American Airlines Raises Baggage Fees
Despite lowered fuel prices, American Airlines just can't seem to figure out how to make money. That's too bad for you — because you'll be paying higher bag fees.
DowJones says the airline reported a 21% drop in second-quarter revenue last week. Get your wallet out, travelers.
The fees "will rise to $20 for the first bag and $30 for the second on tickets bought after Aug. 13. The changes will also affect regional affiliate American Eagle and AmericanConnection flights."
How angry does this make you?
American Airlines To Raise US Checked-Bag Fees By $5 [CNNMoney]
(Photo:Zonaphoto.com)
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Comments:
@spindle: Thats a brilliant idea.....start a movement whereby every person who flies American (or the other airlines that do this) mail their luggage to themselves! Bye bye revenue source!
Apoplexy, even though I already bought my tickets and *theoretically* it would not affect my travel.
They will always find new ways to charge people for stupid things. I actually found an international flight yesterday for $11, just it ended up being over $300 with taxes.
All the more reason to get people to pack lighter and just carry the bag on the plane. That is, assuming you're not the last one on. I haven't checked my bag in a really long time.
As the above individual mentioned, it really is going to be cheaper soon enough to just mail the bag to your destination.
I think that air travel and leisure are anathema.
I refuse to fly unless suitable financial compensation will result.
awaiting the first "I don't fly" comment so neither should you...
For $50, you could check two bags with American Airlines.
For $49, you could fly many routes on Southwest (such as BWI to Cleveland) AND check two bags.
Hmm.
@TCama: My wife just bought one of those $49 Southwest tickets yesterday. We didn't even bat an eye at the purchase because of the low cost.
@Cybrczch: I'm more worried about the precedence this will set. How long before United, US Airways, Delta and all the other carriers that already suck follow AA's lead? It's a slippery slope, I think.
@Baxterjones: Ha. You waste time constructing airplanes? I just will myself to my destination. Something about time-space holes...but I won't go into it right now.
@spindle: Too late. I've done this for years using FedEx Ground, just so I could track my stuff and insure it for the value that the airlines refuse to.
Oh--and no TSA/baggage handler shennigans to deal with, either.
@spindle: I already planned on shipping my deer rifle next time I go hunting (I always fly American for that trip because it is a direct flight).
Such a hassle flying with firearms and probably more expensive now too.
"Whatever" was my response, because I don't think I've flown American Airlines at anytime in the last 10 years, maybe 15. And yes, it does bug me slightly that an airline is raising baggage fees, but it also just seems like old news now.
@RogerTheAlien: I make all of the locations come to me. Saves time and money. Last week, I had the Louvre in my back yard.
@The-Lone-Gunman: Did you purposely misspell shenanigans so that no one could call shenanigans?
Well, I am calling shenanigans. I'd put in the animated gif, but I don't have it readily accessible right now.
Actually, your use of FedEx Ground is a good one.
Meh, just gets me to fly southwest more... No hurt there.
@RogerTheAlien: You know, with all the slipperly slopes this country has been going down in recent days, weeks, months, it's a wonder there haven't been more broken bones.
@Gilbert:
Yeah, it sounds like a good idea until you think a little bit harder about it.
- You need a lot of infrastructure if you're going to guarantee same-day delivery of bags for prices less than that of airlines or FedEx/UPS
- If you decide to pay for use of an established infrastructure and mark it up, people will just go to your supplier.
- If you manage to get your fledgling supply chain off the ground, FedEx/UPS will likely just come in and undercut you with their deeper pockets and better shipping channels.
- Assuming you get this far, once airlines start to lose this revenue, their remedy is simple: Build the cost of the checked bag back into the ticket. Your industry evaporates overnight. FedEx/UPS lose a revenue stream, you file for bankruptcy.
Its a downer, I know, but that's why this hasn't happened yet.
@spindle: Funny enough, you will be mailing luggage on the very same planes. Unless you buy your own fleet, of course.
@RogerTheAlien: Companies raising prices to cover higher costs/reduce loses is economics, not "a slipperly slope"
the other companies will do it if the market allows it.
Raising prices is what companies do when they are not making the profits they want. It sucks that they are hiding the cost in a fee. I am however happy since I rarely take 2 bags, even when I travel with my girlfriend, its 2 carry ons (1 for each of us) and 1 large suitcase.
