An Invitation to 'Step Back From The Baggage Claim'

How about starting off the New Year with a wonderfully inspiring book titled, Step Back From The Baggage Claim? In this book, author Jason Barger uses different points in a journey, including the dreaded baggage claim, to highlight the inconsiderate behaviors and actions of passengers in airports throughout the country. He then uses these situations as reflection points to achieve greater self-awareness and then ultimately challenges readers to step back from the "metaphorical baggage claim in life."

In one example, Barger humorously writes about the human wall surrounding baggage claim; "Their knees are bent in an athletic stance, ready to pounce on the first bag that dares to look even slightly similar to their own. They do not budge an inch until they get their bags from the spot they earned." Meanwhile others resort to peeking through cracks in the "human wall of entitlement" in a frantic search for their bags lying on the conveyor belt.

What can we learn from this?

Even while the collective conscious around baggage claim may be anxious, frustrated and tired, there is an opportunity to step back and recognize the needs of others. Maybe it's the Mom with two kids running around who needs a bit of help pulling her bag off the conveyor belt. Or a couple just arriving on their honeymoon who just want to get away. Yield to others, help others, be the person in the crowd who takes a step back from baggage claim. It might even become contagious and inspire others to do the same.

Although the airport is a playground of opportunity to carry out these acts of kindness, it is just a starting point. Throughout the book, Barger provides examples on how people, in their everyday lives, have the capacity to step back from the baggage claim and change the world; it all starts at the airport.

Two thumbs up to this enjoyable read!

Visit www.stepbackfromthebaggageclaim.com for more information or to order a copy of this book. While there, read how the author spent seven straight days in airports throughout the United States and conducting roughly 10,000 minutes of observations of people's behaviors.

(Special thanks to Jason Barger for providing a copy of this book for review)

Changes to Southwest's Checked Baggage Policy

Historically known for its liberal baggage policy, Southwest Airlines will soon modify its limits on checked baggage. According to the Southwest website, the airline states passengers may now check up to 2 bags free of charge effective January 29th. Previously, and generously, the airline had allowed up to 3 bags free of charge. The new policy is on par with the competition and is at least partially in response to rising jet fuel costs.

Delta Hikes Baggage Fees

By Mike Grasso
Perhaps one day soon the fees to transport luggage may cost more than the passenger's airline ticket

In a press release Tuesday, Delta Airlines announced the increase of checked-bag fees; this impacts the quantity, the weight, and the size of bags. First and foremost, Delta continues to offer one free checked bag, as long as it meets the weight and size guidelines. Deviations from this one-bag policy will result in fees, fees and more fees. Here we go:

1st Bag checked - FREE
2nd Bag checked - $50 bucks for domestic flights (previously $25)
Plus higher fees for additional bags

Trying to pack your one piece of luggage as full and heavy as possible to avoid the 2nd bag fee? Delta is on to you! =)

Any checked bag - 51-70 pounds = $90 fee for domestic flights (previously $80)
Plus higher fees for heavier baggage

Finally, if the dimensions of said baggage exceed 63" inches, a $175 fee is levied (up from $150)
Anything over 80" is not permitted.

An example of how all these fees come together is best illustrated by an example on the Delta website: Check in an extra piece of luggage that goes over the weight limit and over the size limit, you get charged 3 different fees - each way. This would make for a painful vacation for an uninformed family flying out on vacation.

Some or all fees are excluded for passengers flying first or business class, flying internationally, or Delta Medallion members. For everyone else, the fee hikes begin for tickets sold on or after July 31st, for travel on or after August 5, 2008. Click here for all the details.

Passengers Are Not Happy With SFO

According to a recently released J.D Power and Associates airport survey, San Francisco airport was ranked second to worst in terms of customer of service, among the 20 largest airports in the United States. The annual report ranked the airports based on passengers’ online responses to six factors: airport accessibility, baggage claim, check in/baggage check process, terminal facilities, security check and food and retail services.

San Francisco airport officials say these findings conflict with other research which gave SFO a 4 out 5 in terms of customer satisfaction . Read more from the S.F examiner.

United Breaks Guitars: Band Takes UA Baggage Complaint to YouTube

Some might call it a taste of sweet revenge, but for musician Dave Carroll, it was a creative way of expressing his disappointment with United Airlines baggage handling, after they smashed his guitar and refused to pick up the $1200 tab to fix it.

