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AA bag fees (or: my rants always ramble)
May. 21st, 2008 03:05 pmSo today American Airlines announced that they are adding a $15 fee for the first checked bag in addition to their $25 fee for the second. A few boards that I've read have some people up-in-arms about this.
Firstly, it doesn't affect me as I am a premium flyer on AA. For premium flyers, the first two bags remain free (if they're under 50 lbs. each). And if the airlines were making record profits, then I'd be upset, but they're hurting bad. The price of oil has double in the last year, and of course fuel is one of the main expenses that an airline has, and they have to make that money up somehow. United and Delta admitted that they are considering the same fee.
I wish that they'd just raise their rates and be done with it, but I understand why they're reluctant to do that. Plane tickets today are bought online and most people look only at the price when making their choice. If one airline raised their rates without the others following suit, their ticket sales would plummet. So the inevitable result is reduced service (for instance, you aren't going to get a blanket or pillow on American anymore) and nickel-and-diming (you don't get the little bag of peanuts anymore).
I don't think it's such a big deal. You were getting a ten-cent bag of peanuts and now you're not. If you WANT, you can buy an overpriced $3 bag of snacks. Or you can bring something with you. Even if they stopped giving you a Coke, it's not a big deal.
Anyway, this rant is becoming poorly worded and disjointed. I guess my point is that you're on the plane to get from point A to point B, usually as cheaply as possible. If you want something more, do it yourself.
The more worrying thing for me is AA's cuts in service. That's more likely to mean me leaving at inopportune times.
Firstly, it doesn't affect me as I am a premium flyer on AA. For premium flyers, the first two bags remain free (if they're under 50 lbs. each). And if the airlines were making record profits, then I'd be upset, but they're hurting bad. The price of oil has double in the last year, and of course fuel is one of the main expenses that an airline has, and they have to make that money up somehow. United and Delta admitted that they are considering the same fee.
I wish that they'd just raise their rates and be done with it, but I understand why they're reluctant to do that. Plane tickets today are bought online and most people look only at the price when making their choice. If one airline raised their rates without the others following suit, their ticket sales would plummet. So the inevitable result is reduced service (for instance, you aren't going to get a blanket or pillow on American anymore) and nickel-and-diming (you don't get the little bag of peanuts anymore).
I don't think it's such a big deal. You were getting a ten-cent bag of peanuts and now you're not. If you WANT, you can buy an overpriced $3 bag of snacks. Or you can bring something with you. Even if they stopped giving you a Coke, it's not a big deal.
Anyway, this rant is becoming poorly worded and disjointed. I guess my point is that you're on the plane to get from point A to point B, usually as cheaply as possible. If you want something more, do it yourself.
The more worrying thing for me is AA's cuts in service. That's more likely to mean me leaving at inopportune times.
