Flying just got more expensive

[DSE 4]

United Airlines has announced they'll immediately begin charging $25.00 for a second carryon.
For all customers, the charge to check as many as four additional bags will be $100 each.
Bloomberg announces...

[ACMESkydiver 0]

Only people that go over the limits.

And I'm ok with that. Weight is money in aviation..we all know that.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[headoverheels 329]

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Only people that go over the limits.

And I'm ok with that. Weight is money in aviation..we all know that.

Well, the limit is now one bag instead of two.

They are also increasing the extra cost for a bag weighing 51-70# to $100 (each way, of course).

I'll be happy to weigh in and pay based on the weight of myself and my bags.

[jakee 1,345]

Quote

And I'm ok with that. Weight is money in aviation..we all know that.

Then they should charge fat people extra for their seats as well. The sweating lumps of blubber that stand in front of me at check in desks are packing way more extra pounds than I could ever fit in a suitcase.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[headoverheels 329]

It's gonna make the fighting-for-carry-on-space battle be even worse.

[DSE 4]

From the article;
United's charge will apply to customers who buy nonrefundable domestic economy tickets and aren't Premier-status or higher members of United's frequent-flier program, or another carrier in the Star Alliance.

Many skydivers like to take their rig and camera gear as carryon, or rig and laptop as carryon. If you're not a Premier member, then you're over the limit with those two items.

[AllisonH 0]

I don't mind paying more for extra luggage if it helps keep ticket prices down. I'd much rather pay for services I actually use (when I use them) than for those I don't.

If it's just about weight though, why does my ticket cost the same as the person sitting next to me who weighs a good 100 pounds more than me? They certainly aren't going to let me check 100 pounds of extra luggage to even things out!

[ltdiver 3]

Quote

From the article;
United's charge will apply to customers who buy nonrefundable domestic economy tickets and aren't Premier-status or higher members of United's frequent-flier program, or another carrier in the Star Alliance.

Many skydivers like to take their rig and camera gear as carryon, or rig and laptop as carryon. If you're not a Premier member, then you're over the limit with those two items.

Thanks for the heads up. I'd still choose to carry my rig and camera equipment and pay the extra charge, then let them handle either one of them.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[Squeak 17]

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Only people that go over the limits.

And I'm ok with that. Weight is money in aviation..we all know that.

fat people should pay more

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[waltappel 1]

Quote

United Airlines has announced they'll immediately begin charging $25.00 for a second carryon.
For all customers, the charge to check as many as four additional bags will be $100 each.
Bloomberg announces...

Wow that sucks. Normally when I fly I like to carry two duffle bags full of pirated music with me.

Walt

[livendive 8]

Quote

From the article;
United's charge will apply to customers who buy nonrefundable domestic economy tickets and aren't Premier-status or higher members of United's frequent-flier program, or another carrier in the Star Alliance.

Many skydivers like to take their rig and camera gear as carryon, or rig and laptop as carryon. If you're not a Premier member, then you're over the limit with those two items.

Did I miss something in the original article? The entire thing sounded like they were charging for a second piece of *checked* luggage, not carry-on. It'll still get me though, as when I'm travelling to jump I carry on my rig & camera gear (w/ one jumpsuit in the helmet), and check the rest of my jumpsuits and my regular clothes (i.e. 2 carry-ons and 2 checked pieces). I suppose I can rearrange and leave a couple of suits at home each time to get within the 2 carry-on, 1 checked piece limits. Well, I would if other considerations absolutely forced me into travelling on United, who sucked total ass in my last couple trips.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[Beerlight 0]

Quote

Quote

And I'm ok with that. Weight is money in aviation..we all know that.

Then they should charge fat people extra for their seats as well. The sweating lumps of blubber that stand in front of me at check in desks are packing way more extra pounds than I could ever fit in a suitcase.

I wonder if the FAA still uses 170 lbs per adult as the norm?!!?

[Shotgun 1]

Well, I guess I'll fly with one of their competitors if I'm going somewhere where two suitcases will be needed. (Unless United's price works out to be cheaper even with the additional charge.)

[kelpdiver 2]

Quote

From the article;
United's charge will apply to customers who buy nonrefundable domestic economy tickets and aren't Premier-status or higher members of United's frequent-flier program, or another carrier in the Star Alliance.

Many skydivers like to take their rig and camera gear as carryon, or rig and laptop as carryon. If you're not a Premier member, then you're over the limit with those two items.

This is about checked luggage. Carryon has already been limited to one item (plus the personal item - I can cram a lot of shit into my laptop bag)

It would make dive travel hard for me - with the 50lb limit, all my dive gear equals one bag. Clothing etc is the second. Nevermind all the items you can't carry on anymore.

[cocheese 0]

You could fit in my suitcase, but i think they would lose you in Atlanta.

