saw this come across twitter this morning.
just the first sentence is good enough:
American Airlines will start charging $15 for the first checked bag, cut domestic flights and lay off workers as it grapples with record-high fuel prices.
now don’t get me wrong, i realize all the airlines are freaking out because of the cost of fuel and they’ve got to do whatever they can to get money in the bank. but it would seem to me that charging for the first checked bag may not be the most creative thing they’ve come up with. it makes sense to me to charge for food or to raise ticket prices because of the fuel costs. but when we’re encouraged to check our bags because we can’t possibly carry it on (thanks TSA for your liquid rules) and the cabin storage is minimal and a painful experience if you’re in that last boarding group - this comes across as a penalty for flying with American.
on their site they list a ton of exceptions. the three that affect most of us are these:
Customers traveling on an international itinerary to destinations beyond the U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, or Canada
Customers who purchase full-fare tickets in Economy Class
Customers who purchase Business or First Class tickets
so basically if you’re a budget traveler you probably aren’t going to fly American. then again, if you are, why are you flying American?
let’s hope other carriers can be more creative then this as they deal with fuel costs.