I WOULD like to fly Southwest more, but we live to far from one of their airports. Only options out here are the little guys who work for American, United or Northwest. And I hate ALL those guys. :(
@ZeGoggles: No no, people do carry on more often.
The problem is that they forget the "pack lighter" part.
An upright piano is not a suitable carry-on, and neither is a suitcase of the same size and weight.
You couldn't imagine some of the bags I've been hit in the head with because they hardly fit down the aisle, even when carried.
I fly for American Airlines and I'm a consumer just like everyone else. Sorry, but I must take issue with your "American Airlines just can't seem to figure out how to make money" comment. The general public has no idea about the complexity of running an airline. It is an extremely cash intensive business and the profit margins in the good times (which we haven't been in for quite some time) is a few percentage points at best. I know it's a pain dealing with all of these fees, but the bottom line is that the airlines are just trying to survive.
I seem to be in the minority here but I don't have that much problem with itemizing travel. It costs the carrier to fly your 50 lbs of crap from here to there so you should be charged something. It costs them to serve you booze and people agree to pay up for that. That being said I still think it's better to have, say, a 20lb allowance that is covered by your ticket price. That way if you are elderly and don't want to drag a carry-on around you won't be penalized. Anything above that would be charged.
It's not necessarily a bad thing to encourage people to travel light. If you've ever traveled with my girlfriend you'd know this is true :)
But will they break my guitar?
Mwaa ha ha ha!
Now you all have that song stuck in your head!
World domination step 1, COMPLETE!
@burnedout: I'm facing the same issue. BWI is a big Southwest location, but really too far to get to from the D.C. area. By the time you factor in a cab or driving/gas/parking, it just isn't do-able. IAD is United.. which doesn't help. United breaks guitars.
Flew American Airlines a couple years ago. Their ground crews in Boston were some of the most obstinate and rude people I've ever witnessed.
@RogerTheAlien: It's not a slippery slope, it's a vicious cycle. AA gets a drop in revenue, probably because people use other airlines that don't charge as many fees. To make up for this, they raise fees. So more people fly elsewhere, and they lose more revenue. Wash, rinse, repeat. Until they almost go bankrupt and start crying for the government to bail them out.
WTF? I just got invoices in the mail from American, Delta, and United all saying I owe them a $15 "Driving Instead of Flying" fee.
As much as this increase in bag fee ticks me off, I've had better experience with them, COMPARED to United and Delta.
It is going to get to the point where the baggage fees are so high you can have them shipped for less. That or just start buying them a seat of their own.
"I need one ticket for me and another for my friend... Bee Aggage"
Well, I resolved that I am no longer going to tip the flight crew.
@OttavioClaw: No one can argue about the cost and complexity of running an airline. I think the gist of this article is that American keeps inventing ways to alienate potential customers and drive them away. It has for a long time now, stupidly taken its customer base for granted.
I used to be very brand-loyal to American. Now, I have just enough American FF miles left for one more ticket, and after I've cashed in for that ticket and endured the horrible American flight experience one more time, I hope to never have to fly them again. American has been getting worse and worse, and my last experience was so bad that I'm not even sure I want to use my free ticket. So complex or no, American is horrible right now, and should be avoided by customers, IMHO.
Wow, that's slimy. I wonder what their response is to people that question the fact that gas prices go down and yet they have not removed the baggage fee and are actually raising it?
Probably some sort of fee based upon their ridiculous line of thinking. I'm getting pretty sick of the unbelievable amount of dishonesty from these people. It was bad enough when they wouldn't tell you why your flight was late...
Ah, all the lovely choices airlines present to us when we consider checking bags.
We can pay increased fees.
We can hand over the bag at check in and watch it disappear forever.
Or, behind the scenes, paid workers can paw through the contents of the suitcases and remove valuables of their choosing.
If we're lucky, the bag returns to us intact, with one of those warm and fuzzy notes (kind of like the ones mom used to put in your lunch in 3rd grade)stating the TSA fondled your panties and bras and found them to be free of terror content.
@TCama: unfortunately, Southwest will not take you to London, Hong Kong, or Buenos Aires.