[Thanatos340 1]

I believe they are talking about Checked Baggage. This is really going to backfire on them when everyone starts trying to Carry-on what they would have normally checked. Already the Fight for overhead bin Space is tough.

I go out of my way to Book seats where I will get to Board early on airlines that I do not have status on just to make sure I can get my carry-ons in an overhead Bin. This sounds like a business travelers nightmare. Every one forced to carryon more because it would cost them extra to check it.

[monkycndo 0]

Many airlines are farming out the baggage handling. Wonder if they are paying by the piece? With only one free checked bag, I wonder if they will also start enforcing the size limit on checked baggage.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[kelpdiver 2]

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I believe they are talking about Checked Baggage. This is really going to backfire on them when everyone starts trying to Carry-on what they would have normally checked.

right, and will they ask people for $25 to gate check the luggage that won't fit?

It seems like a very offputting approach rather that just raising tickets $25. You got a messy collection system (at the counter when time is short and lines are long), a discriminatory policy, and whatever consequences occur with carry on.

[riddler 0]

I was flying between islands in Fiji about two years ago on a Chinese Y-12. Everyone of us passengers were required to stand on a scale with our luggage. They were calculating the total weight of each passenger + luggage to make sure the plane wasn't overloaded. A few people had too much weight - no problem - they just put their luggage on the next plane.

I foresee a time when we will all be standing on a scale with our luggage to get on a commercial plane. It'll have a doorframe in it as well. If you're too wide, you have to pay for two seats. For the weight, you are surcharged a percentage for each few pounds you are overweight. No offense to the overweight people, because it's you AND your luggage, so no one can judge your bodyweight.

Oh yeah - we will all also be butt-naked while scanners automatically go up and down in the doorframe to scan us. Everyone will hate that part of it, but it will detract from the humiliation of being weighed.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[riddler 0]

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I believe they are talking about Checked Baggage.

Looks like you're right. According to United's own website:

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,52481,00.html

Quote

United is announcing a new checked bag policy for customers who purchase nonrefundable domestic economy tickets. Customers purchasing nonrefundable domestic economy tickets who do not have status in Mileage Plus or Star Alliance may check one bag for free and a second bag for a $25 service fee. Customers who have attained Premier status or higher in Mileage Plus or who have Silver status and above with a Star Alliance partner, are exempt from this policy change. The new policy applies to tickets purchased on or after February 4, 2008 for travel on or after May 5, 2008. Please view the Domestic baggage questions for additional details on this policy.

So we used to be able to check two bags, but now it's only one. I don't fly United that much - once every few years. But even with the few times I've flown them, they are the ONLY airline that lost my luggage. And it wasn't once, it was THREE times (once with my checked rig) - I got all of it back eventually. Also, they stranded me in LA for three days on my way to New Zealand. They are pretty much the worst experience in commercial airlines I've ever had to endure.

I guess I'll be paying an extra $25 for them to lose my checked bags after May

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[blackout 0]

seems kind of unfair to me when i only weigh 125lbs, i couldnt carry enough crap to make up for the weight difference of the fat bastard in the seat next to me. Why should i have to pay for extra luggage. Should i pay less for my seat since im not as heavy? there by reducing the planes take off weight and fuel consumption

[headoverheels 329]

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seems kind of unfair to me when i only weigh 125lbs, i couldnt carry enough crap to make up for the weight difference of the fat bastard in the seat next to me. Why should i have to pay for extra luggage. Should i pay less for my seat since im not as heavy? there by reducing the planes take off weight and fuel consumption

On the other end of the scale, when we flew to Bonaire 1st class we could each have three seventy pound bags, plus a 40 pound carry-on, for a total of 500 pounds for the two of us -- nearly double our body weight. I was tempted to contact someone there, to see if I could import something for them.

[kallend 1,822]

My favorite airline won't do that. No lines at security either.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Quote

I was flying between islands in Fiji about two years ago on a Chinese Y-12. Everyone of us passengers were required to stand on a scale with our luggage. They were calculating the total weight of each passenger + luggage to make sure the plane wasn't overloaded. A few people had too much weight - no problem - they just put their luggage on the next plane.

I foresee a time when we will all be standing on a scale with our luggage to get on a commercial plane. It'll have a doorframe in it as well. If you're too wide, you have to pay for two seats. For the weight, you are surcharged a percentage for each few pounds you are overweight. No offense to the overweight people, because it's you AND your luggage, so no one can judge your bodyweight.

I think this is the way it should be:
There is a minimum weight for each seat purchased.
Passenger and all bags are weighed.
(X-kg)(Y$/kg) = ticket price.
If you show up heavy your credit card is charged for your extra weight at 1.25Y (to encourage accurate estimating) and underweight is credited at 0.8Y.

[Broke 0]

I am glad I don't fly united

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Anvil Brother 84
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