2015 Airlines Baggage Fees

[swamt]

I usually never read articles about the baggage fees, but I did read this one for some reason.  I never knew in the past just how bad the "baggage fees" were.  My gosh, for an airline to make hundreds and hundreds of millions and some billions of dollars for "baggage fees".  That is just nuts. No wonder SW is staying with the free bags campaign. It's obviously keeping our planes full. Compared to number of passengers carried for the year Frontier is out of control with their baggage fees.
 
Baggage fees provide a revenue bounty for Frontier Airlines

 

[xUT]

That's SW choice and business model.
All the other airlines are more 'fee' based than ever before.
It is what it is.
 
Take Care,
B) xUT

 

[Worldport]

I usually never read articles about the baggage fees, but I did read this one for some reason.  I never knew in the past just how bad the "baggage fees" were.  My gosh, for an airline to make hundreds and hundreds of millions and some billions of dollars for "baggage fees".  That is just nuts. No wonder SW is staying with the free bags campaign. It's obviously keeping our planes full. Compared to number of passengers carried for the year Frontier is out of control with their baggage fees.
 
Baggage fees provide a revenue bounty for Frontier Airlines

LUV's salaries always used to be well above and beyond that of the legacies, now your salary is on par with the others. Maybe that difference is the baggage fee. The  other big three do a pretty good job at keeping their planes full too. I know, I know different business models

 

[Birdman]

The question is how much revenue does WN generate by not charging obscene fees to transport luggage? The suits in charge have obviously recognized the value by exploiting the fees as a major distinction in their marketing scheme.

 

[jimntx]

I doubt there are very many people who fly WN just to avoid baggage fees.  WN employees should be proud of the fact that people fly WN because the ENJOY flying WN.  When I was based in STL, but living in Dallas, I commuted on WN a lot.  (Love Field is also about 20 miles closer to my home than DFW.)  In the 6 years I commuted on WN, I never experienced a grumpy or rude flight attendant and only one grumpy, rude gate agent (for which another agent who witnessed the grumpiness did a very nice thing for me to make up for the rudeness of the other agent).  I never experienced a major delay or a flight cancellation.  The seats are comfortable and the atmosphere relaxed.  I like flying WN.
 
I don't think baggages fees charged by other airlines are all that "obscene".  You are looking at the total take.  Even $25/bag mounts up when you charge just about every passenger

 

[Birdman]

I doubt there are very many people who fly WN just to avoid baggage fees.  WN employees should be proud of the fact that people fly WN because the ENJOY flying WN.  When I was based in STL, but living in Dallas, I commuted on WN a lot.  (Love Field is also about 20 miles closer to my home than DFW.)  In the 6 years I commuted on WN, I never experienced a grumpy or rude flight attendant and only one grumpy, rude gate agent (for which another agent who witnessed the grumpiness did a very nice thing for me to make up for the rudeness of the other agent).  I never experienced a major delay or a flight cancellation.  The seats are comfortable and the atmosphere relaxed.  I like flying WN.
 
I don't think baggages fees charged by other airlines are all that "obscene".  You are looking at the total take.  Even $25/bag mounts up when you charge just about every passenger

 
As frugal as WN is I doubt they would continue spending advertising dollars unnecessarily, and they do exploit baggage fees big time. What I find on my commutes on WN is how many passengers prefer not to check free bags only to have them checked anyway due to full overhead bins. I have to ask if the baggage fee airlines charge when this scenario occurs, as there would be many more who refuse to pay up front? If so that would certainly generate a lot of hate, discontent, and possibly delays. BTW, thanks for flying with us. 

 

[swamt]

LUV's salaries always used to be well above and beyond that of the legacies, now your salary is on par with the others. Maybe that difference is the baggage fee. The  other big three do a pretty good job at keeping their planes full too. I know, I know different business models

Yea, our salaries are directly tied SWA not charging bag fees.  C'mon man.  Where do you get this stuff from? Let me guess, It starts witha W and ends in a T...

 

[whatkindoffreshhell]

As a revenue passenger I will always first select WN because of overall value.  The $35 I might've spent on a bag goes to preferred seating or something you still get the revenue.
 
