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Tags: Baggage Fees / Lawsuits / Checked Baggage Fees / American AIrlines. Baggage / Airline Fees / → All Tags

Woman Sues American Airlines for $5 Million over $25 Checked Baggage Fee

Baggage fees suck, there's no doubt about that. Travelers paid the airlines $800 million dollars in baggage fees, in just the first quarter of this year; that's more than enough to keep airline execs swimming in Olympic-sized pools of cash a la Donald Duck. Unfortunately, baggage fees are virtually unchecked and paying $25 to get your bag on the flight with you doesn't guarantee you anything, as one flyer recently discovered.

Danielle Covarrubias flew from Seattle to Grand Rapids, MI on American Airlines and checked her bag on the flight, paying the required fee of $25 to do so. When she arrived at her destination, her bag did not...and never did. She spent hundreds on replacing the lost goods and finally American got back with her to say that "nothing could be done," not even a refund of her $25. So what is Danielle doing in response to that? She's suing American Airlines for $5 million after the airline refused to refund the $25 checked bag fee.

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Tags: Bad Ideas / Ryanair / Airline Fees / Airline News / Seating / Airlines / In-Flight Comfort / LCCs / Baggage Fees / Checked Baggage Fees / → All Tags

Ryanair: Today New Baggage Fees, Tomorrow Stand-Up Seating

We just checked Jaunted's Ryanair archives and noticed that we haven't written about the Irish LCC in over a week. That means that neither the airline nor its famously combative CEO Michael O'Leary have said anything ridiculous, offensive, or stupid in at least 7 days. So when you think about it, we were due for something like today's announcement that the airline is going forward with "vertical seating." And that they're planning to pay for the new seats with pay-to-pee fees.

Usually we'd say that this is just Ryanair's endearing way of generating press. They're obviously serious—plans are already in the works to knock out the last 15 rows of their 250 planes—but why make the announcement now, when the actual policy change is still months away? In this case, it might have something to do with how they want to shift the focus away from what's kicking in right now. Welcome everybody, to Ryanair's summer baggage policy, complete with its July and August 33% checked baggage fee hikes.

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Tags: Checked Baggage Fees / Baggage Fees / UPS / Travel News / → All Tags

UPS' New Luggage Box Wants to Stick It to Airline Baggage Fees

Obviously this isn't it. It will be much larger than this.

Almost $800 million dollars. That's how much the airlines got from baggage fees during just the first quarter of this year. It's a huge number, sure, but if you think that most passengers nowadays must pay $25 per bag each way, then that adds up quite quickly. With dollar signs like these in the eyes of the airlines, don't expect baggage fees to be going anywhere but up anytime soon.

At least now there's another option aside from giving in and paying the fee: Buy UPS' new Luggage Box. Instead of doing all of the schlepping and all of the paying, UPS will do the schlepping, but yes you've still got to pay. UPS says that rates are competitive with what the airlines charge for checked baggage, so we'd estimate that shipping your luggage box may cost $30, but there is the option to pay extra for return shipping in the same box, for your trip home. No need to visit a UPS store again for that.

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Tags: Alaska Airlines / Baggage Fees / Airlines / Airline News / Airline Fees / Checked Baggage Fees / → All Tags

Alaska Airlines Promises Checked Bags in 20 Minutes, or You'll Get $20

It seems like it’s been quite some time since we’ve had to share any baggage fee news for US carriers (darn you, Ryanair), but Alaska Airlines is breaking the streak. However, the airline is putting an interesting spin on their latest baggage fee increase.

First checked bags will now set passengers back $20—that’s $5 more than last week—but second and third checked bags will be $20 as well. That’s a savings of $5 for the second bag and $30 for the third. Of course we’re not the biggest fans of baggage fees, but we do like that it’s just $20, and there's no new math to determine out additional baggage charges. If for some odd reason you need to bring more than three bags, it will be $50 for bags four through ten.

