Brace yourself for check-in chaos on American Airlines
To get an idea of how poorly planned this new $15 charge for the first piece of checked baggage fee is, consider what American Airlines is saying about it. The airline is giving two contradictory sets of instructions to employees and passengers. Chaos will be inevitable.
Here’s what it’s telling agents through its internal system:
* Update 1630CT/12Jun QSDRLH
* Second checked bag fee of $25.00 USD/CAD for tickets issued on/after May 12, 2008 (Applies to travel within/between the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands)
* First checked baggage fee $15.00 USD/CAD for tickets issued on/after June 15, 2008 (Applies to travel within/between the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands)
* First checked baggage fee $15.00 USD/CAD for tickets issued on/after July 7, 2008 (Applies to travel to/from Canada)To assist customers, the airports will be distributing Flyers with information regarding the checked baggage fee. Please review BAG INFO for complete details of the new baggage policy including a list of Exemptions from the checked baggage fees.
Additionally, effective June 15, 2008, there will no longer be a $2.00 per bag fee when using curbside check-in.
Now take a look at this leaflet that American plans to distribute to passengers:
Notice that the brochure is incorrect according to the information provided by American Airlines to its agents. The handout makes no mention in its clear table of fees of the difference in when the first checked baggage fee applies for travel to/from Canada.
In fact, the brochure is WRONG. It actually says that the fees apply for flights to Canada as well.
Either the agents are getting bad information or the customers are getting bad information. Or, the powers that be at American Airlines have no idea of what they are doing.
This is a poor implementation of a flawed policy.
Get ready for a real mess at the airports as American Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways make up the rules as they go along and new problems crop up. We are in uncharted territories with this kind of fee.
GUARANTEED more passengers will be hauling carry-on luggage to the aircraft and through TSA security checkpoints.
GUARANTEED lines will be longer.
GUARANTEED tempers will flare on the jetways.
It makes one wonder why these legacy U.S. carriers didn’t work with the Air Canada GO Discount model that offers a lower fare for those who don’t plan on checking a bag, don’t want frequent flier miles, etc. Heck, Air Canada already has functioning software that lets them do it.
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3 Responses to “Brace yourself for check-in chaos on American Airlines”
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I can see it getting really ugly at JFK for flights going to Puerto Rico— alot of parents send their kids there for the summer and believe me - they are carrying more than 2 bags — I can see the fights and the arguements now when they try to carry a suitcase/box/backpack - you name it — they really need to enforce the carry on policy of it is going to get out of hand. I have been on that flight — and it can be crazy on some. Hope they are ready
I wonder if Southwest is sitting back, waiting for these legacy carriers to implode?
@Jen: I hope so - they’re the only airline I willingly (and in their case happily) fly.