New checked bag fees...

[scubawife]

The problem with all of the carryons is that there are now to many and they are often two big for the overhead space. The past few flights I've been on have left late. The flight attendants are busy looking for space for everything or they have to check them last minute into the checked baggage area. The high bag fees have really made a mess of things imo.

PH

There's been a direct correlation between checked bag fees and the amount of carry-on. A lot of people decided they'll check one bag and cram everything else into their carry-on and "personal item" to avoid the 2nd bag fees.

Travel in Australia a few years ago was the best airline experiences I've had. They are very strict with carry-on. The average US standard bag is too big. Boarding was general boarding, all at once, took maybe 15 min to seat an entire full flight. Without taking all that luggage into the cabin, there was no fighting for overheard space and not once did we see gate check because overheads were full.

 

[Mike]

seriously, why is that?

Because it seems 100% of passengers now have a carry on in the overhead, so every single person does the stand up and wait for those in front to move out of the way and reach up and grab a carry on, pull it out, hit somebody in the head, mess with getting the thing oriented in the aisle, figure out where the handle is.... mix that in with the amount of people who weren't able to put their carry on above their seats and you have the shuffling of people against the tide to get to their carry on in some other part of the plane... I can't believe how long it takes to get out of an airplane now!

 

[mstevens]

Because it seems 100% of passengers now have a carry on in the overhead, so every single person does the stand up and wait for those in front to move out of the way and reach up and grab a carry on, pull it out, hit somebody in the head, mess with getting the thing oriented in the aisle, figure out where the handle is.... mix that in with the amount of people who weren't able to put their carry on above their seats and you have the shuffling of people against the tide to get to their carry on in some other part of the plane... I can't believe how long it takes to get out of an airplane now!

I really think this is even worse on United because of their unbelievably stupid policy of loading a plane from the front to the back. If they loaded from back to front (in coach - this doesn't really matter in first), attendants could easily enforce putting carry-ons above the passenger's seat and loading the overhead bins from back to front as well. As it is, passengers quickly fill the forwardmost bins which is one reason that on disembarkation they must buck the tide like salmon in order to retrieve their bags.

This boneheaded policy also means it takes much longer to load the plane, since practically everyone has to push past multiple people who didn't need anything from their carryon until it was time to sit down.

 

[Ron Lee]

I am completely shocked that charging checked luggage fees would result in more carry-ons. No one could have anticipated that.

 

[scubafanatic]

I am completely shocked that charging checked luggage fees would result in more carry-ons. No one could have anticipated that.

I'm pretty sure the airlines saw that coming, but they're cleverly applying a 'boil a frog slowly enough and it won't notice the temp increase and jump out of the pot' concept. They gradually increase fees until the comsumer accepts things as the 'new normal', which then clears the way for the next generation of fees.

 

[Ron Lee]

They gradually increase fees until the consumer accepts things as the 'new normal', when then clears the way for the next generation of fees.

Which may be the carry-on fee of as much as $100 USD with Spirit.

Realistically, if most airlines have a FREE first bag to Mexico from the USA, there should not be a carry-on problem. I will note that I travel carry-on only to Mexico and I am NOT an impediment to timely boarding or disembarkation.

 

[Mike]

I'm pretty sure the airlines saw that coming, but they're cleverly applying a 'boil a frog slowly enough and it won't notice the temp increase and jump out of the pot' concept. They gradually increase fees until the comsumer accepts things as the 'new normal', when then clears the way for the next generation of fees.

Also all us frogs are so damn stupid that we can't figure out that a ticket for $200 plus $200 in fees is the same as a ticket for $400 with everything included. If we could just figure this out, an airline would finally see a marketing advantage to selling customers on service and experience instead of the lowest price. Offering a $400 ticket that includes your baggage, your carry on, your drink, and even toilet paper in the bathroom. But until then us frogs will keep ignoring the $400 ticket in the expedia listing for the $200 ticket that ends up costing $400 in the end.

The sad thing is that airline tickets are and have gone up, but thanks to the new ala carte mentality, customers and now paying more and getting much, much less in their overall experience in flying. Had all this not gone on, prices would have still gone up as they have, but there would have been increases in flying experience along with it.

 

[scubafanatic]

gonna go out on a limb here, next fee: Vaseline @ $ 10.00

 

[dmoore19]

gonna go out on a limb here, next fee: Vaseline @ $ 10.00

That is the online price. If you wait to purchase it at the gate it is $20.00

 

[Ron Lee]

Also all us frogs are so damn stupid that we can't figure out that a ticket for $200 plus $200 in fees is the same as a ticket for $400 with everything included.

Interesting view. Just one major flaw in the thought process. You can't get $200 airfare to Cancun/Cozumel. Or if you do, it is not the norm.

From many places in the USA, taxes/fees alone for a flight to Mexico are around $100 USD if not a bit more. This ~$100 is not negotiable. It is airport fees. US federal government fees/taxes. And about 50% goes to the Mexican government. So we are not talking in this case about seat fees, baggage fees, exit row fees, toilet paper fees, headphone fee, wifi fee, etc that the airline charges and collects.