In words that will most surely never come back to haunt him, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker boldly declared this week that the U.S. airline industry is in such a solid place right now that he doesn’t see how it could ever end up in the red. [More]
baggage fees
Congratulations America, You Gave Airlines $7.1B In Baggage And Change Fees Last Year
By 9.20.17
For the better part of the last decade, airlines have been tacking on fees for everything from checking bags to allowing customers to cancel or change their flights. While spending $25 now and then for the convenience of not dragging your bags around the airport might not break the bank, those fees add up — to $7.1 billion. [More]
Congress Asks Airline Industry To Explain Why It “Hates The American People”
By 5.2.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
While no one was forcibly dragged out of room 2167 of the Rayburn Office Building during this morning’s Congressional hearing on the airline industry, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle appeared to be united (but not United) in their distaste for byzantine booking systems, lack of options, and the billions of dollars in add-on fees collected by carriers. [More]
After 8 Years And $7.5 Million In Sanctions, Judge Throws Out Lawsuit Over Delta, AirTran Checked Bag Fees
By 3.31.17
Nearly a decade has passed since travelers sued Delta Air Lines and AirTran, alleging that the carriers colluded in creating their fees for checked bags. In that time, the AirTran has vanished and Delta had to pay millions of dollars in sanctions for being a stubborn defendant. Now, less than a year after the court finally granted class-action status in the case, it has been dismissed. [More]
Does Southwest’s “Bags Fly Free” Policy Hurt On-Time Performance?
By 8.24.16
Southwest Airlines uses its “Bags Fly Free” policy of not charging passengers for their first two checked bags to set itself apart from all its competitors who have begun charging these fees in recent years. A recently released study claims this no-fee practice may actually be hurting the airline, though other data raises questions about this conclusion.
[More]
New Law Will Make Airlines Refund Baggage Fees When Bags Are Delayed
By 7.27.16
You’ve been there. You’re sitting at an airport in one state, while your luggage is stranded at an airport in another after it failed to make its connecting flight. You desperately need a fresh change of clothes and yet, it’s unclear when you’ll be reunited with your belongings. This, after you paid the airline to check that bag and have it arrive when you arrive. [More]
Judge Grants Class-Action Status In Case Over Delta, AirTran Original Checked Bag Fees
By 7.14.16
A lawsuit that stretches back to all the way to 2009 and the early days of baggage fees accusing Delta Air Lines and AirTran of colluding to implement their original fees for passengers’ first checked bags has finally achieved class-action certification. [More]
Spirit Airlines Drops Some Baggage Fees For Active Duty Military Personnel
By 3.14.16
Spirit Airlines has long been known as the airline that charges a fee for nearly everything: checked bags, carry-on bags, seat selection, and water, just to name a few. In a change of pace, the budget carrier recently announced it would no longer charge active duty military members fees on some of their bags. [More]
New Bill Aims To Limit “Ridiculous” Airline Fees For Checked Bags, Cancellations
By 3.9.16
Most airlines now charge fees for everything from checked bags to changing your itinerary, resulting in billions of dollars of revenue for carriers and annoyance for travelers. And the fees are going up, with baggages fees up 67% since 2009, and cancellation charges up by 33% for domestic flights. Newly introduced legislation aims to curb these fee hikes. [More]
Lawmaker Urges Airlines To Drop Holiday Baggage Surcharges
By 11.6.15
With two airlines set to show their bah humbug by increasing baggage fees just in time for the holidays, one lawmaker is asking them to rethink that plan, you know, in the spirit of the season and all. [More]
Amtrak Will Now Start Enforcing Baggage Limits
By 9.29.15
If you’ve been hopping on trains with big loads of luggage and gleefully stowing it Amtrak’s baggage compartments, you’re going to need to curb your tendency to over pack: starting Oct. 1, Amtrak will start enforcing its baggage weight limits, handing out fees to those hauling more than their fair share onboard. [More]
Senate Report Rips Airlines For Failing To Clearly Disclose Fees
By 8.6.15
Barring a law outlawing them — or severely limiting them — fees for everything from checked bags, to food, to in-flight entertainment, to preferred seating, to early boarding (and possibly early deplaning) are hear to stay. But a new report from staffers on the Senate Commerce Committee claims that airlines may be going too far in trying to hide some of these add-on costs. [More]
Delta Hit With Another $2.7M In Sanctions In Years-Old Baggage-Fee Collusion Case
By 8.6.15
A still-pending class-action lawsuit that dates back to the dawn of the baggage-fee era alleges that Delta and AirTran colluded to implement their original fees for passengers’ first checked bags. But Delta has apparently not been terribly forthcoming with all the documentation sought by plaintiffs and has already been sanctioned millions of dollars by the court, including a $2.7 million slap on the wrist handed down earlier this week. [More]
Southwest Airlines Has No Plans To Start Charging For Checked Bags
By 7.29.15
Less than a month after JetBlue said goodbye to free checked bags, Southwest Airlines has made it clear it won’t be going down the same path. [More]
New Legislation Would Cap Checked-Baggage Fees At $4.50
By 7.23.15
If you go to the airport today and check any bags, there’s a good chance you’re going to pay around $25 per checked bag for the luxury of not having to lug your stuff around and cram it under the seat in front of you. A recently introduced bill in the House of Representatives would not only put a cap on checked-baggage charges, but would slash the current level to $4.50/bag. [More]
JetBlue’s Justification For Baggage Fees Demonstrates The Sad State Of Airline Industry
By 2.24.15
Late last year, JetBlue announced that it too would be kowtowing to investors’ demands and start charging fees for checked bags. This news did not go over well with many of the airlines’ customers, but JetBlue believes people will get over it… because they really have no other choice. [More]
Report Claims That You Secretly Love Airline Fees
By 2.20.15
If we were to head over to any airport in the country today and ask travelers whether they liked being charged add-on fees for checking bags, sitting in an exit row, food, entertainment, headphones, WiFi, or priority boarding, the consensus would undoubtedly be that these costs are a nickel-and-diming nuisance. But one airline industry analyst claims that travelers are secretly in love with these charges. [More]
Airline Baggage Fees Bring In Nearly $1B In Three Months, Ticket Sales Still Top Revenue-Maker
By 12.16.14
All those baggage fees added so far this year appear to be bringing in the big bucks for U.S. airlines. A new report found that airlines brought in nearly $1 billion last quarter by charging customers for hauling their belongings. And while that seems like a lot of dough, it’s just a drop in the bucket for the industry. [More]
