2009's Biggest Travel Media Story Is...

December 30, 2009 at 10:19 AM | by Jaunted09 | Comments (0)

Looking back on 2009 makes us realize just how many different stories there have been, but unfortunately, one big story kept rearing its ugly head�that of baggage fees. Back in the good old days, airlines were more than happy to take two of your suitcases anywhere you were headed, but now there are restrictions on number of bag, type of bag, weight of bag, and we can only assume bag color is next�seriously some of those hot pink roll-ons should be penalized.

We understand that it all started as a way to increase revenue during tough times, but now that the fees are here, it�s difficult to imagine that they�ll ever go away. Most of the airlines now charge for even just one bag, and that increases the best airfare deal by at least $15 or so.

Now because of all these baggage fees, there�s fierce competition during the boarding process to stake claim for the valuable overhead bin space. We�ve seen some potential disasters narrowly avoided, but we can only assume that a boarding process fist fight is only a few posts away.

The airline fee epidemic may have started back in 2008, but this year is when it really became all about the baggage. At this time there are few regular travelers who get surprised when they have to fork over some extra cash at the check-in desk. The fees are now just a fact of flying.

We even find ourselves having to double-check the luggage fees at most airlines just to ensure that they haven�t changed since the last time we took to the sky. Maybe 2010 will bring a little more of Southwest�s "We love bags" philosophy to the masses, and a little less of the nickel-and-diming of other airlines.

[Photo: Payton Chung]

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