At first, this was going to be yet another rant against the airlines for their increasingly absurd luggage fees. The trigger was when I found out that Spirit Airlines, the outfit that just this week announced plans to charge passengers up to $45 to put their carry-on bags in the overhead bins, was offering to knock $15 off if you prepaid the fee online.
Travelers have responded with scorn. One TV financial analyst, Todd M. Schoenberger, even cut up his frequent flyer cards from Spirit, and predicted that all these fees will ultimately lead to the airlines’ demise.
But you know what? I’ve changed my mind. Let the airlines charge whatever they want for luggage, be it checked or carry-on. In fact,let them stop carrying luggage altogether.
If I’m going to have to pay to ship luggage, anyway, I’d just as soon use one of those luggage delivery services. They may not be cheap, but the service they provide more than makes up for the cost.
What’s a luggage delivery service? Some are familiar names like UPS or Fedex. Others have names like Luggage Ahead or Luggage Free or Luggage Forward.
You don’t bring your bags to them. They come to you. They pick them up, put them on a plane and deliver them to your destination. Play your cards right and they can be waiting for you when you arrive — and when you get home.
Yeah, I could get used to that.
When I first wrote about these services, it was mainly from the standpoint of traveler convenience. The airlines have made this into purely a monetary issue.
If they want to stop hauling bags, there are plenty of luggage services out there to pick up the slack. And with their takeoff weight so greatly lightened, that would mean a huge reduction in fuel costs — savings they would eagerly share with their passengers.
Right?
So go ahead, ban bags, all bags. Nothing under your seat but your feet. Nothing in the overhead bins.
Hell, why keep the overhead bins? They weigh, too, don’t they?
And who knows? With all those fuel savings, maybe they could even give us decent legroom again back there in Sardine Class.
Hey, I can dream, can’t i?
I agree with you 1000% Greg. As the mother of a toddler, I sometimes feel like a sherpa hiking Mount Everest with all the stuff I’m checking and carrying. Good news for me is that 90% of my flights are on Southwest, which still allows free bags. But if they stop and all airlines start charging for checked and carry-on bags, I’ll be among the first to sign up for shipping my luggage.
And this picture of the overhead bins of a Douglas DC-3 shows what it was like back in the day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fermata_daily/545349834/
Barely enough room to hold a purse and hat!
Benet
Aviation Queen