Baggage fees.. why??

**Husky_mom** · 02-20-2009, 12:42 PM

why are now airlines charging baggage fees??... economy issues??...

most airlines now charge 15 for your 1st baggage... and 25 extras for the second?? or 25 for both??....

now traveling has got a bit pricier... let´s say you want to go somewhere far and you need 3 bags... well... one for each person but still 15 dlls a piece... WOW....

**lvpets2002** · 02-20-2009, 12:51 PM

Yes the Airlines started charging due to fuel price increases.. See the more weight of baggage the aircraft carries the more fuel the aircraft burns.. Also its to deterr the customer as well to not bring so much luggage on a flight.. Oh yes I am sure they figure if you have the money to fly then you have the money for luggage fees.. I used to fly alot for years = that is before they started with all of these fees & ect..

**Husky_mom** · 02-20-2009, 12:55 PM

yeah but I´ve been thinking... normally we´d take one or two bags which can go as carry-ons... but we document them... now we´d be forced to carry-on those same bags so we don´t get charged... is there enough space for all the passengers carry-ons... I mean they´ll all be same weight up or down in cargo....

perhaps a weight limit charge would be more functional.... I don´t know...

**Barbara** · 02-20-2009, 12:56 PM

It's not so much fuel price increases (fuel is still cheaper than last year at the same time) but rather the overall cash flow situation. The cheap airlines were always operating on a very low margin and just have to see where they can get money from.....

**Laura's Babies** · 02-20-2009, 02:42 PM

I use to not hesitate flying, even thought I never really liked it. Now is seems like it is far more a hassel than it use to be with trying to figure out what you can carry on, security, and extra baggage fees, ect....

**Karen** · 02-20-2009, 02:50 PM

Exactly what Barbara said. Less weight for luggage = less fuel cost. We all love our cheap flights, and airlines will do anything to not raise actual ticket prices - so they nickle-and-dime you any other way they can.

**smokey the elder** · 02-20-2009, 03:01 PM

I flew Jet Blue (shameless plug) to Orlando in October; bought tickets at the height of the oil bubble (late June.) I did buy the extra leg room; they didn't charge for bags at that time. For two round trip tickets it was $448, I think. Pricey, but much less than some other airlines, and the flight was non-stop, out of an airport only a half hour away, and they had DirecTV (another shameless plug!) and good snax.

Now I think the supply-demand equation will start driving fares down. Sooner or later, even cutting out flights, they want to fill the planes that are still flying.

Business meetings are being done over the Internet more and more. I would prefer those, since I don't really care to travel long distances very often. The downside is the lack of face-to-face interactions during meals, downtime and such.

/end longwinded missive....