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Where To Go Next for Wednesday, February 6

02-08-2008




Today's Travel News
Wednesday, February 6, 2008

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United No Longer Friendly

By Judi Janofsky

An associate forwarded an email he had received from United Airlines about their new baggage policy. Here’s an excerpt:

“As of February 4, 2008, United has a new checked baggage policy. Non-elite Mileage Plus members and non-members traveling on non-refundable Economy tickets within the United States, Canada and U.S. territories, may check one bag for free and a second for a $25 fee. The new policy applies to tickets purchased beginning February 4, 2008 for travel on or after May 5, 2008.”

Basically what this means is if you are not one of United’s elite mileage plus members, you now have to pay $25 for that second checked bag that up until now has been free.

I understand that the airlines are suffering because of higher fuel costs, but why don’t they take a page from the cruise lines and just add a fuel surcharge and be done with it? Why ask one group to pay more so the other group (elite) presumably doesn’t have to pay at all? And when, oh when, will the airlines begin to add service instead of fees?

With United taking this jump, it’s only a matter of time before the other airlines jump on the bandwagon and do the same, if they haven’t already done so. Watch for a lot of these fees to kick in this summer when air traffic is the highest and already high prices are causing many of us to re-consider traveling this year.

It’s bad enough that we can’t put liquids in our carry-on luggage – making our checked bags heavier than before but now we’re relegated to trying to get everything in one bag, perhaps causing a hernia in the process of lifting it at the check-in counter.

What’s the solution? Write to United CEO Glenn Tilton at glenn.tilton@united.com and sound off. It’s the only way to make these companies understand that we’re tired of it all and aren’t going to take it anymore.

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