AA Charges $450 for one bag
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WorldTraveler
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$450 is steep but no one is FORCED to pay anything.
These are fees for exceeding the standard.
As long as airlines notify consumers of what charges they will impose, there is no basis for complaining.
.
Since this is a UK e-mail site, why are they focusing only on US airlines? Does BA let you bring the kitchen sink AND cabinets along for free?
These are fees for exceeding the standard.
As long as airlines notify consumers of what charges they will impose, there is no basis for complaining.
.
Since this is a UK e-mail site, why are they focusing only on US airlines? Does BA let you bring the kitchen sink AND cabinets along for free?
eolesen
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This was a Page 1 story today in McPaper today. Light on facts, high on shock value.
What's buried in the story (below the fold?) is that $450 is for an overweight bag 71-100 lbs to Asia. The same bag to the Caribbean is $200, and they're not allowed in excess of 70 lbs to Europe or South America.
For a 12 hour flight to Asia, $450 is more than justified. Fedex expects $765 for a 90 lb package with two day delivery, or $632 on four day delivery.
What's buried in the story (below the fold?) is that $450 is for an overweight bag 71-100 lbs to Asia. The same bag to the Caribbean is $200, and they're not allowed in excess of 70 lbs to Europe or South America.
For a 12 hour flight to Asia, $450 is more than justified. Fedex expects $765 for a 90 lb package with two day delivery, or $632 on four day delivery.
Fed Ex brings it door to door. Apples to oranges.
Uhh, and for that local delivery, FedEx demands hundreds of dollars more than AA charges for the checked bag. Of course the services re not identical, but the $450 AA charges sounds somewhat reasonable compared to FedEx shipping fees.
Actually, FedEx has an international airport to airport service that's a little cheaper:
http://www.fedex.com/pa_english/services/intlairport.html
FedEx is quoting me $765 for a 99 lb box between LAX and PVG for four day delivery and a whopping $1100 for that same 99 lbs for two day delivery.
This is a nonstory on the scale of Delta's refusal to fly Israeli passport holders to Saudia Arabia that the media latched on a couple months ago.
eolesen
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Yes, but I deliberately priced drop off and pickup at a Fedex location, not door to door, specifically to have an apples to apples, Bob.
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The bottom line is that it is a part of the price for services that a consumer CAN purchase.
I don't believe major US or even global airlines have ever considered a 100 lb bag as allowable.... given that airlines create baggage allowances for what the majority of people need for the journey, the allowance is reasonable. Baggage handling is largely a manual process; airlines do not want their personnel having to handle bags over 70 pounds and the surcharges for overweight bags is much higher above 70 pounds than it is for 50 to 70 pounds.
Here is a link to AA's page for optional service charges which is prominently linked to their home page.
http://www.aa.com/i18n/utility/aacom_services_charges.jsp
Note that the word "Complimentary" appears many times throughout the article.
It is also noteworthy that US airlines have far more liberal carry on baggage allowances than most global airlines... US airlines do not generally enforce weight limits and allow larger pieces than many foreign airlines. If you do an apples to apples comparison of US airline baggage charges, you might find that US airlines actually look pretty good.
As long as consumers know what is included in the price of the ticket and what they have to pay if they choose to carry more bags than allowed, then there is no basis for arguing. When passengers bring baggage weighing more than the passengers themselves, then it isn't unreasonable that excess charges should be as much or more than the price of the passenger ticket.
I don't believe major US or even global airlines have ever considered a 100 lb bag as allowable.... given that airlines create baggage allowances for what the majority of people need for the journey, the allowance is reasonable. Baggage handling is largely a manual process; airlines do not want their personnel having to handle bags over 70 pounds and the surcharges for overweight bags is much higher above 70 pounds than it is for 50 to 70 pounds.
Here is a link to AA's page for optional service charges which is prominently linked to their home page.
http://www.aa.com/i18n/utility/aacom_services_charges.jsp
Note that the word "Complimentary" appears many times throughout the article.
It is also noteworthy that US airlines have far more liberal carry on baggage allowances than most global airlines... US airlines do not generally enforce weight limits and allow larger pieces than many foreign airlines. If you do an apples to apples comparison of US airline baggage charges, you might find that US airlines actually look pretty good.
As long as consumers know what is included in the price of the ticket and what they have to pay if they choose to carry more bags than allowed, then there is no basis for arguing. When passengers bring baggage weighing more than the passengers themselves, then it isn't unreasonable that excess charges should be as much or more than the price of the passenger ticket.
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