| Airlines May Join American's $15 Bag Fee |
United Airlines and 3 other large U.S. carriers are considering whether to join American Airlines in charging travelers $15 to check one bag as fuel bills soar.
UAL Corp.'s United is "seriously studying" the fee, the first of its kind in the U.S., spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said today. Delta Air Lines Inc., Northwest Airlines Corp. and US Airways Group Inc. said they were evaluating the idea.
Those steps were set in motion after AMR Corp.'s American went beyond its competitors and said yesterday it would slash domestic flying by 12% and add or increase fees. The world's largest airline said it will cut "thousands" of jobs amid jet fuel's 94% surge in the past year.
"Costs are increasing at such an enormous pace that these kinds of changes have to occur," said David Swierenga, president of Round Rock, Texas-based consulting firm AeroEcon.
Analysts said carriers including United and Continental Airlines Inc. also are likely to follow American and deepen the cuts in seating capacity they announced earlier this year.
The bag charge at Fort Worth, Texas-based American applies to tickets purchased starting June 15th. A $25 fee for a second piece of luggage became the U.S. industry's standard this year.
Passengers probably will respond by bringing more bags into cabins, snarling security lines and jamming overhead bins, said John Antos, president of consulting firm Value Creation Group Inc. in Dallas, who has 6 million frequent-flier miles on American and travels several times a month.
Airlines' carry-on bag rules typically permit one piece of luggage and a "personal item" such as a purse or briefcase.
"It's going to delay flights and make boarding a nightmare,'' said Antos, 59, who rarely checks bags. "No one's going to check luggage if they can get around it. There won't be any space left on the plane. I think you're going to find some really angry passengers."
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