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]
bags
Chipotle’s “Cultivating Thoughts” Cups, Bags Showcased At Yale’s Rare Book Library
By 6.25.15
You may remember that last year Chipotle began helping customers pass the time while eating at its restaurant by scrawling original texts from famous authors on cups and bags for the Cultivating Thoughts campaign. While most of us just tossed the items when we were finished with our meal, several pieces made their way to the rare book library at Yale. [More]
Remembering Reusable Grocery Bags Makes Us Buy More Junk Food
By 3.24.15
Reusable shopping bags: they’re environmentally friendly, earn you a discount, and let you express your loyalty to your favorite grocery store when there isn’t a Wegmans available within a two-hour drive. Yet here’s an interesting question: do they have an effect on our behavior? Are there any major differences between shoppers who bring their own bags and those who don’t? [More]
Plastic Bag Supporters Petition To Challenge Ban In California
By 12.30.14
It was only three months ago that California’s Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law banning single-use plastic bags, and already it’s facing a challenge. [More]
Jansport Still Wowing Customers, Fixing Broken Backpacks
By 2.5.14
Over a year ago, we shared with you a tale of consumer joy from a Jansport backpack owner who sent his bag to the company in a pizza box and got his worn-out backpack replaced with an even nicer one. They’re not all about swapping old backpacks for new ones over in Jansportland, though. Sometimes, all you need is a replacement zipper. [More]
Compromise In California: Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags, Charge For Reusable Ones
By 1.24.14
Lawmakers in California have been arguing about the prospect of banning plastic bags for the last decade. This isn’t just a prime example of “your government at work,” but is also a key consumer issue. Now there’s a new bill before that state’s Assembly that aims to banish the plastic bag scourge from stores. [More]
JanSport Boasts Lifetime Warranty, Actually Means It
By 12.28.12
Did you have a Jansport backpack back when you were in school? Jason has had his for about 14 years, and it was looking pretty beat up. He decided to put the bags’ lifetime warranty to the test, so he packed it up in a pizza box (no, really) and sent it to Jansportland. What he got back was better than an exact replacement. It was even better than his faithful companion coated with pizza grease. [More]
How Do Airlines Compare On Fees?
By 9.27.10
It’s hard to keep track of all the extra fees airlines have invented to pad a ticket purchase, especially since they keep introducing new ones; USA TODAY says revenue from added fees have jumped nearly 16% from a year ago. The newspaper reviewed fees from 13 airlines in the U.S. and compiled this handy reference chart of current fee schedules, to make comparison shopping a little bit easier. As expected, Southwest continues to be one of the best values. [More]
Know How Much Your Bag Weighs Before Flying
By 8.9.10
Delta tried to charge “Frustrated Traveler” an illegitimate bag fee yesterday by claiming it was over the weight limit. He knew, however, that unless the bag had been eating tubs of frosting throughout the flight, it was still the same 47 pounds it was when he weighed it himself before boarding. [More]
Spirit CEO Justifies Carry-On Bag Fees
By 4.13.10
Executives love to justify price increases or staff reductions by hauling out the customer service argument, because then any complaint you make can be framed as self-defeating. (“Don’t you want better service?”) On that note, Spirit’s CEO Ben Baldanza told travel blogger Christopher Elliott last week that the new carry-on bag fee is really intended to reduce gate delays. Remember to send a thank-you card to Baldanza. [More]
American Airlines Raises Checked Bag Fees Effective February 1st
By 1.18.10
American Airlines announced today that they’re raising checked baggage fees by $5, effective February 1st. Your first bag will now cost $25, and your second one will cost $35. If you want to check a third bag, you will have to buy the airplane (cash or certified checks only), and if you want to check a fourth bag, you will have to endure a phone call from AA’s CEO Gerard Arpey, where he will cry at you and say he doesn’t know how to run a company and he’s scared. He only made $8.9 million in total compensation last year, so cut him some slack. [More]
Bill Would Boost The Size Of Carry-On Bags, Charge TSA With Enforcement
By 6.20.09
H.R. 2870 would require all airlines to accept slightly larger carry-on bags, which is great if you actually abide by the published carry-on limits. If you don’t, well, get ready to change your scofflaw ways because the TSA will enforce the new limits, and even slightly oversized bags won’t make it past security checkpoints.
Duane Reade May Want To Rethink The Instructions On Their Generic Sandwich Bags
By 4.4.09
Duane Reade wants you to compare their store brand sandwich bags to Ziploc’s bags, and you should, because Ziplcoc’s bags are $0.50 cheaper.
United To Require Minimum Stays Starting In October
By 6.21.08
Sorry travelers, as expected, United Airlines will require minimum stays on all flights starting in October. Gone are the halcyon days of jetting away for a business meeting after breakfast with time to spare before returning for dinner. Most United fares will now require a three-night or weekend stay, but it “will depend on the destinations involved, the price of the ticket and the length of the flight.” And, yes, you will still be charged $15 to check your first bag.
Six Flags Requires You To Check All Bags Before Each Rollercoaster For $1 Per Ride
By 6.10.08
Reader Aaron says that his trip to Six Flags was ruined by their new policy of making riders check even very small bags before each ride — at the cost of $1 a ride.
"Made In Italy" Is Italian For "Made In Sweatshops"
By 2.23.08
That $1,500 Prada bag may have been stitched by an illegal Chinese immigrant slaving away in a Tuscan factory. The tentacles of globalization are starting to snake dirt-cheap foreign laborers into once-protected enclaves known for their quality swag.
Whole Foods Will Eliminate Plastic Bags, Says "Bring Your Own"
By 1.22.08
Whole Foods says that by Earth Day 2008 they will be eliminating plastic bags and instead offer only paper bags or reusable bags made from recycled plastic bottles for $0.99.
China Bans Flimsy Plastic Shopping Bags
By 1.9.08
The measure, effective June 1, eliminates the flimsiest bags and forces stores to charge for more durable bags, making China the latest nation to target plastic bags in a bid to cut waste and conserve resources.
