Can you believe the airline

[Josie]

charges $20 per bag for checked baggage and there is no guarantee that you will get it?

We just flew last Wed. and returned on Thurs. We checked the bag at home to hopefully have it on our trip. We didn't get it until Sunday morning at 2:15 am at home. I called to at least get our $20 back and they said it was nonrefundable and there was no guarantee your bags would make it!

I guess the lesson here is to carry everything on. Already they were having to gate check bags because the overhead storage was too full.

 

[Star*]

$20 is cheap - When I flew last Christmas - a young lady (model) had a suitcase that weighed about 80 lbs and they told her $200.00 - she paid it and they also said NO GUARANTEES.

I flew a time before that for an interview and they lost all my luggage. It showed up the day I LEFT and Ihad to go buy all new clothes for the interview. (bummer for me) I had zero money.

I got one of those wheeled briefcase sized suitcases and a GIGANTIC purse. I check the wheeled suitcase at the door to the airplane and the gigantic purse goes on with me.

As to can you believe it? Yup - airlines have taken total advantage of us since 911 -

I don't think it has ANYTHING to do with safety anymore and I sure don't see ANY Air Marshalls flying with me to make up for the cost.

 

[DammitJanet]

I dont think it has anything to do with safety either. It has to do with money plain and simple. I guess you have to fly Southwest if you can cause they let bags fly free.

 

[Lothlorien]

I watched one girl remove half the stuff in her luggage of her second suitcase, because they were going to charge her an extra $150. I thought that was insane!!! What are you supposed to do if your going to be somewhere for several weeks? It's almost cheaper to just go buy new stuff when you get to your destination than it is to take it with you.

 

[Fran]

Star, my brother is an air marshall. They are out there. Believe me.

My mother packs her luggage so dense that it always weighs way over the limit. I started making her pay for it since she refuses to downsize the amount of **** she brings.
We fly often enough that we try to always go Southwest. It's a much less annoying airlines than the others. You can only take so many liquids through to "carry on" so I put the bigger bottles and all my make up under the plane. Now that they are charging so much, it just makes it that much more complicated.
They charged my 82yr old mom for her suitcase and her walker. I thought that was a bit much.
I have to say I have only had my bags misplaced or missed the connection two or three times in a lifetime but it always takes 16 to 24 hrs to get it.

Flying has become very user unfriendly and a frustrating experience.

 

[DammitJanet]

They charged her for her walker? That is insane!

Ya know, when people stop flying, this will stop happening. It is cheaper to drive now especially if you have more than one or two people going somewhere. Yeah it takes longer but you can see the sights. If it costs 20 bucks for 1 bag and 150 for the second plus your 300 bucks for the ticket for yourself...my gosh! You could buy a cheap car for that if you have two or three people going!

 

[Josie]

I don't mind the $20 per bag. It just seems that if they can't get it to you in a reasonable time that you shouldn't have to pay. Where else do you have to
pay for something without the possibility of getting a refund if they don't deliver? I guess I am thankful it wasn't $150!

Charging for a walker is not right.

 

[Lothlorien]

Paying for a walker is discriminatory...they have to accomodate her because of her handicap. My aunt flies with her scooter and they do not charge her for it. We've never had a problem with that.

 

[GoingNorth]

Initially I understood the luggage fees due to fuel costs being so high. Afterall, I can remember flying 'puddle jumpers' where they individually weighed not just luggage, but each passenger to help calculate what the plane could carry vs the weight of fuel needed.

I learned my lesson about luggage long before the current airline idiocy: I used to have to fly between CA and O'Hare a few times a year and in two cases had luggage containing business materials go missing.

After that I shipped my important stuff via UPS or FedEx to my work site so it was waiting for me when I got there. It cost a bit more but it was worth it.

I don't think, given the excessive luggage fees now being charged, that you would really be paying a penalty to have your stuff shipped, and you are pretty sure of getting it on time.

 

[flutterby]

You'll find when flying that it's certain airports that lose your luggage. My mom flies regularly and the only time she's lost her luggage was when she flew through Dulles. 3 of the 5 times she flew through Dulles her baggage didn't make it even though she had a 2 hour layover.

The airlines can't guarantee your luggage will make it because they don't employ the luggage handlers. Still, I agree if your luggage doesn't make it, you should be refunded because it obviously wasn't on the plane you flew.

My mom flies Southwest unless it's not possible. Lessons learned.

 

[muttmeister]

After having my luggage lost a couple of times, I started using ONLY carryon. I take one small wheeled bag (it is within the size limits for a carry on) and one large purse. I've become really creative with packing; last time I took a BIG trip it was 2 weeks in Egypt and Jordan and I got everything in my bag and purse and had room left to come home with souveneirs. You really don't need to take all of that junk with you anyway. The more I travel, the less I take.