# ARe any airlines NOT charging $15 per checked bag?



## rickandcindy23 (Feb 12, 2009)

I used to book the different legs of our Hawaii trips myself, to save a little cash, or to use some FF miles for some of the trip, but now I have to take the baggage charges into consideration.  

When you book your own travel, with cooperating airlines, do they allow you to still check the baggage through, without having to pay more fees?  Perhaps they charge for the second airline?  I don't have any clue how this will affect our next trip and thought you might have some insights.

Thanks in advance!


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## Carolinian (Feb 12, 2009)

Southwest still has free checked bags.


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## gorevs9 (Feb 12, 2009)

Carolinian said:


> Southwest still has free checked bags.


And free food & drink.


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## dwsupt (Feb 12, 2009)

Virgin Airlines still allows 1 free one + 1 carry on


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## Luanne (Feb 12, 2009)

gorevs9 said:


> And free food & drink.



And pleasant staff, an easy to navigatge website and no charge to make changes to tickets. 

Also, I think SW allows two checked bags free.


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## PigsDad (Feb 12, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> When you book your own travel, with cooperating airlines, do they allow you to still check the baggage through, without having to pay more fees?


If the flight is booked under one locater number, you should only pay luggage fee once no matter how many legs there are.  For example, a United flight with a connecting US Air flight.  As for whose luggage fee you would pay, I would guess that it would be based on the airline whose counter you check in at the airport.

However, if they are two separate locater numbers / itineraries, then you would pay the fees each time you switch airlines / check in.  The example here is if you booked Frontier round trip to LAX, and booked Delta from LAX round trip to Hawaii.  You would have to pay two luggage fees, because in LAX you would pick up your luggage, and then check it in again w/ Delta.

Kurt


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## joestein (Feb 12, 2009)

I think Jetblue has 1 free as well.

Joe


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## dougp26364 (Feb 12, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I* used to book the different legs of our Hawaii trips myself*





Carolinian said:


> Southwest still has free checked bags.





joestein said:


> I think Jetblue has 1 free as well.
> 
> Joe



I wasn't aware that Southwest and Jet Blue flew to Hawaii, or have I been missing those options?


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## beanb41 (Feb 12, 2009)

Air New Zealand and Qantas dont charge for checked baggage


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## BevL (Feb 12, 2009)

ALaska doesn't charge for the first bag.  We are loyal AS flyers.


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## Luanne (Feb 12, 2009)

dougp26364 said:


> I wasn't aware that Southwest and Jet Blue flew to Hawaii, or have I been missing those options?



Well, this is on the general travel info board and the header question is "Are  any airlines NOT charging $15 per checked bag?".  

So, I stand by my answers.


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## Jimster (Feb 12, 2009)

*Bags*

It depends on where you are going and whether you have status or not.  Yes, SW has no baggage fee-they also have long term fuel contracts.  I believe they have also commissioned a study to investigate the concept of assigned seating.  Now there is a concept  As a Premier Exec on United, I can check up to 3 70lb bags free.  Alaska has the first bag free as mentioned above.  Most international carriers have no baggage charges at least for the first bag.  On an earlier thread, the was a link to a flyer talk chart that compared all the airlines on checked luggage.  I think it was also put on here as well just do a search or wait for someone to post it.


Go here this is a chart of all bag fees: http://www.bestfares.com/news-newsID589-Airline_Baggage_Fee_Chart.html


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## dougp26364 (Feb 12, 2009)

Luanne said:


> Well, this is on the general travel info board and the header question is "Are  any airlines NOT charging $15 per checked bag?".
> 
> So, I stand by my answers.



I only wish those two airlines flew out of Wichita. As it is, the best we can do for "low cost" airlines are Airtran and Frontier. To be honest, I'm not certain if they're charging for checked baggage yet. I assume that they are. 

If SWA's flew out of Wichita I suspect they'd quickly become our prefered carrier. Heck, if Jet Blue flew out of Wichita, I'd probably give them a shot at my business.


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## Egret1986 (Feb 13, 2009)

*Airtran now charges $15 for the first checked bag*



dougp26364 said:


> I only wish those two airlines flew out of Wichita. As it is, the best we can do for "low cost" airlines are Airtran and Frontier. To be honest, I'm not certain if they're charging for checked baggage yet. I assume that they are.
> 
> If SWA's flew out of Wichita I suspect they'd quickly become our prefered carrier. Heck, if Jet Blue flew out of Wichita, I'd probably give them a shot at my business.



They started charging on 11/12 I believe.


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## Jimster (Feb 13, 2009)

*fees*

Go here this is a chart of all bag fees: http://www.bestfares.com/news-newsID...Fee_Chart.html


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## debraxh (Feb 13, 2009)

gorevs9 said:


> And free food & drink.



Gotta love those peanuts   Most other airlines still provide free non-alc bevs that come with a mini bag of peanuts or similar.


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## kelela92 (Feb 13, 2009)

No advice, but I hear ya on the fees. I forgot to take them into consideration, booked two flights (so they "connect"). In all, btwn DH and I, we'll be paying about $240 for our bags. Ouch.


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## "Roger" (Feb 13, 2009)

Here is a better link to a chart of airline luggage fees ....

Luggage fees

(Disclaimer:  This site is advertising a service where you send your bags ahead of your flight.  I do not work for this company nor have any other connection with it.)


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## rickandcindy23 (Feb 13, 2009)

The chart says Hawaiian doesn't charge for the first bag, then the link to Hawaiian says they do.   What's with the airlines, anyway?  I cannot believe they would continue to charge, with fuel prices down again.


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## Luanne (Feb 13, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> What's with the airlines, anyway?  I cannot believe they would continue to charge, with fuel prices down again.



Did you really think they'd remove a charge once it's been instituted???


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## Jimster (Feb 13, 2009)

*fees*

If you are paying $240 in luggage fees, IMHO you are taking too much!  Leave some of that home and use the difference in fees to buy what you need there.  Remember carry on (with limits) is free.  I can take 3 bags for free but I seldom check more than - often not even one.  $240 will buy alot of stuff*.  If you leave the old stuff there, then you don't have fees coming back either.

* technical term for junk


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## dougp26364 (Feb 13, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> The chart says Hawaiian doesn't charge for the first bag, then the link to Hawaiian says they do.   What's with the airlines, anyway?  I cannot believe they would continue to charge, with fuel prices down again.



First, they really LIKE that extra income. Second, it limits the amount of luggage they have to handle and (supposedly) improves their on time performance and reduces the amount of lost/damaged luggage. I'm afraid you'll never see this fee go away unless one of the major airlines try's to grab market share by advertising that they've done away with the extra fee's. 

For whatever reason, the majors seem to ignore SWA at their own peril. SWA's way of doing business has made them profitable. The legacy carriers.......not so much. You'd THINK they'd want to emulate SWA's in more ways that not.


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## Jimster (Feb 13, 2009)

*swa*

The legacy airlines CANT emulate SWA.  The only reason they are not imposing these fees is that their cost of doing business is lower than the legacy carriers- specifically jet fuel.  SWA made a good choice to hedge their fuel costs for many years and they have come out a winner.  The legacy carriers did not and thus need more revenue.  As far as using it as a marketing tool is concerned, that is what SWA has been doing the whole time.  When the contracts on fuel run out, guess what?  SWA will undoubtedly emulate the industry standard which is now charging for bags.


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## John Cummings (Feb 17, 2009)

BevL said:


> ALaska doesn't charge for the first bag.  We are loyal AS flyers.



We are also great fans of Alaska. They do fly to Hawaii.


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