New bill targets airline bag-check fees

If anyone thinks this bill would get them "free" bag travel ,I have a bridge to sell them. If this bill passes the airlines will raise fares to make up for the lost baggage fees, then everyone would pay for the bag fees in the ticket prices, whether they have a checked bag or not. let the people pay for what services they use. I bet the Senator who introduced this bill also voted for Obamacare to get us cheaper health insurance rates.

I prefer to have the fees continue as is because if you look at the numbers airline tickets have actually gone down. Inflation is what you see when the tickets back in the 60s cost 300 for transatlantic, now are $1000. baggage fees are just a way to pay for what you use. why should i pay for the space in the hold for a bag if im only going to have one roller bag?

The free market will work, if left alone. When passengers are tired of the fees, they will find a ride that costs less. If the airlines see they are loosing business because of the fees, the fees will go away. The bag fee actually shifts the cost to the person using the services. If I prefer to travel with a small carry-on that fits under the seat, why should I have to pay as much as the the guy who brings a couple of steamer trunks. He elected to use the baggage system, so let him pay for it.

Senator Landrieu should butt out and let the market take care of this. As long as the airlines post the pricing, there should be no complaints.

Much as I despise the baggage fees (at least on the first bag), the market needs to sort this out. Not a bunch of lame brains in DC. How can they manage airline business when they can't even manage or balance the federal budget?

While I dislike paying the bag fee, I certainly understand the airlines utilizing it (giving passengers some options as oppose to putting a blanket ticket pice increase in effect). However, it seems to be vote pandering when someone in the government is quick to evoke a regulation that imposes a cost on business without considering the impact of tat action. I believe we were founder on the principals of free enterprise, so why is the goverent so quick to write checks others have to cash? BTW, I want to thank Yazoo for providing a source referenced (facts) response on airline revenues. I frequently see comments about historical cost, that do not take inflation into consideration. Good job on providing this information.

While I am pretty much in agreement with the comments here, it is kinda comical to read this comment string. I remember earlier when these fees first started hitting and we were all railing against them in this forum. Now, after a year or so, we get a do nothing, political loser, try and make a name for herself, but late again as usual, and here we are lambasting her & the government and defending the fees.LOL.Gotta Love It.

To me it's like negotiating a deal for a car, then they hand you the keys and say, "Hey, you want steering wheel with that? Now, do you need some wheels?" When you buy a ticket, it should come with one checked bag free (2 if it's an international flight. Now we've got stewardess (Yes - that's the term) hawking boxed lunches like it's a bus going from Delhi to Punjab. Making customers comfortable and providing good service for your money is what will keep people coming back over the long haul. It's also the reason I try to avoid Delta! They once sold me an airline ticket to ride a bus!!!

I actually agree with Wayne Bookout and others.
Gee! What a concept? Free enterprise in a Capitalistic Society. Let the market determine. I'd actually love to see the airlines charge for carry on bags and have free checked bag(s). Just think how fast and smooth the boarding process would go! However, I don't think that you'll see change any time soon.
From a June 2011 ABC report:
"... the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today that U.S. airlines collected almost $5.7 billion from baggage fees and reservation change fees in 2010.

American passenger airlines made an estimated profit of $2.6 billion in 2010, according to the ATA. More than $2.1 billion of that profit came from fees. ... Delta made the most last year from bag fees with $952 million in revenue, according to the BTS. The recently merged United and Continental were in second with $655 million, followed by American ($580 million) and US Airways ($513 million)."

From my earlier post, you can see that if they can't make the money selling the seats, they are going to have to get the revenue somewhere else. There's big money in bags.

I think my initial point may have been missed. When you buy a seat, the luggage comes with it - period. No further negotiating or quibbling. What the airlines are doing is petty and usurious. They shouldn't be allowed to conduct business in such a manner. I'd they can't be trusted to self regulate, then legislating minimum standards is appropriate, especially since it is within Constitutional mandate to regulate interstate commerce.

With the serious economic issues our elected officials need to address, why do they have to waste time and resources dealing with an issues they really should have no involvement in? Many years ago the airline industry was deregulated - LEAVE THE FREE MARKET ALONE!

I agree with the other comments in letting the market decide what fee structures succeed. Congress has other things they should be dealing with (but aren't).

When one airline started charging for putting carry-on bags in the overhead bins, it helped reduce the chaos and delays resulting from everybody trying to cram more bags that the overhead space was designed for. And despite people complaining about the fee, it seems to allow their flights to be leaving mostly on time.

Congress - don't you have a budget and overloaded debt to work on?

As an employee of the only carrier that offers two free checked items, I oppose such a bill. This would be detrimental to my company's marketing and competitive advantage. Let the public decide in a free enterprise how to spend (or not spend) their money. The government needs to butt out and worry more about the frivolous spending of our tax dollars and fixing the economy.

If the Airlines are not able to charge all these rediculous fees.....another way to nickel and dime the traveling public....then they will "increase the fares even more to make it up. Bring back fare regulations to stop the insane fares charged to the traveling public..........Fly SOUTHWEST!!

They need to fix the big problems in the country and stop meddling in business.

Having said that it is necessary to check a bag if you are taking presents that the TSA would confiscate, liquid toiletries, sten guns, bowie knives and the like. Also if the first bag is free the number of the most obnoxious individuals arriving with their entire wardrobe and bedding to place in the overhead might diminish....except of course at EWR.

It would have made more sense to require the fees to be posted with the ticket price and let the consumer decide.

If you think airlines are charging too much and making too much profit, maybe you should look at the oil companies. Really, if you don't like the price of a product or service, don't buy it. You have a choice, at least until we decide to put the government in charge of everything.

Bottom line........it is all GREED! Many folks are just a bunch of Lemmings. All about the dollar.....

Of course it is. That is what corp's are supposed to do. Not greed, just capitalism at work. When they try and get greedy, customers leave. That's the way it works. Corp's are not around for philanthropy.

More like Socializism, isn't it?......James

The more government involvement the more we move toward socialism.

Yup....you're right James....it is already happening, unfortunately.

Just another exampl of the Obama government tring to take us down the road to Social-lism.

Government, Get the HELL out of my life!!!!!!!!!!!


Bunch of Bureaucratic idiots in Washington!!

All the above posts are right on. The government has no constitutional authority to dictate the pricing practices or service standards of private businesses. This BS has become typical of the current American government.

It cost's airlines $X.XX per pound to transport something. Why should someone who only has a small carry on be charged for full sized bag. You have to pay an extra fee when you have a large bag and take a taxi. Why should this be different.
Janet Napolitano is an idiot because the TSA only performs random bag checks at the gate. And even that is rather rare.
As to Connor Oslie's comments about airfare he is not correct. I'm using ATA and overall industry average figures. The 1926 passenger revenue per passenger mile (RASM) was $0.12. The revenue per passenger mile in 2004 was $0.12.1. Yet the costs (fuel, wages, fees, rents, and TAXES) per available seat mile have greatly increased. The 2011 RASM is projected to be in the 12.32 cent range. The 2011 Cost per Available Seat Mile (CASM)is projected to be 12.49 cents. So on average the airlines are loosing 0.17 cents/mile just to carry what they carry. To increase revenue you need to squeeze every penny for each seat mile. That means charging for bags, food, drinks, WIFI, movies, and putting ads on the tray tables. Ryan air, a discount European carrier, wanted to install pay toilets!