Carroll and his band, based in Halifax, NS, were changing planes at Chicago's-O'Hare airport March 31, 2008, when the heard a passenger exclaim, "My God, they're throwing guitars out there," Carroll said. After spending nine months of unsuccessfully reasoning with United Airlines, including with representatives from the United States and India, he finally decided to write a few songs to describe his experience.

Meanwhile, United officials who have seen the video are asking Carroll for permission to use it internally to help change its culture.

Scottsboro, Alabama and your lost luggage

Unclaimed baggage, or as the airline calls it, "bags that didn't make the flight" and later unretrieved by the passenger are farmed to the South in a town call Scottsboro. According to an article this week in THE WEEK magazine, millions of bags are handled each year, with only a small percent of them never again becoming reacquainted with their owner.

Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Dior are just a few of the brand-name goodies found in lost luggage; "people tend to take their best things on trips" said Bryan Owens owner of United Baggage Center (UBC) who buys all those lost pieces of luggage by the pound, "it's a bit like an archaeological dig."

Once items are sorted and cleaned, as needed, they are sold in the UBC store in Scottsboro where shoppers are bound to find new "treasures" as they sift through the next batch of lost goods.

Source: The Week Magazine July 6-13, 2007

United to charge for 2nd checked bag

As of February 4, 2008, United has a new checked baggage policy. Non-elite Mileage Plus® members and non-members traveling on non-refundable Economy tickets within the United States, Canada and U.S. territories, may check one bag for free and a second for a $25 fee. The new policy applies to tickets purchased beginning February 4, 2008 for travel on or after May 5, 2008.

For status holders, the number of bags you are allowed to check at no charge will continue to be in accordance with your Mileage Plus status and/or class of service flown.

United has also simplified many of the other fees charged to check items that require special handling because they are large, overweight or fragile. For further details on these policies visit united.com/baggage.

United isn't alone in making new changes to their checked bags policy. Click here to see recent inFLIGHTout posts.

ManyBag and LapChildren Fees from Spirit Airlines

By Mike Grasso

Spirit Airlines currently permits checked bags on their flights for a $5-$10 fee (the lower reflects bag payment made online versus the airport). Effective February 20th, that fee doubles; $10-$20 per bag. More than 3 bags will cost an additional $100 bucks each. You may haul a free carry-on and one personal item onboard the plane free of charge.

While other airlines charge excess baggage fees, Spirit takes it to a higher level. American and United for example charge $80 and $85 respectively, for a 3rd checked bag. Southwest, even with the introduction of charging a fee for the 3rd bag (effective January 29), it will set you back only 25 bucks. Spirit is truly leading the way in higher baggage fees.

Want to bring a LapChild along during your Spirit flight? (They don't count as the free carry-on). Children under the age of 2 are not required to purchase their own seat, but come May 1st if they're going to sit in your lap, those little people incur a LapChildren fee of $25 bucks each way on Spirit Airlines.

To compare LapChild fees, SkyBus, often referred to as the lowest of low cost carriers operating in the U.S, charges $10 for each segment a child is parked on your lap, but they also charge as little as $10 bucks for a flight; the added fee seems reasonable there. Otherwise, this type of fee doesn't really exist with other airlines in the United States. So in sum, that infant of yours will soon pay for his/her share of onboard oxygen and fuel costs when flying Spirit Airlines.

In defense of these fees, the airlines are struggling to cut costs, and a few pounds of infancy do add a few bucks to operating costs. It's possible then, in the larger airline world, we might expect other airlines to follow Spirits move on similar LapChildren fees, and modify their existing ManyBag fees.

Background on Spirit Airlines:
Spirit Airlines inaugurated flights from San Francisco Airport in 2006, but does not currently offer routes from the Bay Area; it's unknown whether the airline pulled out completely, or seasonally. Spirit offers a huge network of routes throughout the East Coast and the Caribbean.

American Hikes Baggage Fees Another $5

In a press release, American Airlines announced it plans to hike the fees for checked bags another $5. The extra charge applies to tickets purchased on or after August 14, 2009 for all flights within the United States and U.S territories. The new fee is $20 for the first bag, $30 for the second, up from $15 and $25 respectively. As is the current policy, elite members, full-fare economy, as well and first and business class passengers are exempt from baggage check fees.

To compare, many other U.S.-based airlines charge around $15 to check a single bag. Southwest and JetBlue are the lone airlines who continue allow one piece of luggage free of charge.