They are not the same airline, and should not be competing for the same customer. It is pointless to compare the two.
@Nathan Shepherd:
there will always be stupid people who believe that there are not fees for anything. Just because a ticket is some small amount, does not mean that the taxes and fees cannot be greater than the ticket price. American doesn't determine the taxes and fees, the governments of the countries involved do. Complain to them, not the airline. In fact, thank the airline for giving you a cheap ticket.
@SalisburyJahoovafat:
People who believe they're going to get screwed every which way usually find something to complain about.
Air travel takes me lots of places that are amazing and wonderful. Sometimes there are inconveniences, sometimes it goes easily. It's not an anathema to me.
@Thaddeus:
If you want your bags to arrive with you off the plane, paying the baggage fee is still cheaper and more convenient than shipping. That is what airlines want you to think about. Do you need it to be there with you coming off the plane? If yes, then pay the fee. If no, and there is a better/cheaper way, then by all means take advantage of it.
The airline has realized it should not give away stuff for free, so that people bring the kitchen sink with them on their vacations.
@trujunglist:
What does the gas price have to do with the baggage fee? Who ever said that the baggage fee would come down if gas prices did? Not the airlines, I guarantee you that.
American Airlines Flight Cost & Fee List:
Nonstop Flight Between JFK and LAX: $49
Taxes, Airport Fees, Security Fees: $18
Internet booking fee on 3rd party site: $5
Internet booking fee on AA site: $4.99
Telephone booking fee: $10
Aisle seat fee: $35
Window seat fee: $50
Middle seat fee: $25
Middle-of-the-5-connected-seats-on-a-777 fee: $20
Extra weight fee (for passengers over 168 lbs): $1/lb
First bag fee: $20
Second bag fee: $30
Fee to not check a bag: $10
Fee to carry-on a bag: $10
Fee to not carry-on a bag: $10
Fee to use overhead storage bin: $7.50
Fee to use space under your seat: $7.50
Fee for curbside checkin: $10
Fee for counter human-assisted checkin: $8
Fee for unattended kiosk checkin: $4
Fee for Internet checkin: $6.99
Fee to use waiting area at gate: $10
Fee to use electrical outlets at gate area: $1/min
Fee for pre-boarding: $75
Fee for waiting to board with the rest of the riff-raff: $5
Flight attendent instructional demonstration fee: $5
Fee for not watching the instructional demonstration: $10
Fee to instruct you to turn off all electronic devices: $3
Fee to ensure that you are buckled in: $3
Snack: $3
Crappy meal: $8
Soft drink: $3.50
Alcohol: $market price based on number of screaming babies
Cup of ice: $3
Bringing your own beverage on board: $2
Bringing your own food on board: $2 per bag
Crappy headphones: $5
Fee to bring your own AA headphones: $3
Fee to bring your own noise-cancelling headphones: $10
Fee for using your laptop: $10
Fee for seatback telephone usage: $3.99/min
Fee to watch 60-minutes (and other hip-replacement-network fare) $5
Fee to watch the annoying movie: $3.99
Fee to read Connections magazine: $2
Removal of Connections magazine: $10
Fee to use barf-bag: $20
Fees to use lavatory: #1: $5, #2: $10, Mile-high-club: $100
Fee for turbulence-free flight: $10
Fee for landing the aircraft on terra firma: $20
Deplaning fee: $5 payable directly to flight attendant(s)
Fee for claiming each checked bag: $5
Fee for reporting missing or damaged items: $5 per article or $100 per bag
Deductible for each damaged or missing item: $100 per article or $2000 per bag
Bending over and taking it because there's no viable alternative: Priceless.
@kepler11:
To answer your first question, the gas prices are what originally made them set the fee according to them.
In regards to your second question, it's just an assumption that when they say something is a problem and charge a fee for it and that problem goes away, then so would the fee. You know, logic and all that - not that they use it very often. I never expected them to do it, but I find it incredibly shady that they aren't. Go figure...
@Ed Chan: Same here. Most every place I go now I can fly via Southwest. I get exactly the same level of service to boot from Southwest as others, the seats aren't as squished tight as Delta, flights to Pittsburgh are lovingly short...
I think next year, it's going to be Southwest all year long.
it costs me less to mail them!