new airline baggage limit: one suitcase for free

[Friday]

In case you haven't heard, through a stunningly random act of synchronous timing,  most of the major U.S. airlines will soon be implementing a new rule (if they haven't already): only one checked suitcase is free.  You have to pay extra for a second suitcase.

http://travelocity.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/travelocity.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1678#bag

If this is about the price of gas, then shouldn't they really be looking at the real source of weight on airplanes... the PASSENGERS... and charging accordingly?    The public humiliation of having to stand on a scale at the airport and pay a fine for being obese would be a far more effective incentive to improve the health of the American public than would junk food taxes, bans on sweets in schools, or CNN's new recurring front-page theme: amazing-and-oh-so-inspirational-weight-loss stories. 

[Russell Kanning]

how am I not surprised that Southwest is not on that list

[doobie]

If this is about the price of gas, then shouldn't they really be looking at the real source of weight on airplanes... the PASSENGERS... and charging accordingly?    The public humiliation of having to stand on a scale at the airport and pay a fine for being obese would be a far more effective incentive to improve the health of the American public than would junk food taxes, bans on sweets in schools, or CNN's new recurring front-page theme: amazing-and-oh-so-inspirational-weight-loss stories. 

Unfortunately the ACLU would be over them before it could happen.  I do wish it would happen, or at least make obese people have TWO seats.  I had two sit between two obese people on a plane once or miss my flight.  Needless to say I was pissed off.  I wrote the airline and told them I'd never fly their airline again because of the rude ness of their flight attendants in trying to accommodate me and the two people I sat next to.  They were a couple and both refused to take the middle seat.  The airline gave me a $200 coupon for future flights.  I sold it for $125. 

[MengerFan]

Why do you want charge people for services they do not use? I would rather ship anything I cannot carry on anyway, so why should I be charged the same price as the crazy lady who brings her entire wardrobe and cats?

[TresJay]

The public humiliation of having to stand on a scale at the airport and pay a fine for being obese would be a far more effective incentive to improve the health of the American public

I don't see the airlines having a responsibility to improve the health of the American public.

As you point out, weighing passengers would be humiliating to customers, and customers would seek out vendors that don't embarrass them.  Maybe an airline could cater to larger passengers.  Their slogan might be "We only fly wide bodies....and our planes are big too!" I'd like to see an airline dedicated to smokers, but federal law would prohibit that.

The airlines do provide a level of service for people that want more room for themselves.  It's called "First Class".

The market works...move along, there's nothing to see here.

[Friday]

Why do you want charge people for services they do not use?

I didn't say I do.  In fact, I proposed the exact opposite as a more logical response to rising gas prices: charging people for the actual burden in fuel their bodies put on the plane.

FYI, this policy doesn't affect me; I don't think I've ever checked more than one suitcase. 

[Friday]

The public humiliation of having to stand on a scale at the airport and pay a fine for being obese would be a far more effective incentive to improve the health of the American public

I don't see the airlines having a responsibility to improve the health of the American public.

And no one said, or even implied, that they do.  I stated that such an action on the airlines' part would be more effective than the government's, and MSM's, feeble attempts.

[MengerFan]

They already do price discriminate based on size. They make the seats so small that if you are above-average size, you need to buy two seats or sit in first-class.

The luggage thing can be seen as much more socially acceptable because people can "choose" not to pack luggage, but they cannot "choose" to leave their fat bellies at home. It's probably the same reason they give grandpa a pass and a chuckle every time he runs over little boys in his Cadillac, but I get ass raped in prison for drinking a Miller Light.

[Puke]

...but I get ass raped in prison for drinking a Miller Light.

That's a story I'd like to hear out of morbid curiosity.

[kola]

I no longer fly.

by choice.

although, by now, I am prolly on the "no-fly" list.

The planes are dirty, smelly, infectious, noisy, jam-packed fill of idiots, TSA gestapo tactics are out of control, I can't puff my pipe (tobacco), the connecting flights are almost often screwed up and those "flight meals" are a joke. And not to mention how rude most of the flight attendants are  AND how peculiar they look (as of late) ..like some kind of cloned hermaphrodite. Eek!

I really have no interest to fly... or travel far for that matter. I will spend my bucks other places instead of wasting it on flight tickets and gasoline for car travel. Maybe if more people do this, we can put the crunch on the oil companies.

kola

 

[Pat McCotter]

So I take it you aren't coming to NH.

[kola]

nope.

the number one place to encounter the mafia-gooncops is by traveling in a car. I drive as little as possible.


Kola

[Russell Kanning]

Why do you want charge people for services they do not use? I would rather ship anything I cannot carry on anyway, so why should I be charged the same price as the crazy lady who brings her entire wardrobe and cats?

that makes sense ...
like Friday said ... you could have a scale for the person and bags .... the bags are cheaper if you carry them yourself ... personality tests, to see what they will have to put up with ..... government loyalty paperwork ... to see if you will cause problems in the checkin process

[Russell Kanning]

The public humiliation of having to stand on a scale at the airport and pay a fine for being obese would be a far more effective incentive to improve the health of the American public

I don't see the airlines having a responsibility to improve the health of the American public.

The market works...move along, there's nothing to see here.

I took her comment as a joke.
The true market oriented (not government owned ... bankrupt) companies are not in the list.

[doobie]

I thought I heard a news report yesterday stating that United Airlines was charging $15 for the FIRST bag you check.