United to start charging for second bag
02-04-2008, 01:11 PM
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United to start charging for second bag
My mom, husband and psychiatrist have all said that each time I travel, there really is no need to bring the kitchen sink or 15 pairs of shoes. Perhaps getting charged for all that extra stuff will cure me of this affliction. 
From Associated Press:
CHICAGO - United Airlines will start charging domestic passengers $25 to check in a second piece of luggage if they are not part of its most-frequent-flier programs, the airline said Monday.
The charge will generate more than $100 million in revenue and cost savings each year, the UAL Corp. carrier said. The change takes effect with travel starting on May 5 and applies to tickets purchased on or after Monday.
Investors have urged airlines to pass on the higher costs of fuel onto passengers through ticket-price increases or similar surcharges.
United's customer research showed that a quarter of its customers check a second bag, Chief Revenue Officer John Tague said in a statement. The new policy will allow customers with many bags to continue bringing them for a fee and "enables us to offer competitive fares to everyone," Tague said.
Customers who have "Premier" status or higher within United's Mileage Plus program, or "Silver" status or higher within its Star Alliance program will still be able to check in a second bag for free. The new charge applies to those who purchase nonrefundable domestic economy tickets.
United will charge all customers $100 per bag for up to four additional bags. Previous charges ranged from $85 to $125 per bag. The cost to check items that require special handling because they are large, overweight or fragile will now be either $100 or $200, depending on the item.
New fees apply to trips within the U.S. and or those that include Canada, San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas. Customers whose itineraries include other international flights will still be able to check the second bag for free. The cost to check more than two bags, or items that are overweight or require special handling, on such trips will vary by destination.
From Associated Press:
CHICAGO - United Airlines will start charging domestic passengers $25 to check in a second piece of luggage if they are not part of its most-frequent-flier programs, the airline said Monday.
The charge will generate more than $100 million in revenue and cost savings each year, the UAL Corp. carrier said. The change takes effect with travel starting on May 5 and applies to tickets purchased on or after Monday.
Investors have urged airlines to pass on the higher costs of fuel onto passengers through ticket-price increases or similar surcharges.
United's customer research showed that a quarter of its customers check a second bag, Chief Revenue Officer John Tague said in a statement. The new policy will allow customers with many bags to continue bringing them for a fee and "enables us to offer competitive fares to everyone," Tague said.
Customers who have "Premier" status or higher within United's Mileage Plus program, or "Silver" status or higher within its Star Alliance program will still be able to check in a second bag for free. The new charge applies to those who purchase nonrefundable domestic economy tickets.
United will charge all customers $100 per bag for up to four additional bags. Previous charges ranged from $85 to $125 per bag. The cost to check items that require special handling because they are large, overweight or fragile will now be either $100 or $200, depending on the item.
New fees apply to trips within the U.S. and or those that include Canada, San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas. Customers whose itineraries include other international flights will still be able to check the second bag for free. The cost to check more than two bags, or items that are overweight or require special handling, on such trips will vary by destination.
02-04-2008, 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by vagabond
My mom, husband and psychiatrist have all said that each time I travel, there really is no need to bring the kitchen sink or 15 pairs of shoes. Perhaps getting charged for all that extra stuff will cure me of this affliction.
From Associated Press:
Investors have urged airlines to pass on the higher costs of fuel onto passengers through ticket-price increases or similar surcharges.
From Associated Press:
Investors have urged airlines to pass on the higher costs of fuel onto passengers through ticket-price increases or similar surcharges.
Wow, what a idea. If only they had thought of this years ago...
02-04-2008, 02:08 PM
#6
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I say "go United"...
I think all prices should be based on weight. Why should I, a modest person pay the same price for my ticket as the fat slob sitting next to me. He, or unfortunately she, obviously is costing more in fuel than I am, so I should be reimbursed for my frugality. We should all step on the scale, just like our luggage prior to every flight.... pilots excluded, of course....
I think all prices should be based on weight. Why should I, a modest person pay the same price for my ticket as the fat slob sitting next to me. He, or unfortunately she, obviously is costing more in fuel than I am, so I should be reimbursed for my frugality. We should all step on the scale, just like our luggage prior to every flight.... pilots excluded, of course....