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Tags: Ryanair / Airline Fees / Checked Baggage Fees / Baggage Fees / Europe Travel / → All Tags

Here's a Shocker: Ryanair Will Let You Pack More, if You Pay More

At this point, after refusing to engage in social media and then the months of talking about a pay-to-pee fee, the last thing anyone could expect of European low-cost airline Ryanair are options. But alack and alas, Ryanair is surprising again by adding a second choice for checked baggage, just in case you've overpacked and exceed their 15kg (33 lb) limit.

Up until now, Ryanair has allowed one free carry-on of no more than 10kg (22lbs) and checked luggage at €/£15 for up to 15kg per piece. If your bag was heavier than this, it would either be outright denied or you'd have to repack it into two checked bags and pay the double fee for them.

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Tags: Airline Fees / Checked Baggage Fees / Kayak / Spirit Airlines / Carry-on Baggage Fees / Airlines / → All Tags

Kayak Works to End the Guessing Game of Hidden Airline Fees

Just a small sample

If you thought that Spirit Air's new carry-on baggage fee makes airline fees confusing, then you should check out this chart!

The "Airline Fees" chart assembled by Kayak.com might seem like a just a bunch of numbers and airlines, but next time you book a flight and wonder exactly how much you'll be paying in hidden fees, it'll be a lifesaver. The chart is actually the best we've seen of fee charts, and it even allows you to filter the long list by specific airlines. For instance, if you're trying to decide between Southwest and Spirit, filter the list down to the two and you'll see that Spirit wants to charge you for both carry-on and checked baggage and Southwest lets you go free on both accounts (and they'll even throw in a small snack).

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Tags: Nude Travel / Naked Travel / Spirit Airlines / Baggage Fees / Carry-on Baggage Fees / Checked Baggage Fees / → All Tags

The Only Travelers Happy About the $45 Carry-On Fee Are Nude Travelers

So Spirit Air yesterday announced that they'd not only be upping their checked baggage fee, but that they'd begin charging to even carry on luggage. They basically set a precedent, as the first airline to do this, and we're not surprised to hear the public outcry against it.

Although 99% of people think charging for both checked and carry-on baggage—which means you cannot avoid an extra hidden fee—is horrible, there's one group that's lauding the decision: the nude recreationists. We just received an official statement on the Spirit Air carry-on fee from Erich Schuttauf, the executive director of the American Association for Nude Recreation, who is actually psyched for the fee, She says:

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Tags: Baggage Fees / Checked Baggage Fees / Carry-on Baggage Fees / Spirit Airlines / Airfare Sales / → All Tags

Spirit Air Now Charging For Both Carry-On and Checked Baggage

Would you like to fly for 1 cent? Spirit Air can make it happen, if you'll just join their airfare club and pay their upped baggage fees. Thus there's two parts to today's news on Spirit Airlines: new baggage fees and airfares for a single penny.

Fees for checked and carry-on baggage: Effective for flights booked today and on for flights after August 1, passengers on Spirit Airlines must also pay to bring on a carry-on above a personal item. This is a completely new fee, since carry-ons used to be free. Not anymore! To take on any bag aside from personal items like purse or briefcase, you'll be paying $20 online if you're a Spirit club member, $30 online for non-members and $45 at the airport. You will get "priority boarding," however. Along with this new fee, the checked rates have gone up to $15 online for members on domestic/$20 international, $25 online for non-members on domestic/$30 international and $45 for anyone checking their bag at the airport. And that's just the first bag!

Spirit Airlines, this is getting prohibitively complicated! Now for the sale information...

