Travelling with checked bags

Okay that totally sucks.

Now I have to shell out yet another fee to fly to fur cons or only take one fursuit.

I suppose I will be driving more, and have to get better at packing all my non fur stuff in my carry on, assuming they don't start charging for your carry-on too!!!!

Oh well, there is always ride-sharing.

Jeef

Also, if your flying with an airline that does not charge for a 2nd bag that code shares with an airline that does, for example, Air Canada tends to code share with United a lot, but Air Canada does not charge for a 2nd bag, where United does, you'll only be charged for it upon returning. (Assuming you departed with Air Canada for example)

Continental Airlines also allows two free checked bags per ticketed customer (each not to exceed 50 lbs.)

.evol.

It isn't that their business has dropped off much; planes are still full nearly to capacity. It is that it is costem them more per passenger to operate. Look at your own fuel bills in the last 6 months. Then figure in time lost due to bad weather, wholesale cancellations of flights at the last minute due to that weather. You still are paying for that aircraft, and every minute that it isn't moving in the air is money lost; and you are paying for the aircrews and ground staff, whether or not you are flying.

And people don't travel by air as simply as they used to; a businessman might have a suitcase or something to hold a spare suit and jacket, and his briefcase. Today the typical traveller is part of a family, and everyone packs as though going on safari. I've seen folks with 2 or 3 kids in tow, and all the "kid accessories" practically require a convoy: rediculous strollers or baby carriages made on the scale of a Humvee, and yet touted as "Carry-On", occupying too many of the over-head bins for what should be light stuff, briefcases or overnight fly-away kit bags.

Now, to load luggage on an aircraft, requires at least 3 people, sometimes 4, where it used to require only 2 (at least one has to be in the cargo hold, the others load the conveyor); this adds to personnel costs, unless you wish to scrimp on baggage handlers, and it takes twice as long to load/unload a bird.

BAck in the '50's, when air travel was primarily businessmen and very well-heeled tourists, you were given a weight allocation, and each bage and case was weighed, and you paid so much if you went over that allocation. This is just a more practical return to that sort of limiting system.

I don't think that airline operations will ever again be as profitable as they were, up through the late '70's. The whole system and process of air transport is on a downward spiral of satisfaction, as costs go up and convenience and utility fall.

Actually, you raise an interesting question. What if one bag is checked, but the plane's overhead bins are full and a second bag has to be gate-checked? I think I'll call US Airways and find out.

*dialdialdial*

Well, it seems that a gate-checked bag will not incur the additional expense. I think it's going to be an interesting case the first time someone tries to bring a steamer trunk onto a plane and then asks to check it at the gate.