Airline Baggage Fees Are a Good Deal for Travelers

My checked baggage, on the other hand, is a strictly best-effort affair. If it doesn't fit on my plane, it becomes a "gets there when it gets there" problem. Once it's bumped once, the airline sees little reward in getting it to me faster or slower. There's good odds I will never see it again.

Comparing a $25 checked bag fee to a contracted cargo shipment is quite unfair.

--

edit: Here's another fun item. Technically, the conditions of carriage on your ticket don't require them to bump cargo for your baggage. And there's no incentive for them to do so.

http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-07-09/a-lawsuit-co...

“It costs United nothing to remove checked baggage, rather than cargo, in order to arrive at an acceptable aircraft weight because the checked baggage fee is purportedly nonrefundable, and United can simply transport the checked baggage on a later flight to the passenger’s destination.”

First, the conclusion that baggage fees are a good deal doesn't follow since the baggage fee shortfall is accounted for in the price of the ticket. A more valid conclusion is that travelers who don't check bags are subsidizing travelers who do.

Second, opportunity cost is used to conclude that the fees are a good deal. However, most travelers won't travel without baggage and since baggage fees we're most likely just a way to raise prices without raising the ticket price per se, it's a wash.

I suppose it would be different if the article made a case for cheaper, carry-on only flights which sell the cargo space for shipping. Does something like this exist? Seems to be a good business opportunity if not.

I think we probably all agree that paying extra luggage fees that we don't used to pay is NOT a good deal. We also know that airline industry are struggling in the post-911 era. They have been trying to extract every possible revenue streams they can possibly get: narrower but more seats on the same plane, more granular levels of seat upgrades, non-free in flight meals, change of milage programs and luggage fees. As some of the other commenters pointed out, the author failed to recognize that airliners are making profit not because of those extra fees but by carrying more passengers (and more efficiently). And customer patronage and airfares have DIRECT impact on the sales (e.g. post 911 airline industry slump). Author also failed to recognize that each passenger carried with luggage, there are more ways for airlines to sell added-value services (drinks, merchants, in-flight movies, seat upgrades etc) to. So to say that carrying air freight is going to be more profitable for airlines is absurd.

I almost wonder if the author was getting paid to write this article or perhaps trying to stir up getting some PR exposure out of this absurd post.

Now that means there's a lot of space going free in the cargo hold, but it means you can turn the flights round ridiculously quickly. Which means you can do many more segments per day and you don't have the plane sitting their deprecating.

edit: it's also great for a passenger as it can take up to an hour in big airports to get the bags onto the belts. i hate checking in bags now and curse myself every time I do.

I just don't want to be part of the crush of people wheeling wheels around the airport, trying to pack as much as possible within the "free limit".

When I do a check a bag that I don't need to check, often the baggage handlers will question why I am checking this bag, they'll tell me it is a waste of money and I tell them I have the credit card so I get a free bag.

Uh, but if they decide not to ship my bag^, they also decide not to ship me, because I'm not planning on buying a whole new wardrobe at my destination.

Also, doesn't this imply that they should be paying me not to check luggage?