Comments on: Baggage Fees: Why You Should Love Them

By: Gail

Gail — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:03:55 +0000

After taking my first flight in close to 20 years a week and a half ago, I do believe that baggage fees are the least of peoples worries when it comes to air travel. We ‘flew’ as we thought it would be easier for me to get to my son’s wedding than driving due to my physical condition. Our journey was to consist of two flights in and two flights out. Two of the flights ended up getting cancelled. Well the second leg of our journey in the flight was cancelled due to plane problems and we were put on a shuttle bus for 2 1/2 hours to get to our destination. On the way back due to poor weather and yet another cancelled flight it took us over 12 hours to home where the drive would have been about 5 hours! I can understand broken airplanes and poor weather but the treatment we received (or lack of treatment as the paying passenger) was rotten and I have no intentions of ever flying again. Especially as I found out that all passengers with artificial joints or metal parts are discriminated against in the security checks. I was subjected to complete pat downs and being put in a scanning having to balance with my feet too far apart and my hands up and over my head–things I can barely do. The wedding was wonderful and after having saved all we needed to be able to go comfortably, I was very upset to have such a miserable trip.

However, when we got home and I had rested up, I did what every frugal person should do and complained to my credit card company and they have a temparary hold against paying the airline until they answer the charge of not giving us what we paid for. I also wrote the airline a week ago and haven’t heard word one from them yet.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:34:50 +0000

This is the same reason that I like it when the gov’t raises taxes on things like cigarettes or junk food, or brings out the lottery to raise funds rather than enacting an across the board tax increase. Since I don’t use those items, I don’t have to pay. It’s an elective tax that keeps my rates low and only the people who use those goods have to pay.

By: jeffrey

jeffrey — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 05:19:33 +0000

@My English Castle — No, not that everything is fair — that they must keep airline ticket prices low to be competitive. Airlines that would normally charge higher ticket prices, but due to competition keep their ticket prices low, and then make up the difference with such fees. For those who understand the system, it will save them money.

By: My English Castle

My English Castle — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 20:49:38 +0000

But Jeffrey–You’re assuming the airline is fair, aren’t you? If so, wouldn’t everything be based on weight? My 50lb daughter’s tickets are the same price as my 200lb husband’s ticket. Wouldn’t tickets be the same price whenever you bought them instead varying wildly from day to day?

I think they do this because they can. If they go the route of many European airlines and start weighing hand luggage too, it might be a step towards fairness, but this is a well-thought-out profit scheme, and I doubt it keeps prices low. Competition can, but I disagree that this does.