BootsnAll Travel Community

another good reason for me to really try and travel with just a carryon.

quote:

Originally posted by janetlynne:
another good reason for me to really try and travel with just a carryon.

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That's what I've done for years. But, then you've got the infamous American immigration and paranoid TSA.
Best to avoid American......whatever

Paying for checked luggage - that's what Ryanair in Europe introduced a year or two ago. At least, I can fly with them for €30 including fees and taxes.

There will not be a charge for ALL checked baggage. Here, a list of exceptions from the American Airlines website:

The following customers will not be charged a service fee to check a bag provided the bag is within the weight allowance:

* For the first checked bag, customers who buy a ticket before June 15, 2008, or who fly before June 15, 2008
* For the second checked bag, customers who purchased a ticket before May 12, 2008
* Customers traveling on an international itinerary to destinations beyond the U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, or Canada
* Customers who purchase full-fare tickets in Economy Class
* Customers who purchase Business or First Class tickets
* Customers flying on AA codeshare flights not operated by American Airlines, American Eagle or AmericanConnection®
* Customers traveling on government or military fares
* Military passengers on active duty
* AAdvantage Executive Platinum®, AAdvantage Platinum® or AAdvantage Gold® members
* oneworld Alliance Emerald, Sapphire or Ruby members
* Customers flying on the same reservation as an AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum or AAdvantage Gold member or oneworld Alliance Emerald, Sapphire or Ruby member regardless of frequent flier status or fare type (not applicable to group bookings)
* AAnytime® Economy Class AAdvantage award tickets, MileSAAver(SM) or AAnytime First and Business Class AAdvantage award tickets
* First and Business Class upgrades confirmed prior to check in
* AAirpass travel

The thing that gets me is that it seems the US airlines have been pushing lately for people to downsize their carry-ons, ostensibly to save limited space. It also saves time, since people aren’t loading and unloading these massive suitcases that they can barely lift.

Making people pay to check bags sort of works against the shrinking carry-on trend: I’d think that everyone will now bring a carry-on of the maximum size, thus pushing the space limits even further (and probably delaying takeoffs, causing more friction b/w staff and passengers). I know I will if I fly American, and I rarely, if ever, carry on my main bag.

This was in my in-box box this morning....

"Citing rising fuel costs, and the fear that some passengers could arrive at their destinations with unused credit card balances, American Airlines announced today that starting in July all passenger jet aircraft will have debit card/credit card readers installed on the lavatory doors. Passengers will be charged $10 for their first restroom trip onboard the aircraft, with a package all-you-can-pee deal for $25 per flight segment. The card readers will accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express, as well as bank ATM and debit cards. Users of Discover Card will be asked to sit with their legs crossed for the duration of the flight. As an incentive to passengers to buy more water and coffee while enroute, AA has announced that passengers using onboard lavatory facilities will be awarded 5 frequent flyer miles per flush, so the news is not all bad. This announcement from AMR, the holding company that owns American Airlines, follows closely on the heels of word released yesterday that passengers will now be charged $15 to check a single bag. Additional fees are under consideration such as a cabin pressurization charge for passengers wishing to breathe while in flight, a $35 fee for exiting the aircraft on arrival at the destination, and a hotly disputed plan to have armed cabin crew members take any cash they can find in wallets intentionally carried onboard by those annoying passengers. Also under consideration is a $100 nearly on time surcharge that would be added retroactively to passenger fares for all flights that arrive within 4 hours of their scheduled arrival time."

....

Creative people would simply pee back into the water bottles, then return them to the crew and ask for a refund.

And to think the airlines could get any worse?? -- is enough to perhaps make any of us want to stop, or at least reduce, traveling?

I think the Pilots are behind this. Their anti-luggage agenda has been apparent for some time. I've overheard more than one opining that "flying would be great except for all those passengers."

Have you ever seen a Pilot and Satan in the same room? Didn't think so.

You just love pushing buttons, don't you Jester?

Ooh! I know one Canadian who won't be getting a Jet Blue "Buddy Pass" in his Christmas stocking this year.

quote:

Originally posted by Capt Steve:
Creative people would simply pee back into the water bottles, then return them to the crew and ask for a refund.

