See Updated Full Checked Baggage Fee List

Nudists and people who don't like to wear clothes on vacation are going to love this story.

This past week (January 10, 2010), United Airlines joined Continental Airlines and Delta Airlines in raising their checked baggage fees. This means $25 for the first checked bag and $35 for the second checked bag. The fee is slightly lower if you pay it online and not at the airport. As most of you know, I am an advocate of travel and I spend a lot of time defending the airlines. But it's getting harder and harder to defend companies that make ridiculously bad PR decisions. I understand why they are making this move, it's a dollars and cents decision. Yes, these airlines consistently lose money every quarter. They have a number of different pressures that affect their bottom line, but nickel and diming passengers for luggage annoys more consumers than not.

Talk about a one-two punch! The domino effect is mind-numbing. These airlines are charging to check luggage so everybody is packing all their crap into carry-ons. This not only causes more hassles on board for passengers, but it also causes a huge headache for their own flight attendants and gate agents. On top of that, more carry-on luggage means more luggage that has to be screened by security, which in turn, means longer lines at security which ultimately means more passengers missing their flights and turning to the airline for re-booking.

Again, I understand the reasoning but the only people who benefit are the airlines and people who vacation in the nude who don't bring anything on their trips!

I spoke with a Delta PR rep on Wednesday, January 13, 2010, and although they were very nice to me on the phone (as they always are), they were not allowed to comment publicly on the reasoning behind this decision. I didn't call Continental because they have never returned my phone calls and United I'm sure was too busy losing some poor musicians guitar (okay, that was a cheap shot and I apologize).

At what point will the legacy carriers stop clinging to this "lowest fare" model? That's right, I said it! STOP TRYING TO BE THE LOWEST PRICED TICKET by charging us for all the things we used to love about flying. If the airline builds the average cost for a piece of luggage into the ticket, then maybe the ticket price won't be the lowest, but at least the consumer will know they won't have to have the airlines pick-pocketing them at the airport!

At some point, I'll be flying one of these three airlines for work and I'm sure I'll have a great experience. But I truly believe these baggage fees are a terrible idea for the consumer. I'll continue to defend the airlines and the airlines that have these pathetic fees, but I don't have to agree with the strategy.

Thanks Continental, Delta and United for cowering behind the "we have to do this because of the pressures of our industry" instead of making decisions where the PASSENGER comes first.