<p>It would have been far better to have raised ticket prices by $15.</p>
<p>I’ve had to travel for business that included traveling to different climates. Carryon isn’t enough to handle such trips. </p>
<p>I am glad that I sold my American Airlines stock. I hate American Airlines.</p>
<p>I wonder if a “carry-on only” airline would be profitable? They would be either able to charge less because fuel costs/weight would be lower, they could cram in more seats, or they can fly cargo at the same time instead of everyone’s luggage for a charge.</p>
<p>With this rule, it will take a lot langer to load the plane, since most people will try to take just a carry on. Airline delays will get longer or they will have to start boarding an hour before scheduled take-off.</p>
<p>Do any of you remember People’s Express? I used to use it all the time in college. The ticket price was really low but there was an additional surcharge for each and every piece of checked baggage. The bright side was that you were allowed to check in unlimited amounts as long as you were willing to pay. This was great for a college student going home at the end of the school year.</p>
<p>What I’d like to see them do is start charging for carry-ons. What they allow people to bring into the cabin and try to stuff into the overhead bins is ridiculous.</p>
<p>Sigh. I traveled last year and was faced with having to pay $20 for being 2lbs over the limit because I had crammed everything into one suitcase (for an overseas flight) on the return trip. I took out some pieces of clothing and avoided the excess charge, but it was very cumbersome dragging them about . So this year, I put everything into two suitcases (same weight) and was not charged anything. But with this new rule, I can see paying $15 for the first checked bag, $25 for the second checked bag on each leg of the trip. That’s an increase of $80.</p>
<p>so what happens when there is no room in the overhead compartments and people are forced to gate-check their luggage? Does that cost an extra $15. If so, you definitely have to be an elite member to be able to travel so that you can board first.</p>
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<p>right when my bottom has become wider.<br>
talk about a double whammy!</p>
<p>I have a feeling this might not last too long, especially if Southwest holds to a no charge policy. I, fortunately, am exempt from this charge since I am AAdvantage Platinum.</p>
<p>I agree, just raise the price of the darn tickets. Ok pay extra for the extra bags, but this is getting ridiculous!</p>
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<p>I’m with you on that! It is ridiculous! Let people check in 2 bags for free and charge for any carry-on beyound a purse or a small laptop or camera bag. Anything that has wheels and pull out handles is not a carry-on by definition! Business travelers would have no problem paying for it. Me? I can wait for my bags an extra few minutes. I bet the loading of those planes will be much speedier, too! How many times have you seen the flight attendants frantically running around the plane trying to play overhead bin musical chairs with someone’s huge bag?</p>
<p>Several years ago, before 9/11, I had back problems. Since I was traveling on business with the able-bodied, I knew no one would want to wait for checked luggage. I FedExed what would have otherwise been in my carryon (except for a couple of essentials) to the destination and back (I had the essentials in my briefcase and the clothes on my back in case anything was lost). It worked beautifully. I had the FedEx stuff picked up at my house the night before and left it at the desk to be shipped home when I checked out of the motel.</p>
<p>D is at Study Abroad and she has flown to many places for really ridiculously low rates. The rate for more than a small carryon is rather high, however. So, travel light, travel cheap. Have any luggage, and you will pay! College kids just going on short sightseeing trips really get a good deal. Now, if you have a family…</p>
<p>Re: #12 above–I KNOW that they were entitled to the carry-ons, although technically the parents were doing all the carrying. Don’t you get the absurdity of it? If it happens this week, as opposed to last week, they pay nothing, while you pay $15 for your one 24 inch suitcase? If the point of the baggage fee is to save fuel by discouraging baggage, is this the way to do it? I would think that by discouraging carry-ons, it would make security go much faster and it would lessen the AC and lights on the plane used while waiting for all that stuff to disembark with the passengers!</p>
<p>I remember People’s Express! Cheap fares, and I was a poor college student then.</p>
<p>What gets me is they have been encouraging people to check baggage to avoid problems at security with liquids or other questionable items. Now we have to pay for that?</p>
<p>And I weigh about half what some people weigh. I should be able to check a bag for free. :D</p>
<p>Check out the readers’ rants in this article:</p>
<p>[Nation</a> & World | Travelers furious over American Airlines’ plans to charge $15 fee for one checked bag | Seattle Times Newspaper](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004430827_americanbaggage22.html]Nation”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004430827_americanbaggage22.html)</p>
<p>I predict some heads will soon roll at the AA headquarters.</p>
<p>No my point has nothing to do with who does the carrying. It has to do with the number of tickets purchased. If they purchased five tickets for five people, they’re entitled to everything each passenger would be. As for your paying for your single suitcase, welcome, join the club that began on the day the new fares were introduced. The two things have nothing in common.</p>
<p>What irritates me about the charge for the first checked bag is that TSA hasn’t lifted the liquids ban. So if you’re traveling for more than a week you either need to buy all your liquid/gel on the other end, or somehow manage to make it all 3 oz or less AND fit it all into ONE zip lock bag (quart size). Not an easy task.</p>
<p>Oh, dear. Check this MSNBC story out.
"NEW YORK - United Airlines ratcheted up the pressure on fliers ahead of the holiday weekend, raising most domestic fares by as much as $60 roundtrip to offset the runaway cost of fuel.</p>
<p>A representative for the second-largest U.S. airline also said Friday the Chicago-based carrier is “seriously considering” following AMR Corp.'s American Airlines in charging passengers to check their first piece of luggage.</p>
<p>“It’s part of all the work that we’re doing to try to offset fuel costs,” spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said."</p>
<p>This is ridiculous. It’s even more ridiculous that airlines claim to still care about customer service when they seem to go out of their way to make their clients angry and uncomfortable.</p>