Airline Baggage Fees

[Marc]

They don't. It seems ridiculous that these bag fees were created to help the airlines get over the high fuel prices. Now that the price of fuel has gone down, why do we still have them?

It can depend on the airlines. Qantas & Virgin Blue in Australia generally had a seperate fuel levy which has now dropped after the fuel costs dropped.

Jetstar have different prices depends if you've got check in luaggage.

Fuel prices are the biggest headache for the airlines because they do contracts for up to a year in advance and sometimes this can bite them hard. Air Canada is on the verge of bankruptcy (again) and the fuel costs is the biggest factor because they jumped the wrong.

Last time their contracts were up for renewal was when the prices were way up high last year. AC hedged on it going higher and locked in a large chunk of their fuel. Problem for them is the price dropped as we all know to half was it was. factor in drop in passenger numbers but more imporantly a drop in first class passeners are they are hurting.

More and more Airlines will take aircraft out of service to save costs (so the yards in the Arizona Desert will fill pretty quickly).

 

[Similitude]

What is the price difference normally between first class and the "regular seats?" If you have lots of bags is it actually cheaper to fly first class?

To put it bluntly a shitload - Airlines make a packet from people in first class because you effectively pay for 3 people.

to given an example. I flew from Adelaide South Australia to Toronto Canada one economy and my air fare all up was $AU2800 (so about $US2000). Had I done the trip first class it was in the vicinity of $AU9500 (so about $US8000) And that's one way. I'm not sure the extra luggage capacity was worth that. Business Class on airlines that have it is a bit cheaper (My dad did L.A -> Sydney return on American Airlines Business Class about 8 years ago and that was $AU5000.

Air Canada and Qantas aren't the cheapest airlines in the world but I ran some other options and it wan't much cheaper going different airlines and different ways.

I don't understand, how can any Economy class Plane ticket cost $2,000??? That doesn't even make sense. Flying from NY to LA I can get one way tickets from time to time for $100. Obviously AU to Toronto is more miles, but thats just an insane jump.

 

[Kail]

My wife and I refuse to fly anywhere, unless we absolutely have to. You are treated like cattle, and every flight I've ever been on they have lost my luggage. The airlines SUCK.

 

[Mallory]

I don't understand, how can any Economy class Plane ticket cost $2,000??? That doesn't even make sense. Flying from NY to LA I can get one way tickets from time to time for $100. Obviously AU to Toronto is more miles, but thats just an insane jump.

My daughter spent six months in Australia last year. The best airfare she could get (Portland, Oregon to Perth) was around $2,500. Traveling to or from Australia from North America apparently isn't cheap.

 

[Marc]

I don't understand, how can any Economy class Plane ticket cost $2,000??? That doesn't even make sense. Flying from NY to LA I can get one way tickets from time to time for $100. Obviously AU to Toronto is more miles, but thats just an insane jump.

My daughter spent six months in Australia last year. The best airfare she could get (Portland, Oregon to Perth) was around $2,500. Traveling to or from Australia from North America apparently isn't cheap.

Because it's very tightly controlled (spell monopoly).

Until recently if you wanted to fly direct between Sydney and L.A it's QANTAS or a code share partner (United I think) or nothing. QANTAS has fought tooth and nail to ensure it has no competition on that route because it was worth a huge amount of money (and QANTAS is on the few airlines still with healthy profits).

It's now changed with V-Australian (the international arm of Virgin Blue which commernced service with a couple of 777s in Feb this year).

Direct travel between Australian and Canada is via Air Canada and there is no compeition on that route. My only other option would of been to enter the U.S via LAX and then on to Toronto.

And to break things down further last time I did the return trip it was $AU4300 (there was some extra taxes in there because of the stop in Hawaii). The airfare from Vancouver to Toronto is worth about $500 and $US100 wouldn't get me from Adelaide to Sydney with check on luggage and able to make my AC connection.

 

[Colonel Midnight]

I don't think JetBlue has baggage fees yet.

Actually, you get the first checked bag free. After that, it's $25-30 per, IIRC.

I don't mind paying for more than one bag -- that's understandable in my mind. But having to pay for checking one to begin with -- that's absurd.

At least US Airways listened and stopping charging for water onboard -- that was even more absurd.

Cheers,
-CM-