Virgin America Follows Trend to Charge for Checked Baggage

Virgin America finally joined with most of the other carriers in charging a fee for a single piece of checked luggage. According to their website, passengers who book travel commencing after May 4, 2009 will be subject to a first bag fee of $15. Previously there was no charge to check one bag.  

The first bag fee does not apply to passengers flying first class or main cabin select, or those who purchased a fully refundable economy class ticket. 

When oil prices surged last year, many of the mainline carriers began instituting fees for all checked bags. Oil prices dropped, but the fees never went away. The move by Virgin America reflects the current norm for airlines to charge fees for checked bags.

SFO Airport Workers Vote To Authorize Strike

About 500 airline service workers unanimously voted Thursday to authorize a strike at San Francisco Airport. According to union leaders, they are negotiating for better wages and health care. The workers, whose jobs include service skycaps, baggage handlers, wheelchair attendants, security personnel and airplane cabin cleaners, want improved training, higher wages and access to family health care, according to a spokeswoman for Service Employees International Union. No word when the workers might, if at all, proceed with a strike.

Delta Adds New Bag Fee For International Travel

Hit with huge Q1 losses, Delta Airlines announced they will immediately begin charging a $50 fee for most passengers when checking a second bag for international flights commencing on or after July 1, 2009. The fee is expected to generate $100 million in new revenue to the airline annually. This compares to the $794 million loss the airline took in the 1st quarter of this year. Both elite flyers and active military are exempt from the new baggage fee. In addition, all passengers can continue to check the first piece of luggage fee-free on international flights. 

Earn 25,000 Continental OnePass Miles from Chase Bank

Pretty...pretty...pretty good offer here. Get 10,000 OnePass miles for opening a Chase checking account (minimum $100 opening balance), and either set up direct deposit or make (5) debit card purchases. Earn another 15,000 miles after your first qualified purchase on a Chase Continental Airlines Preferred Debit card ($25 or $65 annual fee applies - depending on dollar-to-point conversion you choose).

What I like about this offer: No long-term commitment: Give Chase a try, and if you are not satisfied, close your accounts and walk away with 25,000 extra miles in your account. Plus, baggage fee-waivers apply to debit card holders flying Continental Airlines. One more plus: 25,000 miles might just convert over to United Airlines miles next year as the merger process continues.

What I don't like: Very little: The annual fee, but it is fairly insignificant considering it is in exchange for 25,000 miles (a free domestic ticket in coach). The bank will probably need to run a credit report (read: inquiry) on you as well. And, must walk into a brick-and-mortar to open the account; no can do online.

Overall, seems like a pretty good deal! One I will be taking advantage of this week.

United & U.S Air Institute Charge For First Checked Bag

Breaking News: U.S Airways announced they will also begin to charge $2.00 for coffee, bottled water, juice and soda.
This afternoon United Airlines joined on and announced they too will begin charging $15 for the first baggage checked. U.S Airways quickly matched the United fee. The move follows American Airlines announcement of this new fee last month.

United said they will begin charging the fee for tickets purchased tickets beginning Friday for domestic flights of August 18 or later. The fee does not apply to Star Alliance elite passengers, those traveling in business or first class, or passengers flying internationally, excluding Canada. Based on current data, United expects about 1 in 3 passengers will be affected by this additional fee.

Kimpton Hotels: 'We Got Your Bag' Promotion

While most of the major airlines have instituted a charge for checking in more than one piece of luggage, San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels has found a way to offset this added cost to travelers with the "We Got Your Bag" promotion.

With this promo, guests who had to pay an extra baggage fee from the airline will receive an equal credit, up to $25, applied to their hotel stay. The boutique hotel chain will be running this deal through September 9, 2008. Click here for more information on this offer.

Thanks Andy for the Friday Funny
Airline Terms
Open- Jaw: What clients do when they find out what their full-coach fare will be

Passenger: Cargo that talks.

Airline Club: Paradise-like kingdom guarded by dragon-like creatures.

Fog: Weather condition generated by airports.

Airline Sales Rep: Underpaid demigod expected to perform superhuman tasks. Rare species

NO REC: The passenger went online and booked his own flight.·

Direct Flight: 1) Connecting flight in disguise. 2) What civilians think a nonstop flight is.

In-flight Snacks: Little treats sealed in a bag impervious to all but chainsaws.

Baggage Sorting Area: See ' Bermuda Triangle.'