See? That's cute. Capt. Steve actually thinks they hand out entire bottles of water to the folks in the back of the bus.

So cute.

quote:

And to think the airlines could get any worse?? -- is enough to perhaps make any of us want to stop, or at least reduce, traveling?

It's definitely reduced it for me. I would like to be able to fly home to Atlanta once or twice a year, but with ticket prices around $350-400, it's just not doable.

I hate to sound like an old fart here, but about 4 years ago it was possible to fly cross country for $200. Now, for me to fly from LA to SF runs about $150.

meh...airfare is a bargain, and I'd rather see the fuel costs recouped in baggage surcharges than to see blanket fare hikes.

Don't think that this will stop at AA. The others will follow suit. And don't think that the surcharges won't eventually creep into full economy fare, first and business class fares as well.

The one thing I do hope for now though is an enforcement of the carry-on size rule.

I wonder how much all those stupid in-flight shopping catalogs weigh? Bet they could increase fuel economy by leaving those on the ground.

quote:

meh...airfare is a bargain, and I'd rather see the fuel costs recouped in baggage surcharges than to see blanket fare hikes.

I'm totally with you, up to the point where it becomes a mandatory surcharge.

For instance, you cannot fly without fuel, so it shouldn't be a surcharge, just part of the fare.

Luggage...I'm iffy on. On short flights where it's realistic that people might be doing daytrips or maybe one-nighters, I suppose luggage is optional, though any fee should be accompanied by actual enforcement of carry-on rules. But if you're flying internationally, it's a safe bet you'll need a razor, some liquids and gels...stuff you can't take in a carry-on.

But generally, I'm all for the increased cost of flying being borne by the people who want the extras. I can bring snack foods instead of buying a meal. I would likely choose to pay a reasonable amount for in flight entertainment, but it is optional.

I tried to do a carryon for my current trip (on lufthansa). They made me check it (there was an 8 kg limit; mine was just over 9 or so). I anticipate there will be more such limits. And...our airlines are about to mostly all go under; would you rather that happen or them charge what it actually costs them to fly?

I don't know that the charging for any bag will work (though they do it here in Europe). But the flying has changed, and there are some things we just have to grin and bear, or choose not to travel.

quote:

Originally posted by 2wanderers:
you cannot fly without fuel, so it shouldn't be a surcharge, just part of the fare.

True enough...but nobody wants to be the first one to raise fares and become less competitive.

But it's coming...and I still bet that airfare will be a bargain compared to driving - at least for me and my gas-guzzling vehicle.

quote:

Originally posted by Freesia:
There will not be a charge for ALL checked baggage. Here, a list of exceptions from the American Airlines website. The following customers will not be charged a service fee to check a bag provided the bag is within the weight allowance:
* AAdvantage Executive Platinum®, AAdvantage Platinum® or AAdvantage Gold® members
* oneworld Alliance Emerald, Sapphire or Ruby members
* Customers flying on the same reservation as an AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum or AAdvantage Gold member or oneworld Alliance Emerald, Sapphire or Ruby member regardless of frequent flier status or fare type (not applicable to group bookings)

Those elite (fee free!) levels are not as hard to reach as some may think. Plenty of threads around here on how to do so. With American, their unpublished "Challenge" comes to mind, earning xxx number of points-per-mile within 90 days, Points-per-mile is based on the booking class of the ticket (not the "flown" class as in Coach, Biz, or First, but the type of fare it is.) Their "chart" is here: American's booking classes, altho' I think most on this board--including me--would only need to look at all the "letters" for classes of Ecnonmy, Discount Economy, & Deep Discount Economy.

On a challenge, earning 5K points = Gold, 10K points = Platinum, for a year. A plus of going for Plat is that if you don't fly enough to keep it, you only drop down to Gold for the next year.

Most economy/coach tix get b/n .5 and 1 point per mile. A couple of trips across the US or one trip to Europe may easily accomplish this.

A reservation on hold will usually show you both booking class and miles flown.

A cool calculator for figuring out miles flown/to-be-flown can be freely downloaded from here: Mileage Calculator

One perk about snagging a Gold or Plat card w/ AA is that you get to board the plane first or early in the boarding herds---read: first dibs on coveted overhead bin space.