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Tags: Checked Baggage Fees / American Airlines / Delta / Bicycling / JetBlue / Baggage Fees / Southwest Airlines / US Airways / United / Continental / Airline Fees / → All Tags

Have Bike, Will Travel :: A Guide to Airline Fees and Policies for Bikes

We’ve told you about all the weird stuff that you can bring on the plane, but now that the spring weather has arrived across most of the country it’s time for a little practical advice. Bringing your bicycle with you on our next trip isn’t just earth friendly, but it will save you big bucks if you can bypass the rental car counter. Sure it’s not totally possible to bike everywhere, but if you’re a fan of two wheels, here’s a rundown of which airlines are eager to take that Schwinn off your hands and stash it in the luggage hold.

· Southwest Airlines
At this point you should really know that Southwest Airlines has a thing for bags—have you seen their newest commercial?—and they love bicycles too. Bikes can be checked as luggage for free as long as they don’t have motors or other features that promote laziness. However, you need to pack it up in a box within the 62-inch sizing limit, and it has to weigh less than 50 pounds.

More after the jump!

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Tags: iPhone Travel Apps / iPhone / Kayak / Checked Baggage Fees / Baggage Fees / Airlines / → All Tags

Kayak's Handy iPhone App: Now With Checked Baggage Fees

The goal of the ever-changing airline baggage fees is to put one over on the uninformed traveler, who arrives to the airport with two checked bags and is shocked that they charge for this now, but has to pay up anyway. One thing we try to do is get baggage fee information out to you, and help you to be informed travelers who either decide to go all-carryon or come to the airport prepared to sacrifice $30 to get your luggage on the same flight as you. But now thanks to their iPhone app, KAYAK is helping to untangle the web of baggage fees as well.

The travel booking site has a very easy-to-use (and free) iPhone app downloadable from iTunes, that recently underwent a sweet upgrade to include the ability to search hotels by name, send emails with search results, filter airport searches better and see a complete list of airlines and their respective baggage fees.

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Tags: Checked Baggage Fees / Airline Fees / Baggage Fees / Virgin America / → All Tags

Virgin America Quietly Raises Checked Bag Fee To $25

Almost exactly one month to the day that United and US AIrways matched the checked baggage fee hike already done by Delta and Continental, Virgin America has raised their checked bag fee from $20 to $25.

Every day that passes without a baggage fee hike is a good day, and this was not a great way to start off the week. On the other hand, Virgin America still has a better deal going with their luggage than the other airlines mentioned, since those legacy carriers charge even more for every bag after the first one, and weight limit is 50 lbs. Virgin American however is sticking with the $25 for each checked bag, not just the first, and with a weight limit of 70 pounds.

The big hold-outs in the checked baggage fee game are still Southwest and Jetblue, and we know for sure that at least Southwest is in the no-fee game for the long haul.

Related Stories:
· Bag Fee Alert: Virgin American Raises Bag Fees from $20 to $25 [Rick Seaney/FareCompare]
· United Airlines and US Airways Happily Match Checked Bag Fee Hike to $25 [Jaunted]
· Checked Baggage Fee coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Payton Chung]

Tags: Checked Baggage Fees / Delta / JetBlue / Baggage Fees / Southwest Airlines / US Airways / United / Continental / Airline Fees / → All Tags

Kayaks, Surfboards, and Antlers: How to Check 'Special Item' Luggage

Honestly we have enough trouble dealing with checking just one piece of luggage, so it’s difficult for us to imagine dealing with anything unique at the check-in counter. Surprisingly, airlines are pretty welcoming when it comes to your oversized bags, sports equipment, musical instruments, and anything else you might need to bring with you. However, it’s going to cost you a few extra bucks.

If you’ve got a big track and field meet coming up or just want to bring a nice present to Bruce Jenner, no need to worry about bringing your javelin on the airplane—it’s totally cool. It will need to be checked—no carrying it on please—and if you’re flying on Continental Airlines it will cost you the same as any other checked bag. American Airlines isn’t as friendly to javelin throwers, and they’ll charge $100 in addition to their usual checked bag fees. Vaulting poles aren’t allowed on American, but United will take up to two poles in a case for $175—at that point it might be worth just driving.

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