May 21st, 2008
AA: No More Free Domestic Checked Luggage For Non-Elites; Other Fees On The Rise.
AA has started off the next round of airline fees with a new $15 (each way) fee for the first checked bag in addition to the $25 (each way) fee for the 2nd checked bag.
AA/OneWorld elite members, full fare passengers, AAnytime AAward passengers, business/first class passengers, passengers on an international itinerary, and all traveling companions of any of these exempted members will continue to be allowed to check 2 free bags.
The new bag fee applies to tickets purchased on or after 06/15, regardless of the date of travel. In other words:
-If you bought an AA ticket before 05/12 you will get 2 free checked bags.
-If you buy an AA ticket on or after 05/12 but before 06/15 you will get 1 free checked bag.
-If you buy an AA ticket on or after 06/12 you will not get any free checked bags.
-Effective for tickets bought 05/21, AA also has matched the new, soon-to-be industry standard $150 domestic change fee.
-International change fees will now range from $150-$300, depending on the market.
-Phone reservation fees (for revenue and mileage tickets) are now $20.
-Airport reservation fees are now $30.
-Mileage ticket city changes and cancellations are now $150.
-Date changes on mileage tickets continue to be free.
Finally, AA said that they will retire 75 aircraft while reducing domestic capacity by 12%. Although AA currently has the industry’s best mileage ticket availability, these cuts may well change that.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:37 pm
It just gets better and better doesn’t it?! what next? maybe a fee for using airplane toilets
WAIT A SEC! thats a GREAT idea!!!
Dan, since this is MY gr8 idea (toilet fees) do ya think theres anyway i can get royalties for it when they finally implement it????
May 21st, 2008 at 12:51 pm
great, so i cant carry on a bottle of shampoo because of the tsa so now im forced to pay for the checked bag fee.
what a racket!!!
May 21st, 2008 at 1:59 pm
I am Platinum on AA and I don’t like this one bit. Why? Because just picture the lines at security when people start bringing multiple large suitcases through to avoid the checked luggage fee.
And don’t even get me started with what will happen to overhead bin space!
May 21st, 2008 at 2:16 pm
bloody hell. they r competing with ryanair on who can charge the most for luggage!
May 21st, 2008 at 2:22 pm
does anyone know if i can transfer points between true blue accounts
May 21st, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Sam,
Continental all the way!!
May 21st, 2008 at 2:58 pm
You can’t transfer TrueBlue points.
May 21st, 2008 at 4:27 pm
The way most airlines are managed today we won’t have to worry about this fee too long as they’ll be bankrupt and out of business soon. Domestic carriers have ruined travel and nothing short of a catastrophic redo will fix the problem. Soon it will be too expensive to do anything more then stay home! Boy I’m glad I live in San Diego!!!!!
May 21st, 2008 at 5:12 pm
So now that this is going on, is there any airline we can fly that doesn’t charge all these ridiculous fees?
May 21st, 2008 at 5:13 pm
all of you readers, fly on fare mistakes, mileage, & the best occasion a t class fare, the airlines lose money every time you fly!!!!!none of you have any right to complain!
May 21st, 2008 at 5:37 pm
what do you want them to do at oil at 133 a barrel the key is to be gold or platinum and you are now really getting a good benefit.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:35 pm
what do you want them to do at oil at 133 a barrel? I want them to manage their business properly is what I want them to do. Notice in all this that Southwest Airlines is doing just fine.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Eli:
Southwest still allows 2 bags and allows free changes and cancellations.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Maybe we can get an AIRLINE BAGGAGE GMACH. People who are AA/OneWorld elite members, full fare passengers, AAnytime AAward passengers, etc. who are willing to check the baggage for you.
Maybe people will be willing to trade it for Levi’s Toilet rights (comment #1)…
May 21st, 2008 at 8:02 pm
churn enough credit cards and youll hit a million miles and be gold for life. thanks to dan it only took me 2 years
May 21st, 2008 at 8:05 pm
if i have 75k aa miles from a cc will that get me closer to elite statues??
May 21st, 2008 at 11:54 pm
You mean to say that I now have to pay American Airlines $15 to lose my first bag? What happens when I get to my destination but my bag doesn’t?
Once this fee takes effect, can we all say that we are members of the “mile high club” for getting screwed on your airline?
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:36 am
anyone out there have elal points that wants to trade for continental or American miles? I am trying to get a ticket on elal but the aa points wont work for when I need it. maybe someone wants aa points for europ or even for israel at a different time or at any time with a stop in europ?? if anyone has an interest please email me at ygift@aol.com
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:18 am
Z,
Just wondering how you hit Million Miler in two years.
Assuming you churn both the consumer and bussines cards every sixty days, you would have 480,000 after two years. Did you do some massive spending or something?