US Baggage Charge Policy for Carry-ons

[dexter]

Start charging for extra bags at the gates. People are wise to this and some big flights take 40-60 bags off the jetway. Next, cut some of the dead wood managers that hide in offices and do NADA. Another big savings....probably more than the gate bag revenue.

MOD NOTE: This topic was split away from the earnings thread to avoid that thread being diverted to an unrelated subject.

 

[Travelpro72]

I have NO IDEA why the company lets people get away with checking bags at the gate for free. Not that I'm a huge fan of charging but what does it say to passengers who DID pay to check bags? Imagine you paid and the announcement is made at the gate that if you wanna check a bag at the gate it will be free of charge. Sorry that is WRONG! ! I hear passengers talk about getting around the checked fees by taking it onboard. That way if it needs to be checked it's free. Isn't the company aware of this? If it needs to be checked at the gate it should cost $15.00 or whatever the fee is now. No passenger besides first class should be any more special than another.

 

[dexter]

The blame game is on the front line employee. Oops, I'm sorry sir, if you would like to speak to a manager, just bang on the last door all the way down the hallway to your right. Oh, what time is it? 1100 AM? You have to wait for their hourly briefing confernce calls. What time will their call end? Never.

 

[SS255]

I have NO IDEA why the company lets people get away with checking bags at the gate for free. Not that I'm a huge fan of charging but what does it say to passengers who DID pay to check bags? Imagine you paid and the announcement is made at the gate that if you wanna check a bag at the gate it will be free of charge. Sorry that is WRONG! ! I hear passengers talk about getting around the checked fees by taking it onboard. That way if it needs to be checked it's free. Isn't the company aware of this? If it needs to be checked at the gate it should cost $15.00 or whatever the fee is now. No passenger besides first class should be any more special than another.

It should only be free of charge to check at the gate if it complies with the carry-on requirements, and all of the overhead bins are full.

On some flights the FA just start taking peoples' bags once the overhead bins fill up. I don't think that the late boarders should be charged to check their carry-ons if they are within the limitations.

But rule-breakers should absolutely be nailed with the checked bag fee.

 

[Travelpro72]

The announcements are made in the gate area all the time. "Ladies and gentlemen our flight today is full and if you'd like to voluntarily check your bag at the gate today we'll do it free of charge". After passengers have paid at the kiosk or prior at home? If I were that customer who paid I'd be ticked off.

 

[BoeingBoy]

The announcements are made in the gate area all the time. "Ladies and gentlemen our flight today is full and if you'd like to voluntarily check your bag at the gate today we'll do it free of charge".

It's a double edged sword. As SS255 said, if the bag is within US' carry-on size restrictions there should NOT be a charge to check it just because there's no room left in the OHB's. If the flight is booked full or nearly so it's a pretty good bet that there won't be OHB space for all the legal carry-ons, so do you wait till the bins are full before checking the extra bags and possibly delay the flight or do you attempt to head off the problem before it arises?

Jim

 

[Travelpro72]

Oh I think it should be done ahead of time but for the passenger who paid at the kiosk or at home I don't think it's fair. If I were not familiar with US and payed for my bag online or at the kiosk only to find I could have done it for free at the gate I'd be a bit pissed. I still don't see it as fair. Not to mention all the passengers I overhear talking about "getting around" paying the fees. As much as US management comes across as penny pinchers I'm shocked they don't try to enforce the bags like they said they would outside of security.

 

[PBI2FLL]

We absolutely should be charging for OVERSIZED and/or EXCESS carryons at the gate. The only items that should be checked for free are the standard sized bags we can't accomodate due to a full flight, typically at the end of the boarding process.

I might add that bag tag printers would be a great help at the gate, instead of using those flimsy manual bag tags.

 

[BoeingBoy]

We absolutely should be charging for OVERSIZED and/or EXCESS carryons at the gate. The only items that should be checked for free are the standard sized bags we can't accomodate due to a full flight, typically at the end of the boarding process.

That is the key, travelpro. People who pay to check bags at the kiosk want their bags checked - either because they know they're too big to carry on, they have too many to carry on, or they don't want the hassle of lugging them around the airports. Anyone with a proper sized carry-on that must check it because of a lack of space on board shouldn't have to pay - US says their bag can be carried on and it's not that passengers fault that space ran out. Talk about unfair - how fair is it to let one person carry a bag on and charge the next person to check the same sized or smaller bag? But those trying to get a bigger than allowed or extra bag on board should have to pay to check it - every one of them even at the gate.

Jim

 

[ClueByFour]

Start charging for extra bags at the gates. People are wise to this and some big flights take 40-60 bags off the jetway. Next, cut some of the dead wood managers that hide in offices and do NADA. Another big savings....probably more than the gate bag revenue.

Yeah. Start a bankruptcy countdown timer. If all I bring is one bag, and I'm forced to pay to gate check it because I'm running late from a connection (or, if I'm Joe Blow in Zone 4), do you really see my flying US again?

 

[ClueByFour]

As much as US management comes across as penny pinchers I'm shocked they don't try to enforce the bags like they said they would outside of security.

How are they going to do that?

Let's say I'm flying out of PIT (or any number of airports where the TSA checks the ID now, and US shares a concourse with someone else). I check in online. I go to the gate. I don't interact with a US employee the entire time. US cannot enforce squat until I'm at the gate.

If you will recall, UA tried this with bag sizers at ORD back in 1999 or 2000. People simply went thru security in another concourse. UA then tried to have the bag sizers put on the scanners at all concourses. The other airlines (led by continental) told UA to stuff off and sued. And won.

 

[Furloughd4now]

Passengers laden with carry-ons resemble a scene from Survivor or The Amazing Race. They scramble to stow gear before others fill overhead bins, drag bags heavier than allowed, slip aboard with more than the two items typically permitted — and clip seatmates while cramming in belongings.

See Link

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/200...-carryons_N.htm

We HAVE regulations! Signs are posted EVERYWHERE! Yet the counter ignores it, TSA ignores it, the GA ignores it and then the FAs have to endure it!

The second carryon is NOT allowed to be the same size as your rollerboard. You see those folks with the overstuffed roller "computer bag". They then have the nerve to put both bags in the OHB! (and no they are not sitting in the bulkhead)

 

[SegmentKing]

I was on a competitor a few months ago and some kid brought on a 27" upright BK22!! The FAs were horrified as he drug it down the aisle and told him he has to check it... boy was he PISSED.

"I swear, it will fit!"

 

[SS255]

Or I've got a better idea: Charge customers what it actually costs to transport them, with a bit extra for profit......and let them check one bag for free.

 

[john john]

2/3 of the airline is express carryons are not a problem because they are check plane side.
With the exception of the 170-175 passengers stay in a total state of confusion trying to figure out US carryon rules