The Airlines' Latest Battle in the Luggage Wars

When the airlines first decided to penalize their passengers for checking luggage in 2008 I gritted my teeth, saved up the extra money and went with the airline that charged the least amount for each trip and also offered the lowest ticket prices.

Then in 2009, I managed to avoid those mounting fines by either taking an overnight trip which only required what I carried on since I stayed in the airport overnight and arranged all of my necessary business to be done in one day. I arrived at my destination on the earliest cheap flight I could find and literally hit the ground running.

I returned to the airport late that night and flew out on their earliest flight the next morning, so I didn't need to camp out in the airport that long. Hey, the airlines do it to us anyway, so why not just plan for it and make the wait easier and cheaper. I wasn't the only one with the same idea. There have been others waiting with me in the various airports where I've been doing this.

The second trip was international, so I could enjoy myself since not only would my luggage fly free, I could actually get fed with something that I didn't have to add to my carryon's and watch a movie.

For 2010, I already have five tickets and am looking at another trip, all, with not a single luggage charge. How did I do that? Simple. Southwest has been flying to Burbank from Tampa for years. However, I needed a flight to San Jose, since I go there first, before flying to Burbank. Southwest opened up flights to San Jose in the past year.
Southwest isn't just an airline with nice, helpful people, they also don't charge for our checked luggage.

All of my domestic tickets are through Southwest and even though my one international flight is on Delta, it's international which still feeds us and allows us to have our checked luggage with us without more financial pain. One of my trips is also one of those overnighters where I'll be staying overnight in the airport with only my carryon.

In this article I'm covering what the airlines are saying about their gains from the checked luggage fines, what is actually happening to their bottom lines and a list of the latest charges for the various amenities that we used to expect as a part of our paid ticket.

It was reported in an article by Joe Brancatelli in September, 2009 that our nation's largest airlines reported increasing their gain in luggage fees from 2008 to 2009 by 275 percent, a total gain in $669 million. They claimed that we the flying public have accepted these fines.

However, they didn't give the other side of the story that those same companies lost in overall revenue by 12.3 to 25 percent whereas Southwest, who doesn't charge for the first two checked bags, and Jetblue, who still allows the first one to fly free, had losses of 8.8 and 6 percent.

For example, the leading airline in the baggage fine wars, American Airlines, may have gained $118.4 million in collected fines but their total bottom line went from $6.17 billion to $4.88 billion. That's like people getting mad at us this past year because we refused to apply for jobs that cost us $600 to go to when they were only paying us $400. That's economic suicide.

Some of the carriers have started charging for the second checked bag on international flights and have added extra fees for those busy holiday days, such as November 29 and January 2 and 3 on top of the fact it usually costs more on these days anyway since they're during the holiday time.

This next section lists the fees for various amenities on different airlines:

The Latest Airline Fees are quoted for each way. Also, I presume that the fees quoted for the unaccompanied minor is not including the ticket price:

Air Canada:

Air Canada's first checked bag is free, the second is $30 and the third is $100. The airline charges $3.00 to $4.00 for a snack and $5.00 to $13.00 for a meal. You can take your pet with you for $105 in the checked luggage and $50 to $100 in the cabin. You can send your unaccompanied minor from ages 8 to 11 for $100.

Air France:

Air France's snacks and meals are free and you can send your unaccompanied minor from the ages of 5 to twelve for free. For all the other charges, you will need to check their website before you go since they vary.

Air India:

The first two checked bags on Air India are free. Their meals are also served free. For all other charges, you will need to check their website before you go.

Air Tran:

Air Tran charges $15 for the first checked bag, $25 for the second and $50 for the third. They don't offer meals or so it appears, snacks. You can take your pet with you in the cabin for $69. You can send your unaccompanied minor from the ages of 5 to 17 for $39 for a nonstop flight and $59 for a connecting flight. They also charge for exit row seats for $20 and advance seat assignments from free to $6 per person.

Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Airlines charges $15 for the first checked bag, $25 for the second and $50 for the third. Their meals cost $6. You can take your pet in the checked luggage or in the cabin for $100.Your unaccompanied child can travel for $75 for ages 5 to 12.

Alitalia Airlines:

Alitalia Airlines's first and second checked bags and their meals are free. Their third bag is $100. You will need to check their website for their requirements for unaccompanied minors from ages 5 to 14.

American Airlines:

American Airlines are the one of the companies who started this. Their first checked bag is $25, their second is $35 and their third is $100. Their snacks range from $3 to $4 and their meals from $6 to $10. Your pet can come for $150 in the checked baggage and for $100 in the cabin. Your unaccompanied minor for the ages of 5 to 14 can travel for $100.

British Airways:

British Airways' first checked bag, snacks and meals are free. Their second checked bag is $112 from the US and their third is $140 from the US. They don't carry pets. Your unaccompanied minor from the ages of 5 to 12 can travel for $50 to $75.

Continental:

Continental' s first checked bag is $25 or $23 if checked and paid on-line, their second domestic bag is $35 or $32 if checked and paid on-line and their third is $100. You need to check their website for the second international checked bag. Their snacks and meals may still be free, check their website to be sure. Your pet can travel with you in the cabin for $125 and for $149 to $659 in cargo. Your unaccompanied child can travel for $100 on a nonstop flight for ages 5 to 14 and for ages 8 to 14 on connecting flights.

Delta/Northwest:

Delta/Northwest's checked baggage prices are $25 for the first one, $23 if paid for on-line, $35 for the second bag, $32 if paid for on-line, and the third bag is $125. Their snacks are $2 to $5 and their meals are $6 to $8. Your pet can fly in the checked baggage for $175 and in the cabin for $100. In cargo, the going rate is $178 to $689. Your unaccompanied minor travels for $100 if between the ages of 5 and 14.

Frontier:

Frontier's checked baggage fees are $20 for the first one, $30 for the second and $50 for the third bag. They can charge up to $2 for the drinks, $3 for their snacks and $6 to $7 for the meals. Your pet can only travel with the checked baggage for $150 and your aged 5 to 14 unaccompanied minor travels for $50 on a nonstop flight and for $100 on a connecting flight.

Hawaiian Airlines:

Hawaiian Airlines' first checked bag is $10 for an inter-island flight and $15 otherwise, their second bag is $17 for an inter-island flight and $30 otherwise, and the third bag is $25 for an inter-island flight and $125 otherwise. Their snacks are free and their meals can cost up to $10.

You will need to check their website for their regulations on transportation of pets since they have very strict quarantine rules. It's not advised to try to take your pet to Hawaii unless you're planning to move there.

When I was there two years ago, the rules were still the same as when we lived there in 1980. Any animal coming into the islands is required to go through a six month quarantine, which can be very expensive, especially in Hawaii, and difficult on your pet.

They also, under no circumstances will accept any snakes or if I remember right, any reptile, due to some of their endangered native species. Whoever made the movie, Snakes on a Plane, didn't do their homework.

Your unaccompanied minor from the ages of 5 to 14 can fly for $35 to $100

JetBlue Airlines:

JetBlue's first checked bag is free, their second is $30 and the third is $75. Their snack is free and they serve no meals. Your pet can travel in the cabin for $100 and your unaccompanied minor between the ages of 5 and 14 can fly for $75. They also charge for extra legroom at $10 or more per person.

KLM Royal Dutch:

KLM's first and second checked bags are free. Their third bag is 200 euros. The snacks and meals are free. Your pet can travel in the checked baggage or in the cabin for $200. Your unaccompanied minor between the ages of 5 and 14 can travel for $120 and a choice in seating will cost you from 20 to 70 euros.

Lufthansa:

Lufthansa's first checked bag is free and you will need to check their website for the prices on the second and third bag. Their snacks and meals are free. You need to check with the company about shipping your pet. Your unaccompanied minor from the age of 5 to 12 will cost from $120 to $150.

