PHOENIX — Admit it. That chunky carry-on bag of yours would never fit into the sample box displayed outside the airport gate.
Don’t expect that bag to get a free ride for long.
Checked bags are now a moneymaker for US Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines, and officials say they’re going to keep a closer watch on how much you take on board as they begin their new baggage fees.
“We’re planning on having extra staff where possible, especially at peak times at busy airports,” US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant said.
The airlines point out that the carry-on policy came from the Federal Aviation Administration, not the industry, and they have an obligation to keep people from sneaking bulky bags onto planes to avoid fees. Not only is it unfair to the honest, fee-paying traveler, they say, but it would also overload the overhead bins and force gate crews to delay takeoffs while they checked excess bags.
But the added scrutiny means something else as well. Every passenger — even those not used to checking bags — is going to have to start following the rules.
People who are accustomed to boarding with a large roller case might find themselves handing $15 to an airline employee before they get through security.
“It’s up to us to get to them before they get too far in line and say ‘Ma’am or sir, you need to check that bag,’” said Mark Dupont, American’s senior vice president of airport services planning.
AMR Corp.’s American Airlines, the nation’s largest carrier, was the first to announce fees for a single checked bag. It started charging $15 each way for the first bag on tickets purchased June 15 or later.
US Airways Group Inc. will match that fee for tickets booked on or after July 9. UAL Corp.’s United Airlines will follow later in the summer with the same bag fee for domestic flights as of Aug. 18.
The three airlines say they are responding to tremendous pressure to cover sky-high fuel prices that have erased profits and sunk stock values.
If a passenger is stopped from boarding with an oversize carry-on, American will charge that passenger the $15 fee to check it at the gate. United has not decided how it will handle passengers with oversize carry-ons, and US Airways says its passengers can check those bags at the gate free.
The new bag fees are going to frustrate a lot of people, said US Airways flight attendant and union leader Mike Flores, and he is not excited about being the one to sort out the confusion.
Passengers are not going to be happy when they see people checking their bags at the gate without charge, he said.
“They really haven’t thought this thing out,” Flores said. Passengers who paid the fee are going to say, “‘Wait a minute, I paid $15 to have my bag checked, and this guy is getting them checked for free.’”
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