Codeshare: Magic trick in which aircraft from several different airlines leave from the same gate at the very same moment

Gate Announcement: Vital information delivered over a sound system rejected by Taco Bell.

Remain Seated’ Announcement: Phrase that creates an instant urge to go to the lavatory.

Blankets and Pillows (archaic): Sleep-inducing objects said to have existed in primitive times

Minimum Connecting Time: Time it takes for an Olympic gold medal sprinter to run between two gates.

Hotel Shuttle: Vehicle subject to paranormal effect. While waiting, every hotel van will come by multiple times -- except yours.

Overhead Luggage: Rectangular object expected to magically shrink from the size of a refrigerator to the size of a loaf of bread.

On Time: Obscure term, meaning unknown.

American To Begin Charging For Any Checked Bag

By Mike Grasso
After recently announcing a $25 fee for a second piece of checked luggage, American Airlines said today they also will begin assessing a $15 fee for the first piece of checked luggage. The Dallas-based carrier says it will cut domestic capacity by 10-11% the fourth quarter, lay off possibly several thousand jobs, and add additional fees for certain transactions.

American, like other airlines, are facing tough economic times. They are racing to find methods to reduce operating costs and generate additional revenue to offset record high jet fuel prices.
The new $15 fee becomes effective June 15th. American is the only legacy carrier in the United States to charge such a fee.

The parent company of American-AMR, saw its stock plummet over 30% today, now selling just under a mere $7 bucks.

In effect, the airline will push more people to try and carry fuller, heavier bags onto already cramped overhead space.

With recent airline bankruptcies and shutdowns, fuel surcharges, limiting mileage accrual, and charging baggage fees, we are truly living in a new era of air travel. We should expect a turbulent ride in the coming months as more big changes are surely in store for a deeply troubled airline industry.

Alaska Airlines Announces Several Fee Hikes

Citing "a need to raise certain fees to better align them with the current costs of providing added services," Alaska Airlines announced several hikes in fees. In a press release, the airline stated these added costs are part of a larger strategy to further increase revenues and reduce expenses.

New Alaska Fees Effective May 21, 2008:

• Booking an airline ticket through phone reservations: Increases from $10 to $15.


• Fee for overweight baggage: Increases from $25 to $50.


• Charge for transporting pets in the cabin: Was $75, will increase to $100.


• Unaccompanied minor fee: Originally $30-$75, new charge $60-$75 each way.
  

The airline announced it will begin charging a second checked bag fee of $25 this summer as well, a move most of the major airlines will be implementing as well.

U.S. Helicopter: $99 bucks to downtown Manhattan

Of course, you need to fly to the New York area first

On your next flight to New York, consider being flown directly into Manhattan from your arrival airport. U.S. Helicopter Corporation is offering a $99/one way - 10 minute flight from JFK or Newark to downtown Manhattan (and vice-versa). Instead of being part of the morning or evening commute, simply fly over it. Plus the cost isn't much more than a cab ride. Plus plus, it sounds fun! The special $99 promo is valid through October. U.S Helicopter partners with some airlines to handle checked baggage. Visit U.S Helicopter here.

U.S Airways Eliminates Preferred Mileage Bonus

Considered a key benefit for being a loyal frequent flyer to an airline, the preferred mileage bonus perk will soon be eliminated to customers holding elite status with U.S Airways.

How it works: Once a customer achieves status with an airline (often after flying 25,000 qualifying miles with an airline in a calender year) they receive a handful of perks such as priority boarding, waiver of certain fees, and preferred seating. A huge benefit however was a 25-100% bonus of actual miles flown. So, where a non-status passenger flying San Francisco to New York would earn about 5,000 miles roundtrip, an elite passenger would earn between 6,250 and 10,000 for the same trip. With the new U.S Airways policy, elite (preferred) passengers will no longer receive the bonus mileage for tickets purchased on or after August 6, 2008.

This unprecedented move by U.S Airways will most certainly be watched by the rest of the airline industry and loyal flyers. While U.S Air may find their most frequent flyers abandoning them for the competition, it is possible other airlines will follow U.S Airways and make similar modifications to their frequent flyer programs.

Yesterday, U.S Airways announced the addition of two new fees: Onboard soft drinks, water, coffee or bottled water will soon cost $2.00. And, checking in the first piece of baggage will soon set you back $15.00. They also upped other administrative fees.