Frontier adds additional fees for SCUBA

[georoc01]

Frontier adding a host of new fees for customers : Airlines & Aerospace : The Rocky Mountain News

 

[BigBubbaJ]

Pretty soon it will be cheaper to just fedex all your gear to a destination.

 

[RonFrank]

Gas costs are going to kill this country! It already is..... time to find an alternative energy source.

Why they are targeting Scuba? One can not even tell I have scuba gear based on looking at my luggage? Why not Golf/Ski/Guns~Hunting/whatever?

 

[Waterskier1]

Why they are targeting Scuba? One can not even tell I have scuba gear based on looking at my luggage? Why not Golf/Ski/Guns~Hunting/whatever?

I am wondering the same thing. Their web site says "Effective June 10, 2008, a fee of $100 will be charged to check scuba items." It doesn't say if that is each way (one way) or round trip.

The web site describes Scuba items as " ... may include fins, mask, knife, snorkel, regulator, safety vest, spear gun, pressure gauge, tank harness, empty scuba tank (with the regulator valve completely removed).
NOTE: Knife and spear gun must be checked"

I wonder at what point equipment becomes Scuba for them? Does just a mask and snorkel justify the $100 charge? It seems clear that this applies even if the weight and size were otherwise within limits since the same equipment is "Free - packed within or in place of one FBA (Free Baggage Allowance)" until the new rule comes into effect. So, they are specifically singling out Scuba Equipment (and antlers). But not other sports equipment (unless they exceed the weight or size limitations).

Of course, other than the knife or spear gun, there is nothing that says you can't carry it on board as carry on luggage. I have seen some people wear their BCs as backpacks. I always check my reg, mask, and computer anyway.

 

[Gtoph]

Gas costs are going to kill this country! It already is..... time to find an alternative energy source.

Why they are targeting Scuba? One can not even tell I have scuba gear based on looking at my luggage? Why not Golf/Ski/Guns~Hunting/whatever?

I would think the same... maybe they're just talking about the non-standard stuff people might take, like their own tanks or something. How would they know what I pack into my bag? If it all fits into a 'legal' size bag and weight being all the same, what's the difference if it's clothes or a BC.

 

[BigBubbaJ]

I would be very interested in more information on this new policy.

frontier is my favorite carrier... but if this smells anti-scuba, that might change.

anti-scuba = bag is within all other params < 50 lbs, not oversized.

 

[Charlie99]

Why they are targeting Scuba?

Airlines are hurting badly and are looking for ways to get some extra incremental profit. My guess is that some mid-level exec saw that other airlines, such as Airtran, had changed their policy and proposed the change.

Any extra cash it brings in makes him look good. What is much harder for Frontier to measure is the downside of the charge.

Lots of E-mails and calls inquiring and/or complaining about the policy would make it more obvious to management that there IS a downside to this charge.

The only e-mail contact I could find was for group sales. I inquired whether the charge applied when the scuba gear does NOT include a tank. I got a relatively quick response along the lines of "Dont' know, I've sent it over to someone that should know".

------------------

BTW, I just received this afternoon a reply to a followup I sent asking for an answer to my 5/15/2008 e-mail to Tad Hucheson at Airtran.

If you do not carry a scuba tank and your gear fits in a bag, there is no charge for it.

I've posted the same info as post #26 in http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ge...233729-airtran-charging-extra-scuba-gear.html

Charlie Allen

 

[jared w]

They are my favorite carrier as well. I'll be calling customer relations tomorrow. If it really is a blanket 100 fee no matter what then I'll stop flying them with them. It's unfortunate and I understand that they need to increase their revenue due to gas prices but spread it out evenly, don't target one subset of your customer base.

 

[jared w]

I spoke with Frontier and filled a complaint. The official policy is that a single flipper, snorkel, regulator warrants a 100 dollar fee. I explained that this was a rather despicable policy in that it was a direct penalty against Colorado natives by a Colorado based company and that skis weren't as costly. Furthermore I said it made no sense that if my wife and I can pack all of our gear and clothing in one 50 lb bag that we should be charged 100 dollars when the new policies would allow another couple to bring 200 lbs of non-scuba equipment for a fee of 50 dollars (25/second bag)

I won't be flying with the company any more, after 4 years using them this is unfortunate but they need to spread fuel costs more equitably amongst their consumers. I suggest other people call 1-800-265-5505 and complain.

 

[Charlie99]

I suggest other people call 1-800-265-5505 and complain.

I suggest e-mails or letters, and more specifically e-mails and letters in which you request that the airline clarify whether scuba gear without a tank and which fits in normal size and weight requirements is subject to the special fees.

Complaints coming in via general call center numbers rarely get passed up to management levels high enough to make a difference. People tend to take e-mails and letters that require a response more seriously. Before someone commits to a written response, they are more likely to think things through --- and anybody that thinks about it a bit is not very likely to say in writing that "yep, if you have a mask or snorkel we are going to charge you $100 to carry it".

I have e-mailed various airlines about their scuba gear policy, going back to Delta almost 10 years ago. In today's environment it may be hard to believe, but the sports equipment policies were meant to aid and assist customers --- those that had weird sized stuff that needed to be transported. By having special tarriffs available for things like javelins and pole-vaulting pole (yes, there is at least one airline that has those in the sporting equipment tarriffs), athletes and sportsmen could get weird stuff transported that otherwise was outside size and/or weight limits.

A set of doubled tanks on a backplate was another such item that was outside of the normal size and weight limits. The airlines helpfully issued a tarriff that let us ship one complete set of scuba gear (tanks, speargun and all) for a reasonable price.

What has happened recently, though, is that this old legacy tariff has started to be used as a revenue generator by charging people with just BCDs, wetsuit, and mask ---- no tanks.

I figure that a naked scuba tank is something that can reasonably be said to require special handling and therefore should be assessed a fee. I DON'T agree that scuba gear not including a tank that will all fit in normal size and weight restrictions should be charged.

I have yet to encounter any airline management that when forced to respond in writing says the fee applies when the scuba gear doesn't include a tank.