. Delta Air Lines Inc., Northwest Airlines Corp. and US Airways Group Inc. said they were evaluating the idea.

Those steps were set in motion by American's plan yesterday to slash flights and add or increase fees. The world's largest airline said it will cut ``thousands'' of jobs while shrinking its schedule amid jet fuel's 97 percent surge in the past year.

``Costs are increasing at such an enormous pace that these kinds of changes have to occur,'' said David Swierenga, president of AeroEcon, an aviation consultant based in Round Rock, Texas.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=atZ1ARFP._Xw&refer=us

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Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile....

[pitohui]

1. it'll really be $30 assuming you actually intend to go home at the end of the trip

these fees are one way so they are worse than they sound

[Scairp]

9. Where are we supposed to put our stuff now?

You cannot put more than 3 ounces of anything you might need away from home in a carry on, so where do I put my stuff when we go to NY this summer? They really have us over the proverbial barrel in this situation. It's beginning to piss me off.

[KansDem]

2. How much for that little nozzle of air and the little light to read by?

Will we be paying extra for their in-flight magazines, too?

And what about the "barf bag?" Charge one fee when customers board the plane, but double or triple it when they start feeling woozy!

[ckramer]

3. They should charge $5 for rest room too

Think about how many times you need to go to the bathroom?

That would be profitable!

[uppityperson]

4. People will pack more into carry-ons and overhead bins.

Will paying $30 to ship my pocket knife there and home be worthwhile?

[wilt the stilt]

5. raise your rates

it actually will be better PR

[Robb]

8. No kidding

...In what business school do they teach $15 add-ons are a good idea for a product with a price point in the hundreds of dollars range?

[Loge23]

6. The rotten fruit of deregulation

This is what it's come to for American airlines in the deregulated age. Even one of the Airline bosses was on CNN this AM advocating a return to some regulation!
Gross mismanagement, greed, and the effective dismantling of a viable rail network has left us with a transportation system consistent with our rapidly deteriorating stature as a industrialized nation.
I was in the former Soviet Union shortly after the fall. Rotten food in the stores, people pushing cars in the street, and a decaying infrastructure were common sites.
How far are we from that now?

[alstephenson]

7. How about adding a surcharge if you are overweight?

:sarcasm:

Only kidding, but who knows what's next.