Airlines would no longer be allowed to charge passengers for their first checked bag under a bill being introduced in Congress ahead of the holiday travel season.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., announced the legislation Tuesday, describing it as way spare passengers from “unfair fees” while encouraging them to ease up a bit on the carry-on bags.
“Air travel can be a stressful experience for many reasons, but unfair fees for basic amenities should not be one of them,” Landrieu said in a statement. “Passengers have been nickeled and dimed for far too long and something has to be done about it.”
Under the proposal, passengers would be allowed one checked and one carry-on bag free of charge, provided the bags are within the size limits. Airlines would also be required to provide free access to drinking water and toilets — the senator wants to impose penalties on any airline that fails to comply.
But the industry described the proposal as a step backward. Steve Lott, spokesman for the Air Transport Association, said banning baggage fees would actually be less fair to customers, as it could result in higher ticket costs that all passengers would bear as opposed to just those who are checking bags.
“Most in Congress understand that the airline industry was deregulated more than 30 years ago and the government should not mandate what products and services a deregulated industry should offer customers,” Lott said.
The industry started charging for checked bags to deal with rising jet fuel costs and a weak economy. According to industry estimates released this month, the average price of a gallon of jet fuel rose from just over $1 between 2001 and 2005 to more than $3 in late 2011. According to the Air Transport Association, airfare alone does not cover the operating cost of a flight.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
6 Responses
Stupid democrats anytime they get involved in anything prices go up. The airlines are just going to raise ticket costs to make up for the lost revenue but as long as the brainless liberalsvwill feel good that’s the main thing
Eric,
The arlne companies got major profit this year because of these fees
The system is corrupt. The legislation would be there to protect customers and the airline would definitely raise prices as an excuse for “lost revenue”. Nobody ever wins against corporate greed.
An airline that is not making money is their own fault and has nothing to do with luggage fees for one bag or two bags.
The only profitable airlines in the entire industry in the last 30 years is South West and Jet blue. Those two airlines must be doing something right and I never hear Jet Blue complaining what the government wants to impose.
If your business friendly and do not nickle and dime customers you will be successful. Jet Blue and South West are the most popular airlines followed by Continental/United for a very good reason.
I dont know why I am constantly amazed that Liberals can be so out of touch. Does this waste of a senator or any others signing on to this bill think for a second that the airline wont make their money anyway? All they will do is raise prices by $25 across the board!
The meat of the matter here goes back to the Socialist Liberal Democrat Workers Party way of “thinking,” which is that your money is really the govt’s and we allow you you to keep some. By charging separately for baggage, the airlines dont have to collect the additional federal taxes (not local tax, that’s something else!) on that money. This is a “loss” for the govt and dems need all the money they could get their grubby hands on.
So we should just let the airlines gouge the public?
This bill deserves truly bi-[artisan support.
The problem is it does not go far enough.
How about the fee an airline charges if you call them to make a reservation and do not use their website?
As a consumer, of course I don’t want the airlines to charge these fees. But from a business standpoint, as transporting my luggage is part of the service they provide… why shouldn’t they be allowed to charge? It costs them money for jet fuel because my luggage is making their plane fly heavier. Just because they decided in the past not to doesn’t mean now that it’s unfair to do so… if someone doesn’t want to pay the fees, then fly with another airline that doesn’t charge the fees.