Jaunted

British Airways / Airline Industry / Baggage Fees / Checked Baggage / → All Tags

Something's Not Quite Right with British Airways' Online Check-in

This screenshot will not go far in dispelling the rumor that what passes as British circumspection is just their passive-aggressive way of insisting that you do things their way.

What you're looking at is Step 2 of the 5-step online check-in process for British Airways. It appears that something is missing, but no worries. It's not as if you'd want to give travelers as many relevant options as possible, what with how we're living in an era of reduced baggage allowances and heightened baggage fees even on international flights.

Keep in mind that there was a person, presumably with a background in programming in mathematics and programming, who created this. Then there was a person, undoubtedly with experience in the airline industry, who approved it. At some point wouldn't you think that someone would, you know, say something?

UPDATE: The kind folks at BA emailed us to say they're on it...

[Screenshot: Jaunted]

Baggage Fees / Checked Baggage / Airline News / Alaska Travel / Alaska Airlines / Baggage / Luggage / → All Tags

If You Can Handle Living in Alaska, You Get Free Checked Bags on Alaska Airlines

Do you live in Alaska or are you moving there? Winter may be descending and bringing the cold and darkness along with it, but there's light for travelers! Alaska Airlines wants residents of the state to only think of them when it comes to booking flights, and so the airlines has just announced a new set of Alaskans-only perks.

It's called "Club 49," and members of Alaska's Mileage Plan frequent flyer program with an AK state code in their address can join it for free—right here. So what is Alaska Airlines giving to those who live way up north? Well, for starters, two free checked bags on each flight. That's pretty sweet and you save $20 per bag, sure, but we're also jealous of an annual gift of two certificates for 30% off one-way, full flex Y base fares, bookable within four days of the flight for last-minute getaways. The winter giving you seasonal depression? Time to use those passes for a long weekend in California.

Finally, Club 49 members will enjoy weekly fare sales to and from Alaska, specifically targeted at them. Again we're jealous, but not jealous enough to move across the country and northwards. Now if only JetBlue started a club just for New Yorkers...

[Photo: Pylon757]

Airline Fees / Checked Baggage Fees / Baggage / Luggage / Baggage Fees / Airlines / Airline News / Air Canada / → All Tags

Air Canada Adds First Bag Fee for Flyers Between the US and Canada

At this point it seems like pretty much every carrier that could has already added a checked baggage fee, but there are a few more that haven’t yet betrayed global flyers. Remove Air Canada from that list, as it looks like they’re slapping flyers with a first checked bag fee as of October 11.

Our airline buddies north of the border will begin to charge $25 for the first checked bag for all tickets bought on or after September 7 for travel from Canada into the United States, and like we said, it’s for travel beginning October 11. If you’re checking two bags, things will at least remain the same, as it’s going to be $35 for the second bag.

Just in case you don’t have any scrap paper handy we’ll do the math for you—that’s $120 per person for a roundtrip flight when you check two bags like in the good ol’ days.

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Baggage Fees / Royal Brunei Airlines / Checked Baggage Fees / Luggage / Airlines / → All Tags

Thought You'd Never Loathe An Airline More Than Ryanair? Meet Royal Brunei

No wonder the baggage handlers have nothing to do

If, like us, you’re, ahem, not one of those pack lightly types, then you’ll know the little shrinking feeling you get in your stomach when you need to pack a suitcase. In fact, you’re probably so prone to going over the limit that you can tell at one lift whether a case weighs in at under 50lb, and your storage space is crammed with cheap Walmart holdalls bought when you got just one too many BBQ sauces/Elvis clocks/random bags of Egyptian tea.

As a sufferer of this affliction, you already fly JetBlue or Southwest over the legacy carriers. You know BA often works out than Ryanair when across the pond. You know when it’s worth attempting the crouch of shame, and when to admit defeat.

So it’s for you people that we’re adding another airline to the no-fly list: Royal Brunei.

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Checked Baggage / Baggage / Luggage / Baggage Fees / Airlines / Airline News / Europe Travel / → All Tags

Delta and United Will Make You Pay for That Second Checked Bag to Europe

Ugh—stupid baggage fees. Since charging for checked baggage is following an upward trend right along with summer travel, it only makes sense that some airlines are raising their fees. To be specific, it's United and Delta making the move on their US flight to Europe.

Hold the phone for a second—the first checked bag is still free (for now); these fee hikes only apply to second checked bags. For Delta, the fee goes from $50 up to $60 if paid online, $75 at the airport. Delta will also begin charging $30 for a second checked bag between the US and Latin America. The only good news? The previous extortionate fee of $150 for an overweight bag on Europe flights drops (drops!) to $75.

Meanwhile, United/Continental is going from $50 for the second bag on Europe flights, to $70 no matter whether it's online or at the airport. Who wants to venture a guess as to next summer's hike? We're putting our money on a round $100 for second bag fees in 2012.

[Photos: Payton Chung]

Airline Fees / Frontier / Airlines / Airline News / Baggage Fees / Checked Baggage Fees / → All Tags

Frontier's Airline Fees Are Actually Going Down Instead of Up

Pretty much anytime that we mention "airline" and "fee" in the same sentence, it’s for something bad. Surprisingly, however, Frontier Airlines has made a change to its fees that will make a lot of potential passengers pretty pleased.

