This year, airlines have introduced a new kind of fare, the “Basic Economy” ticket. Passengers with this ticket type board last and, on some airlines, only get to bring one carry-on item on board, paying the same fees as Economy travelers to check other luggage. Some passengers on United or American who didn’t read the fine print are getting hit with fees for bringing extra carry-on bags in addition to the fees for gate-checking those bags. [More]
checked bags
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]
3,000 Checked Bags Stranded At Phoenix Airport After TSA System Glitch
By 5.13.16
Thousands of travelers arrived at their destination only to find their checked bags were left behind at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Thursday after a Transportation Security Administration computer system suffered a technical issue that took the airport’s bag screening system out of operation. [More]
Senators Tell Airlines: Drop Checked Bag Fees To Speed Up Airport Security
By 5.11.16
With most airlines now charging for checked bags, passengers frequently travel with rolling suitcases that push the limits of the term “carry-on.” Would getting rid of these fees (and the bulkier carry-on bags) alleviate the increasingly long wait times at airport security? Yes, at least according to two lawmakers. [More]
Airlines Once Again Introducing Baggage Surcharges For Holiday Travelers
By 11.4.15
Last year, Spirit Airlines showed passengers that it didn’t quite get the concept that holidays – especially those that fall in late December and early January – are meant to spread cheer and goodwill toward fellow humans, by increasing baggage fees for merry travelers. This year, the budget airline is once again utilizing those surcharges, and this time, it has company in Frontier Airlines. [More]
Suitcase Cam Shows What It’s Like To Be Luggage At The Airport
By 8.18.15
Have you ever ever wondered what it’s like for your checked luggage at the airport? Where does it go, what does it see, who touches it — does it make suitcase friends along the way? While many of those questions remain unanswered, a new video shot from the point of view of a piece of baggage cruising around behind the scenes at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam is definitely mesmerizing. [More]
United Airlines CEO: Checked Bag Fees Are Here To Stay, Just Part Of Doing Business
By 7.31.15
Despite Southwest Airlines’ recent admission that charging for bags would be a financially irresponsible policy change, it doesn’t appear that other airlines feel the same way. [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]
Today’s The Day: JetBlue’s Checked Bag Fees Are Now In Effect
By 6.30.15
Say goodbye to that free checked bag when flying on JetBlue: The company announced last November that it was going to start charging passengers who fly with checked bags at some point, and that point is today. [More]
Tips For Getting Your Checked Bag Prepped For A Flight
By 12.6.13
While most of us try to cram as much as we can into our carry-on bags — and some travelers (you know who you are) stretch the definition of “carry-on” with bags that would have been checked in the pre-fee era — sometimes you just have to check a piece of luggage or two at the counter. But before you do, there are some steps you’ll want to take. [More]
Southwest Passenger Learns The Hard Way That Not All Checked Bags Are Treated Equally
By 5.16.13
In spite of all the technological developments in logistics and air travel, passengers’ bags still get lost, damaged, or stolen. Luckily there are remedies in place for such instances, allowing the passenger to be reimbursed for his or her loss. But many travelers may not know that these protections don’t apply to all checked bags. [More]
Want Your Airline Bags Delivered To Your Door? American Will Do It For A Fee
By 8.2.12
It’s not hard to believe that some fliers, sick of waiting at the baggage carousel for their luggage and then hauling it out through the airport and to their destination, might be willing to pay to have someone else do the schlepping for them. Now, American Airlines is hoping that enough people are willing to pay at least $29.95 for a service that just does just that. [More]
Packing Valuable Items In Your Luggage? Check Your Bags Before You Leave The Airport
By 11.11.11
If you’ve got to take something valuable — especially something fragile and valuable — on a plane, it’s best to try to carry it on. And as Consumerist reader Cathy learned, if you must check those items, be sure to look at your bags before you leave the baggage claim area, just in case that item has gotten damaged or disappeared. [More]
Car Seats Fly Free, So Pack Other Stuff In There To Avoid Bag Fees
By 4.25.11
It’s sort of sneaky, but you can take advantage of the fact that a few items, like strollers, car seats and some medical items, never get a fee for getting checked in order to avoid checked bag fees on your other stuff, writes the Money Crashers blog. [More]
Reader Sues Delta Over Bungled Baggage — And Wins!
By 10.22.10
Even though we’re paying oft-ridiculous fees for checked bags on airplanes, none of that ancillary revenue seems to be going toward improving the actual checking in or tracking of said bags. That’s why it’s refreshing to hear a story where a screwed-over passenger stands up to this general ineptitude and comes out victorious. [More]
US Airways Takes Parts Out Of Xbox To Make Flying Safer
By 1.19.10
Adam writes, “I was flying out of Logan Airport and I checked my XBOX 360 in my baggage. The agent assured me that there would be no problem with it. When I got home my I found that they had put a little ziploc bag on top of my things, and the bag was filled with tiny metal components that used to be in the XBOX. It’s broken now and they’re telling me tough luck. Any advice?” [More]
American Airlines Raises Baggage Fees For Flights Abroad
By 8.28.09
If you thought you could escape American Airlines‘ increased domestic baggage fees by only flying abroad, think again: AA is raising checked bag fees for some international flights to Europe and India.
Four Checked Bags On Delta Will Cost You $365 In Fees
By 5.8.09
Most travelers make do with 2 normal-sized pieces of luggage or less, but if you think you might have to travel with more bags, or unusually large or heavy ones, be prepared to shell out a lot of cash for what’s called an “excess baggage fee.”
