American Airlines is increasing the cost of checked baggage on transatlantic flights effective immediately. For flights booked after April 21st, 2020 the new fee is $75 one way (previously $60 one way), people that booked before April 21st, 2020 will pay the old $60 fee. This seems like an insane time to announce an increase in baggage fees, especially with American Airline receiving $5.8 billion in government assistance. I’d be interested to see if bags traveled per passenger has increased due to COVID-19.
Hat tip to Award Wallet
OMG, AA. Seriously, what in the f*** are you thinking? “Hey, flights are cancelled, the world is upside down, job losses at a high, sickness and death. Let’s pick NOW to raise baggage fees!” Do you not realize NO ONE IS FLYING AND PEOPLE ARE DYING?
Your company is truthfully disposable.
And we are the one bailing these guys out! Pathetic.
Didn’t their president said they didn’t need a bailout and yet took the money anyway? God these guys suck!!
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/recap-aa-says-no-bailout-is-needed-but-will-take-one-anyway-rr-martin-starts-writing-more/
Take tax payer bailout and also double dip and take more money from said taxpayer on baggage; gotcha! will make sure when this is over to fly AA. /s
Right? Amazing how just in the last several years, they’d brAAg about their record high profits largely from fees. Now, here we are again. Bail them out, they spit in our face, bail out, repeat…
Smart. Few people are flying so there won’t be much outrage. Limited to overseas flights so even less impactful.
It’s some incremental revenue. The only thing they’re even making money on is cargo at this point. Why not discourage heavy packing?
Also, with so many airline schedule cancellations, you’re going to see major changes in the customer base. The people that are flying HAVE TO fly at this point. AA might have the only viable flight.
So you think no one will notice the price increase when people (eventually) start flying again?
I’m sure the 30 people who have to take these flights in the next couple months are going to appreciate how AA is treating them
I hope they take every roll of toilet paper on the flight and watch the reAAction. And pocket the profit when they resell the TP.. probably worth about $20 a roll now..
LMAO
I’m so outraged that I’m going to change my habit of not flying AA to still not flying AA.
This is a fee that only impacts Basic Economy fares. I kind of wonder how many people would actually pay $150 roundtrip to check a bag. You still get a free carry-on bag and personal item. I have easily travelled several weeks at a time with this amount of luggage: indeed, it is a burden to have more luggage than this. There is this crazy thing called “a washing machine” that generally means you don’t need to carry your entire wardrobe around with you.
You’d be surprise how many weirdos, generally older couples/families, likes to pack 3-4 max weight baggage *each*. They bring all kinds of shit back & forth to India, China, France, Italy. Just watch immigration confiscation videos, lol.
I know. Especially in int’l airports, we always laugh when we see people carting around All Their Worldly Possessions, like it’s Ellis Island or something. For me, the only annoyance at this rule is if I want to bring back a liquid, like a bottle of wine, and I now can’t because it would make no freakin’ sense to do so if my fare is basic economy. This is a pretty minor inconvenience, though.
I’m beginning to find that it’s better to pay a little more for shipping and import prices than to have the hassle of bringing back food and liquids from overseas. 1 small carryon makes life so much nicer even when I’m flying premium awards and the extra bags are free.
I take a month vacation with only a 20in carry on
I can do this, why can’t you?
Did 2 weeks in Africa including 5 days climbing Kilimanjaro, 3 day safari, and Zanzibar all with only carryons – Patagonia black hole duffel and a backpack. Some people are crazy.
Did the smell of unwashed underwear fight off the lions in the jungle? 😉
Never could figure out how to pack so lightly and still have fresh clothes, but applaud you. Always read how people pack so much in a carryon, and I’m like “nope!”
Seemed like only a matter of time