US Air has come up with a way to keep children off airplanes while diverting controversy to a more benign topic. The new $5 per bag fee to pay checked baggage fees at the airport is clearly aimed at parents.
Most parents know that the only chance to change seating so the family can sit together is to check-in 23 hours and 59 minutes before the flight. (And even that is a long shot because some airlines would rather have you pay to upgrade than seat you together.) Now really, a day before you flight do you have any idea how many bags you will be checking? Have you even pulled the suitcases out of the attic?
I don’t know about most parents, but I am packing right up until the minute we leave the house. Between getting the toys, diapers, snacks, change of clothes, electronics, and children on the plane, I check as much as I can. And, despite my resolution to travel lighter this year, when you have to leave the house in 15 minutes and realize there has been an “accident” that you have to clean up, I just throw whatever I think I might need into any bag that doesn’t seem to be over 50lbs. If I fly US Airways with my family, I will always be paying the extra coin.
So you see, US Airways is really trying to discourage all but the most organized parents, (who maybe they assume have the most perfectly behaved children?) to fly their airline. And all anyone is talking about is the latest fee.
Meg, I never use this airline, but I actually didn’t get the full impact of what you are saying until I clicked through. There is already a $15 fee for your bag online. PLUS $5 if you check in at the gate – so $20 for the first bag if the bag’s existence is first acknowledged at the airport.
These fees for checked bags are so unfair. Why not include this cost in the ticket. All these policies seem to do is encourage people to carry more bags on board. Ridiculous.
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