American to charge for FIRST checked bag.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

If that were the case, they wouldn't be losing money.

Sure they would. Let's say that for now $10 out of every ticket goes for luggage costs. Since it's built into the ticket American gets this fee regardless of your checking a bag or not.

After June they will be adding a $15 fee to check a bag but they will not drop the $10 already built into the ticket price. So now if you don't check a bag American makes $10 from you (the built in fee) and if you check luggage they make at least $25 (built in + new fee). They won't let that stand. They will want $25 from you regardless of your checking the bag or not. To do that they will either A) Roll the $25 back into the ticket cost so everyone pays or B) Start charging for carry on luggage.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

Sure they would. Let's say that for now $10 out of every ticket goes for luggage costs. Since it's built into the ticket American gets this fee regardless of your checking a bag or not.

After June they will be adding a $15 fee to check a bag but they will not drop the $10 already built into the ticket price. So now if you don't check a bag American makes $10 from you (the built in fee) and if you check luggage they make at least $25 (built in + new fee). They won't let that stand. They will want $25 from you regardless of your checking the bag or not. To do that they will either A) Roll the $25 back into the ticket cost so everyone pays or B) Start charging for carry on luggage.

The bottom line is, they need to increase revenue or die. One way or another, you're paying for it. They've found that keeping that cost in the ticket price means fewer ticket sales. So they've found a way to get people to pay.

In the end, you're right, they want that $25 out of you. And they'll get it. Who cares how? If this is what works, and keeps airlines in business, then that's what it is. As long as it doesn't cause a massive inconvenience (and, as I argue above, this doesn't) it doesn't bother me, especially if it means that it leaves an opportunity for me to benefit by being frugal.

[Stan4dSteph]

American pretty much dropped all flights out of my home airport in NY, which pretty much meant I was no longer flying them even though they were supposedly the "preferred" airline for my company. Then they decided that all miles were going to start expiring. So since it was now too inconvenient for me to ever be able to book a mileage ticket my miles expired. Too bad. Not flying them anytime soon.

[Snowflake]

Not flown them since I was stuck at LAX at midnight many moons ago.

But, now they've started the trend, no doubt other carriers will follow suit.

Until I learn to fly on my own (think Icarus) I'm subject to the whims of all airlines if I actually want to fly somewhere.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

The bottom line is, they need to increase revenue or die. One way or another, you're paying for it. They've found that keeping that cost in the ticket price means fewer ticket sales. So they've found a way to get people to pay.

In the end, you're right, they want that $25 out of you. And they'll get it. Who cares how? If this is what works, and keeps airlines in business, then that's what it is. As long as it doesn't cause a massive inconvenience (and, as I argue above, this doesn't) it doesn't bother me, especially if it means that it leaves an opportunity for me to benefit by being frugal.

I'm afraid of the chaos this is going to cause at the ticket counter. It can only make an already slow process that much slower as they will now have to run credit cards for everyone (or make change). Add in the typical non-English speaking passengers that won't know what in the heck is going on with this new charge and that's my issue more than the increase itself.