Won't even consider flying Frontier even if the fare is five dollars.  Poor product but is a price leader.  Sort of like Little Caesars Pizza.
 
Does Frontier even offer a frequent flyer program?  Now there is an oxymoron.

 

[Worldport]

Yea, our salaries are directly tied SWA not charging bag fees.  C'mon man.  Where do you get this stuff from? Let me guess, It starts witha W and ends in a T...

OK I concede salaries have nothing to do with revenue, What was I thinking. Why are you no longer compensated well above the legacies? Must be your union you should vote in an association like AA has, its great

 

[swamt]

OK I concede salaries have nothing to do with revenue, What was I thinking. Why are you no longer compensated well above the legacies? Must be your union you should vote in an association like AA has, its great

Long story kept short, it's because other airlines are getting their contracts done after coming out of BK. SWA has been waiting and watching for the other airlines to "catch up" so there isn't such a cost difference. Were still in nego's and may not have a contract this year with the way the company is acting and nego. Don't worry your little self about our contract, we'll get one and right back where we were before but it's unfortunate it won't be any time this year and maybe not even in 2017. SWA wants that pay freeze for as long as they can get it for while giving all the investors everything.  

 

[Worldport]

Long story kept short, it's because other airlines are getting their contracts done after coming out of BK. SWA has been waiting and watching for the other airlines to "catch up" so there isn't such a cost difference. Were still in nego's and may not have a contract this year with the way the company is acting and nego. Don't worry your little self about our contract, we'll get one and right back where we were before but it's unfortunate it won't be any time this year and maybe not even in 2017. SWA wants that pay freeze for as long as they can get it for while giving all the investors everything.  

 So your hourly rate will be several dollars above the legacies right back to where you used to be? Fleet and passenger service didn't get that we will see what the mighty AMFA does

 

[swamt]

Not sure where exactly we might land. The co. has stated that "money" is not the problem. I am not sure where all the other airlines are exactly currently, but I do know some have passed us with their last contract, which is a great thing, and I am very happy for them. But with what the co. is currently offering if we run the numbers would put us between FedEx at $53 and UPS at 51.30 tipping the scale closer to the 53 of FedEx. Now that's with 8% snap up (DOS) and going with the larger 3% each year for years 2-5.  The union has already notified the co. that the offer they are speaking about is not even in the ball park, so they will have to go back and do some more modifications.  The membership is ok with where we are currently and keeping everything we have so there will be no rush to get a contract. We're not going to fall for the desperation of dollar signs just to get a contract which is exactly what the rampers did and jumped on the offer. This is what the co. would love for us to do and that is not going to happen.  Might be a little while before we will know anything as the next nego sessions are to be focusing on our MC group. So like I said before, we won't have anything prior to 2017. Although the co. has stated they would like to have something done some time this year---I don't see that happening with how the co. is nego.
 
This should be in the other thread for mechanics contract. World port answer this in the other thread pls.

 

[swamt]

Is SWA soon to be looking at bag fees?  Pressure now coming from investors and other outsiders.  The co. has stated they were waiting for the other airlines to catch up, well, they've caught up. I could see some minor bag fees being introduced to help off set the higher labor cost that will come with the new contracts for the big 3 unions left at SWA. They could get away with keeping the passengers if they only charged 1/3 or 1/2 of all the other airlines, or maybe still allow first bag free and smaller fees for the rest.
 
 


Why Wall Street Isn't Happy With Southwest's 43 Straight Years of Profits

 

[eolesen]

WN couldn't do anything consistently with fees up until now thanks to the limitations of their homegrown check-in and archaic reservation systems.

With those system being replaced sometime in the next 6-12 months (a project that started in 2010...), WN would finally have the ability to do paid seats, paid baggage, etc. like all of the other carriers.

Once that's delivered and running for the domestic system (it's already running internationally), all bets are off on how long WN remains fee free.

I worked on the sales pitch & response for the company providing the new system, and how y'all got along with the current system for so long is a testament to the people of WN being able to make do with crap IT.