Mexicana:

Mexicana's first checked bag is free, their second is $40 and the third is $150. Their snacks and meals are free. Your pet can travel in the cabin or in cargo for $90. You will need to check with the airline about your unaccompanied minor who is between the ages of 8 and 17.

Midwest:

Midwest's first checked bag is $20, their second is $30 and the third is $50. The snacks are $3 and the meals are $6 to $7. Your pet can travel in checked baggage for $150 or in cargo for $130 to $319. Your unaccompanied minor who is between the ages of 5 and 14 can fly for $50 on a nonstop flight and for $100 for a connected flight. Their select seats cost from $20 to $50.

Swiss Air:

Swiss Air's first two checked bags are free. Their third bag is $200 to $350. The meals are free. You need to check with the airline about transporting your pet. Your unaccompanied minor if between the ages of 3 to 12, can travel for $99.

Southwest:

Southwest's first two checked bags are free. Their third bag is $50. Their snacks are free. They don't serve meals. Your pet can travel in the cabin for $75 and your unaccompanied minor between the ages of 5 and 11 can travel for $25.

Spirit Airlines:

Spirit Airlines' First checked bag costs $25 or $19 if paid for on-line, their second bag is $25 until August 1 when the price goes up to $45 and the third bag is $100. They've just announced that they will be the first airline to begin charging up to $45 for any carryon that has to go in the overhead bins. Their drinks are all $2 to $3 and their snacks are $2 to $5. Your pet can travel in the cabin for $100 and your unaccompanied minor between the ages of 5 and 14 can travel for $100. they also have fees for special seating which ranges from $7 up to and beyond $35.

US Airways:

Us Airways was the first airline to begin to charge for the first checked bag. They also tried to charge for the drinks, but stopped doing so within the year they started it.

Their first checked bag is $25 or $23 if paid for on-line, the second bag is $35 or $32 if paid for on-line and the third bag is $100. Their drinks are again free, but their snacks are $3 to$6 and the meals are $7.

Your pet can travel in the cabin for $100. You need to check with the airline about shipping your pet with the checked baggage. Your unaccompanied minor can travel for $100 if between the ages of 5 and 14. Their selected seating can cost $5 and up per segment of a flight.

United:

United's first checked bag is $25, the second is $35 and the third is $125. Their snacks and snack boxes are from $3 to $7 and the meals are from $3 to $9. Your pet can travel in the cabin for $125 and in with the checked baggage for $250. Your unaccompanied minor can travel for $99 if between the ages of 5 and 11. They also charge for special economy seating which ranges from $9 to $109.

Virgin America:

Virgin America's first, second and third checked bags are all $25 each. Their snacks are $2 to $3 and their meals are $7 to $9. Your pet can travel in the cabin for $100 per segment of the flight. Your unaccompanied minor can fly for $75 if between the ages of 5 and 14. They also charge for special seating from $30 to $100.

Until there are bridges built between the continents and the islands, ha, some of us will need to keep flying. Which means we just need to keep looking for the best way to stretch our travel dollar and to seek out the fairest treatment among the airlines. We can also vote with our purchase power. I do when I can. That's also why I'm listing many of the airlines which we are likely to travel on, so that you can have an idea of what you're dealing with before you decide where you're going put your money.

Additional Reading:

Help! I've Just Arrived for a Two Week Trip and I Can't Find My Suitcase

I'm Stuck at the Memphis Airport - What Can I Do While I Wait?

How to Keep Your Family Together While Traveling on Business

Tips for College Long Distance Relationships

Sources:

http://www.portfolio.com/views/columns/seat-2B/2009/09/29/baggage-fees-hurting-airlines-bottom-line/index.html
The Truth About Airline Bag Fees, Joe Brancatelli, September 30, 2009

http://www.kayak.com/airline-fees