My inbox has been filled lately with news from airlines around the world.
Here’s the latest:
United Airlines announced yesterday that it plans to charge passengers for each bag checked after the first one. The carrier hopes to make as much as $100 million annually from the new fee in an effort to battle rising fuel costs.
For passengers, this means you’ll pay an extra $50 to check two pieces of luggage on a round trip flight. The cost of checking two bags used to be included in the airfare. Other carriers are expected to follow United’s lead.
Do you think the extra fee will guarantee airlines be more careful when handling passenger bags? I wouldn’t want to be working the counter when United loses one of the extra fee bags.
Speaking of which, United’s mishandled baggage claims increased just slightly in 2007 compared to the previous year, according to the latest U.S. Department of Transportation report. Passengers filed mishandled baggage reports at a rate of 5.76 complaints per 1,000 passengers in 2007, up from 5.68 complaints per 1,000 passengers in 2006.
Passengers on Scandinavian Airlines Sweden no longer need identification when checking in for domestic flights, according to Spiegel. Travelers are checked in with a scan of their fingerprint. The airline says it may expand the fingerprint check in option include flights in Europe but a commissioner for Germany’s Interior Ministry remains skeptical about the process, saying fingerprints are “very easy to fake.”
China’s Hainan Airlines begins nonstop service between Beijing and Seattle on June 9 in advance of the 2008 Olympics. The carrier will fly an Airbus A330-200 in lieu of a 787. Hainan is a China launch customer for the Dreamliner and will put a 787 on the route when the delayed Dreamliner becomes available.
Lastly, British Airways has seen its traffic slow since the airline’s crash of a Boeing 777 at Heathrow last month, according to Bloomberg. The carrier also could face lawsuits from passengers on the crashed flight.
British Airways 777 crash landing at Heathrow
This is one of the most watched videos about the incident at Heathrow on YouTube. You’ll notice the comments for the video turn into an Airbus versus Boeing, Europe versus America debate. Mixed in with those are some interesting speculation entries and posts about the 777 crash.
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