$50 for a second bag on all international flights. Delta expect to make $100 MM on this. Add another $100 to your ticket prices.

Delta adds $50 fee for 2nd bags on international flights

By Kelly Yamanouchi

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Delta Air Lines will start charging passengers on international flights $50 for checking a second bag, saying it’s making the move in response to the global recession.

•As the first major U.S. carrier to charge a fee to check a second bag on international flights, Atlanta-based Delta’s move could spur other carriers to consider adding the fee as well.
The Delta fee is effective for new bookings starting today for international travel beginning July 1. Some are exempt from the fee, including business class passengers, elite-level SkyMiles frequent flier members, active duty military traveling on orders and those who bought a full-fare Y-class ticket. Delta expects the fee to bring in more than $100 million in revenue annually.

Delta last year started charging passengers on domestic flights $15 to check a first bag and $25 to check a second bag. For international travel, Delta already charges $200 for a third checked bag.
“We have continued to unbundle certain fees to ensure passengers pay for the services they choose to use,” said Delta spokesman Kent Landers. “We believe applying this model on international economy class tickets is appropriate based on the success we’ve had on baggage fees in the United States.”
As it reported a $794 million net loss for the first quarter, Delta also announced Tuesday it would ground its entire fleet of 14 Boeing 747-200 freighter jets effective Dec. 31 because of the age and inefficiency of the aircraft. Delta acquired the freighters through its merger with Northwest last year.

Flew Delta last week.

The only Delta flights for me in the future will be mileage awards.

After I burn my FF, they can go belly up as far as I care.

A perfect response to the global recession: charge more in fees and costs so all of your airline clients will be turned off, especially where they have no choice and get the same old service that they had before when there were no fees.

When does this start? I leave for Namibia tomorrow. Am I affected?

quote:

Originally posted by dla69:
When does this start? I leave for Namibia tomorrow. Am I affected?

I think you are safe, from Kathi's article above:

The Delta fee is effective for new bookings starting today for international travel beginning July 1.

quote:

Originally posted by David Culpepper:

quote:

Originally posted by dla69:
When does this start? I leave for Namibia tomorrow. Am I affected?

I think you are safe, from Kathi's article above:

The Delta fee is effective for new bookings starting today for international travel beginning July 1.

Thanks. I don't know why I didn't see that the first time.

This is ironic. As I understand it, the international convention on trade and tariffs (or whatever it is formally called) requires that air carriers accept two free checked bags of up to 50 lbs each for passengers whose tickets originate in the U.S. This is why when you change planes in Europe to say, Air Namibia, they have to take your two bags for free whereas they might charge a passenger originating in Germany for anything over 20 kilos total. As a U.S. carrier, Delta can flaunt the international rules? Or put another way, Delta can charge me for the second bag, but my connecting airline in Frankfurt can't?

Charging for checked baggage is doubly unfair to passengers when "security" regulations prohibit you from carrying so many items as carry-on, like liquids of more than 3 oz. and anything that even looks like it is metallic or has something resembling a blade or a sharp point (not to mention small arms ammunition, which is totally benign without a gun in hand to fire it.) In other words, airlines are exploiting "security" restrictions to force passengers to check more baggage, then charging them for disallowing them to carry their baggage on board.

I think you make a very good argument. I think an airline has the right to charge any fee they desire. The beauty of capitalism is that a company has the right to get paid a fair price. Competition determines what that “Fair” price amounts to. What has happened in the airline industry is that consolidation has caused a lack of competition on all but the busiest travel routes. We also do not have the ability to drive to Africa our Europe which further limits our options. As much as I hate the government getting into business it is my opinion that there should be some regulation around price quotes in the travel industry. I feel any carrier should be forced to quote prices including all taxes, fees, and bag charges for two bags. This would eliminate getting to the airport and being surprised to find you still owe money for the ticket you purchased 9 months prior.

I would suggest that a more Capitalist solution is to reduce the regulatory requirements for building new airports.

The reduced competition is frequently a result of limited gate availability, as I understand the issue. Obviously, the politically connected get first dibs on the (limited) gates.

There isn't the competition for gates that there used to be. Flight schedules have been severely cut. Delta has given up many of its gates and even baggage carousels here in Orlando. This makes life difficult for people like me that travel for a living.

Good luck with getting financing for new airports. Kind of a tough market right now.

Guys, the airlines are losing their ass. At some point, they have to make money or they are going out of business. If you are going on an out and back business trip with nothing but a brief case, do you think you should pay the same as someone who is traveling with 6 big suitcases? I don't. When I go on long trips with lot of luggage, it doesn't bother me to pay a little more.

It may not be the best way to raise money that is badly needed on the bottom line but it certainly gives the traveler some flexibility in what a trip costs.

Finally, no I don't work for an airline. I am just realistic enough to know that if a company can't make a profit it won't be around forever.

I remember the days before deregulation, when airlines made money, there was plenty of competition and services were provided to the traveling public. The airlines campaigned heavily for deregulation, which Congress duly granted, leaving us with with the current mess. So, in my opinion, the airlines got what they wanted at our expense.

Bryan, would I also have been able to use the term "stewardess" then?

You could smoke too!

quote:

Originally posted by Bryan Chick:
I remember the days before deregulation, when airlines made money, there was plenty of competition and services were provided to the traveling public. The airlines campaigned heavily for deregulation, which Congress duly granted, leaving us with with the current mess. So, in my opinion, the airlines got what they wanted at our expense.

So very true. The result has been lousy service, route reduction, outsourced maintenance, and interminable flight delays or outright cancellations.

Once the airline companies began competing with Greyhound for passengers, the cabin service went out the window. Now, you see people in crummy clothes carrying their stuff in WalMart bags boarding airplanes, wearing flipflops. How would they egress a burning fuselage in those flipflops? They don't have a clue, and the airlines aren't about to offer any.

After accumulating several million miles commuting from spot to spot, I avoid flying at all costs. I am dreading my upcoming trip to TZ on NWA/DA. 22 hours of hell each way to go on a buff hunt is worth it, but barely. Just barely.

Yes: you could call them stew's, you know, I forgot about smoking, and the stew's were reasonably attractive, trim and not members of the geriatric
set. We complained about the quality of the free food served inflight and the $1.00 cost for the drinks.

Jetdvr: I, also, would not fly if we lived on the mainland, however, we have no choice except for airplane or boat. Man, you don't know how many times I have threatened to buy a vehicle, park it at a storage facility in Florida or Atlanta and drive from there when we go to Dallas. It would not take many trips to break even and I would be a hell of a lot more relaxed.