Rising Airline Baggage Fees.
I don’t know about the rest of you out there, but I am sick and tired of airlines continuously finding ways to increase the cost of flying by adding on to user fees, or finding ways to come up with new ones.
It was only a few short years ago that checking in bags was a service, and free. Now, most airlines charge at least $25.00 to check a bag, and even more for international flights. Instead of giving us a discount for checking more then one bag, the charge us even more for a second or third bag. The airlines have decided that this is just one more way they can increase their profits, just like the sir charges for fuel increases.
As for the fuel sir charges, the airlines added them when prices were hovering around $4.00 a gallon, and now that fuel is about $3.00 a gallon, they are raising the fuel sir charges again. I don’t understand the logic.
The silent giant in all of this baggage stuff is the federal government, and the TSA. Since more people have been carrying on bags to avoid the baggage sir charges, the security lines have gotten much longer. It takes more time for the screeners to check all of those big heavy stuffed role on bags then ever before.
The TSA might find it time and cost effective to subsidize the baggage sir charges charged by the airlines. This would also eliminate much of the confusion about what can, and can not be taken on the plane.
Travelers would be able to put questionable items into their checked bags, and not have to give up the perfume, toothpaste, or baby bottles.
Taxes, and sir charges, when does it all stop?
Airlines and Baggage
I was packing my bag for a trip to Florida, when it occurred to me that I had some items that might be broken if they were not wrapped securely.
I decided to repack my bag, carefully placing the wrapped breakables between layers of clothing. I was careful, but guess what; my bag was thrown around by the Delta baggage handlers when it was off loaded. How do I know this? My friend saw my bag tossed out of the plane and fly through the air before it landed not so softly on the hard ground.
At the time, I didn’t have a complaint company like http://www.directcomplaint.com behind me, and the airline refused to admit that they were careless. It took me three months, and at least 20 phone calls before they agreed to send me a check for $400 to compensate me for my broken items.
The airlines want our business, but then when they make mistakes, they won’t take correct measures to make things right. If it were only as easy as getting a voucher for giving up a seat on an over booked flight, we all would be very happy.
