[mandy]

We bought my step daughter a ticket from united and they said she had to pay to check ANY bags!!! This is crazy!!! I have never heard of this before, and my husband went to the airport with some cash to give her for her layover and some parking money. He had to give them every penny to get one bag checked. Because "they changed their policy." When you buy a ticket it should include the cost to check bags. To me they are cutting the cost of their tickets to get people to buy them. The worst part is they would not let me pay to check the bags by phone. That is against their "policy". So now on top of the airport money for the one bag we have to mail her her second bag. I would rather have paid more money all at once when the ticket was purchased.

[abutterfinger25]

Mandy:

I responded in your other post with this

You should be allowed the free baggage allocation that was in place when the tickets were originally purchased. If United changed the allocation between the purchase date and travel dates, contact UA directly and request a refund of that fee. If you do not recieve it, contact DOT at airconsumer.ost.dot.gov

[airhead]

Unfortunately, bag fees are the evolution of airlines due to competition in a deregulated market. Personally, I am surprised it has taken this long, since the 1970s, to surface. It is a huge surprise to most passengers but it makes economical sense. Is it fair for passengers NOT checking bags to pay the same price as those checking?

The reason airlines do not allow precharging for this service, as with other services is this...passengers are EXTREMELY FICKLE. The amount of time it would take to process partial refunds because the passenger changed their mind would out way the time and cost of processing it at the ticket counter to begin with.

Here is an analogy, you go to the movie theater, you don't prepay for the popcorn at the ticket office do you? If you did, what if you changed your mind and decided to get a refund from the clerk at the concessions stand? Logistically, that would be a ticket counter nightmare.

[jimworcs]

Since flying began, the cost of luggage has been included in the overall cost. The cinema and popcorn is a bogus analogy... a more apt analogy would be that you order your coffee from Starbucks, and where the sugar used to be "free", suddenly Starbucks start charging for it. Afterall, is it fair that people who don't take sugar should have to pay for those who do? This attitude can apply to everything, virtually all goods and services are capable of being broken down into ridiculous levels. Did UA reduce their fares when they "stripped out" the luggage cost? I don't think so.. the luggage costs are on top, so the people without luggage are paying more for less, and those with luggage are paying even more.

[Eagleguy]

Actually when I lived in Austria, if you wanted to have extra ketchup at McDonald's you had to pay for it...You also had to pay 14 cents per plastic bag at the grocery store. Is that a better analogy for you?

And if you don't like my European analogy and argue that that is foreign...How about if you get crazy bread from Little Caesers, the sauce is an extra 99 cents.

The whole 1st and 2nd checked bag fee has been out there in the news everywhere, not just on the airlines' websites. Inform yourself. Ever heard of a credit card? Just put her checked bag fee on your plastic...Did you just drop your step daughter off and high tail it out of there?

How much do you pay to put gas in your tank? Yes yes the airlines should just up the fares...blah blah blah...They did! The checked bag fee is extra revenue.

[Silent Bob]

Believe it or not the chinese restaurant near my house does infact charge for extra packets of soy, duck, and hot sauce! If that's hapenning, would it happen with other fast food places? (sorry going off topic a bit here) can you say trickle down effect?

[Marie Jean]

• 1 human as me = 105 pounds

• total weight of my bag and my husband bag = inferior to my weight

• surplus of one bag 3 pounds taxed by UA "only" 100 $

• no cabin bag

• my thin person travelled squezed between 600 pounds persons

• United Airlines do not reimbursed me as they promised and make me send by mail and call them several times ( means the tactics of let it go )

Please note :

1. Wihin my position as PM, my company of 6'000 persons will never purchase a UA ticket ( and when I say never, it is never )

2. I will send my case to ALL who want to hear me - that is a perfect publicity for 100 $ surtax of thin human

3. I think UA should tax thin persons not 100 $, but 10'000 $


A very proud thin customer with 105 pounds weight