02-04-2008, 02:12 PM
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I am not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, fuel costs are out of control and airlines are NOT doing a good enough job at passing the cost on the customers. This will help generate more revenue (and cut fuel burn slightly). United is typically the leader in fare increases, but they often are forced to repeal them after just one airline fails to follow suit. So I am happy that this will generate more money. Airlines should be doing more to pass costs onto customers.
On the other hand, 2 checked bags is the standard in the industry, and I can see some people getting upset about having to pay for that second checked bag. I also agree that more people will try to squeeze more carry on's onto the airplane, and this will cause a slowdown in the boarding process. Yes, you should absolutely blame Skybus for this. I think it is funny because this is not just an example of Skybus bringing the industry down for employees and companies, this is an example of Skybus bringing down the industry for travelers (forcing them to pay for things that used to be free). Maybe this will get some press.
Hey United... You want some more revenue? I have a good idea. Start charging for revenue stand-by's (BP-5's, eg. flight changes).
If you want to standby for an earlier flight, that should cost something modest (say $20). People will be happy enough to pay that for an earlier flight. This is more of a convenience that should cost money than something that should be included in your airfare (like checking of bags). If the later flight is overbooked, and the earlier flight is not, you could offer it for FREE. This would alleviate problems with having to offer free round trip tickets to pax that give up their seat on the overbooked flight and lower the potential that a revenue pax may be denied boarding, since you are allowing people who wanted to take the earlier flight to do it.
If you show up late for your flight (your own fault, ie, not getting through security on time), and you want to stand-by for the next flight, charge them $10. This will motivate people to be on time.
As a non-rev traveler, flying stand-by has really started to suck in the last year or so. The primary reason is these revenue stand-by's. They show up very early, check in electronically and press "Stand by for an earlier flight," and they take a seat that you had planned on being open. This problem is really bad anytime two flights are within 1 hour of each other, or when there are airport wide flight delays. You can never count on getting on even an empty flight.
Start charging for pax to standby for an earlier flight. This is a luxury and should not be free. It will generate lots of revenue, and it shouldn't anger people or cause other problems (such as slowing the boarding process in the above example). And it will make flying stand-by easier for employees.
On the other hand, 2 checked bags is the standard in the industry, and I can see some people getting upset about having to pay for that second checked bag. I also agree that more people will try to squeeze more carry on's onto the airplane, and this will cause a slowdown in the boarding process. Yes, you should absolutely blame Skybus for this. I think it is funny because this is not just an example of Skybus bringing the industry down for employees and companies, this is an example of Skybus bringing down the industry for travelers (forcing them to pay for things that used to be free). Maybe this will get some press.
Hey United... You want some more revenue? I have a good idea. Start charging for revenue stand-by's (BP-5's, eg. flight changes).
If you want to standby for an earlier flight, that should cost something modest (say $20). People will be happy enough to pay that for an earlier flight. This is more of a convenience that should cost money than something that should be included in your airfare (like checking of bags). If the later flight is overbooked, and the earlier flight is not, you could offer it for FREE. This would alleviate problems with having to offer free round trip tickets to pax that give up their seat on the overbooked flight and lower the potential that a revenue pax may be denied boarding, since you are allowing people who wanted to take the earlier flight to do it.
If you show up late for your flight (your own fault, ie, not getting through security on time), and you want to stand-by for the next flight, charge them $10. This will motivate people to be on time.
As a non-rev traveler, flying stand-by has really started to suck in the last year or so. The primary reason is these revenue stand-by's. They show up very early, check in electronically and press "Stand by for an earlier flight," and they take a seat that you had planned on being open. This problem is really bad anytime two flights are within 1 hour of each other, or when there are airport wide flight delays. You can never count on getting on even an empty flight.
Start charging for pax to standby for an earlier flight. This is a luxury and should not be free. It will generate lots of revenue, and it shouldn't anger people or cause other problems (such as slowing the boarding process in the above example). And it will make flying stand-by easier for employees.
02-04-2008, 02:22 PM
#8
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does anyone know (KNOW) the effect of last minute priceline fares? It is one thing for a customer, who might be a frequent flier, to take a standby seat, but it is another for a non-frequent flier to get a cheap seat, just because the internet gives them the capability to do so. Last minute flights should be based on some commitment to the company.
02-04-2008, 02:24 PM
#9
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Passengers are just going to try to duct tape thier bags together or get really big bags for thier stuff. Ive done this many times to get more stuff through. But im thinking this will just have the effect of more people flying Southwest whose routes out of denver are getting better all the time.
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