$25 fee for second bag socks it to flyers -- fortunately after ski season is over.
United Airlines' newest surcharge will be $25 for checking a second bag on domestic and North American routes -- except for priority members of the carrier's MileagePlus program (that means flying a minimum of 25,000 miles per year). These privileged passengers still will be able to check a second bag for free. United pioneered charging for the convenience of curbside check-in and also led the way to adding fuel surcharges. Now this!
According to an Associated Press report, about one-quarter of United's passengers check a second bag. AP also quoted John Tague, United's chief revenue officer, as saying that the new policy "enables us to competitive fares to everyone." An argument could be made that extracting a mandatory extra $25 each way from one-quarter of their passengers is not exactly customer-friendly. Or maybe they are planning to buy some more pretzels with the $100 million additional anticipated annual revenue.
Unless passengers set up such a howl that the mighty United relents, recants and reverses itself on this, the new surcharge will kick on May 5 for tickets purchased after this coming Monday. The only small consolation for skiers flying United to Colorado or elsewhere in the Rockies this winter is that the surcharge will apply after the ski season is over.
Current airline policies count one ski/snowboard bag and one boot bag as one piece of luggage. If United continues this policy into the 2008-09 ski season, charging 25 bucks for each actual piece, that would add $50 each way, per person, to the cost of a ski trip. Now get this: In addition to the $25 to check a second bag, United will be charging $100 apiece for each additional checked bag. If the airline chooses to count ski/snowboards and boot bags as two items rather than one, that could add a total of $125 each way to each skier's cost of flying.
It could be a boon for equipment-rental businesses in ski country if visitors decide not to bring their own gear.
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Also according to the Daily Camera article international flights beyond Canada will be allowed a second bag sans fee.
ReplyDeleteHowever after arriving the U.S. and clearing customs I wonder if some re-checking their bags will face ill-informed check-in agents demanding $25 for their onward domestic flight?
Another reason I'd love to someday see transit lounges at our international gateway airports...