Change fees have now dropped to just $50 which is a lot less than some other major carriers, and if you purchase one of their fancier fares you won’t even have to worry about a change fee. They’re also allowing name changes on existing tickets—which is usually a definite no on pretty much all airlines—but there’s a catch. There’s a $50 fee to do so, and you’ll need to pay a fare difference based on the current price on the day of the change.

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Checked Baggage / Baggage / Luggage / Baggage Fees / Delta / Airlines / Airline News / Travel Tech / → All Tags

Delta Puts Their Checked Bag Fees to Good Use with New Luggage Live-Tracking

We’re not sure if it has anything to do with those new rules that the government has issued regarding your checked baggage, but it looks like Delta is starting to be a little more transparent with what they’re doing with your bag, even when they are doing it.

Delta has introduced an online tracker to locate your luggage at all stages of your flight, and this should be especially helpful for when you are at the baggage claim and your suitcase is not. The service is available on the airline’s website—although you do have to do some clicking to find it—and they’re also planning to bring the service to kiosks at around 18 airports before too long.

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Baggage Fees / Politics / Checked Baggage Fees / Budget Travel / Airlines / Airline News / Luggage / Baggage / → All Tags

Get Your Luggage Late and Uncle Sam May Refund the Baggage Fee

At this point we’re all pretty much accustomed to those pesky airline baggage fees, but that doesn't me we have to accept them. In the past, Uncle Sam has wanted to stick his nose into airline business regarding these charges, but it looks like the latest idea might actually be something that we can totally support.

The Department of Transportation isn’t really complaining about airline baggage fees—although deep down we sure they hate them too—but they are sick of the fees when your baggage doesn’t even arrive as promised. They’re proposing that the airlines refund your baggage fee if your roller, duffel, or steamer trunk doesn’t arrive at the baggage belt when you do.

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All the Airline Baggage Fees You Need to Know for Spring Travel to Europe

Going somewhere this spring or summer? Europe, maybe? If you or someone you know has a transatlantic flight or two in their future, then there's one super helpful guide you need to bookmark: EuroCheapo's Guide to Airline Baggage Fees on Flights to Europe. It's simple, it's brilliant and—better yet—it was just updated.

You can see a small snippet of the chart above, but trust that it covers everything from IcelandAir's first-two-bags-free policy to Continental's outrageous $200 extra charge for an overweight bag. Thanks to this chart, you'll be better able to plan when it's worth it to wear triple layers of souvenir T-shirts to avoid crazy fees.

See the complete EuroCheapo Guide to Europe-bound Baggage Fees RIGHT HERE.

[Excerpt image: Eurocheapo]

Baggage Fees / Checked Baggage Fees / Carry-on Baggage Fees / Spirit Airlines / LCCs / Airline News / Airlines / → All Tags

Spirit Airlines Raises Baggage Fees Again, Screws Over Passengers

What does a little last-minute packing mean to you? Maybe a forgotten toothbrush, or that you have to call a cab versus taking public transportation to the airport. For Spirit Airlines, your last-minute packing means dollar signs in their eyes, because they've just upped their baggage fees.

According to CNN, Spirit will now charge extra for those who wait to pay for their checked or carry-on luggage until within 24 hours of departure. If your within 24 hours of your flight and you go online to Spirit's website to pay, it'll be an extra $5. If you freak out and call Spirit on the phone to pay, it's an extra $10. Here's the complete chart of what's owed when, if you're flying Spirit with anything more than a little purse:

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Baggage Fees / Hipmunk / Travel Search Engines / Travel Websites / Checked Baggage Fees / → All Tags

Hipmunk Turns the History of Baggage Fees into an Infographic

This is the only tippy top of it

Holy crap. You know that little chipmunk mascot that likely keeps drawing you back and back again to search flights and hotels on Hipmunk.com? Well, that anime-cute rodent has been doing some serious number-crunching behind the scenes, and Hipmunk has released a beautiful, want-to-lick-it lovely infographic that easily educates the traveler on the history of evil, evil Baggage Fees.

The infographic is quite long, covering all the major soap opera-like drama that's gone down with airlines and oil prices and whatnot since 2000. There's a few "Hip Tips" for getting around baggage fees, and we especially love the shark feeding frenzy graphic about half-way down. Finally, they make us frightened for the coming of space travel. SEE THE WHOLE THING HERE.

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Airline Security / Political Travel / Congress / TSA / Airline Industry / Airports / Carry-on Baggage Fees / Baggage Fees / Airline Fees / Airport Security / → All Tags

TSA Wants to Increase Security Fees Because You've Been Avoiding Checked Baggage Fees

It's time for our annual "TSA wants more of your money" post. Every once in a while TSA complains that Congress needs to increase the security fee that you pay as part of your ticket, and when that happens we do our part by reminding everyone what a wasteful, inefficient, careless, irresponsible, mindless, negligent, thoughtless, and other words that are synonyms for wasteful—and also obnoxious—agency they're running.

Last year the request came right after TSA instituted its kind of moronic post-Christmas terrorist attack rules, which meant increased security theater without increased security, which meant increased costs without increased security.

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