United Airlines to charge fee to check single bag

All these airlines are doing is increasing the amount of carry on baggage that goes onto these planes, which make the cabins even more crowded. People are bringing on the absolute maximum allowed carry on, which doesnt always fit into the overhead bins due to over packing them or the odd shape which doesnt fit through the opening to the overhead bin. These same bags are then crowding the under seat storage and causing people to have less leg room themselves, or causing their "neighbors" to have less space. Bringing more carry on baggage is slowing down the safety check lines as well. It is obvious that these airlines do not care about customer service and take full advantage of a limited market! I understand about the rising gas prices, so just increase the airfare! Stop all of this a la carte pricing.

American and United shouldn't count on the millions of dollars they think they will make from this new fee. Gas prices along with general increases in everything are affecting everyone, not just the airline industry. As a result, less people will travel. Also, the higher you raise the price for less service (such as meals, checking baggage, etc.), the smaller customer base you are going to retain.

not only will it will stay and increase, but all airlines will adopt and then they will raise second bag fee.i have been travel agent 23 years. they thought once they got rid of paying travel agents commission they would be on the world and it seems to me they just have a money handeling problem.

when I began my career as a service tech 12 years ago, I began to notice then airlines are sticking it to business travellers, and it is only getting worse. I , like many others have a favored airline, but with the way things are going, my loyalties are going out the window. The right thing to do would be to charge more for the tickets. Then the lines would be shorter, less bobbleheads clogging the system and orbitz and others would go away.The give away pricing ruins any flight with first time and unknowing people who cause the delays and problems. Let them fly southwest and have a cattle call boarding. Many of us have had a 14 hour day already and have lost our patience.

I think its great that the airlines are charging for lots of things---no-one needs all the crap they try to take on their trips--also this could limit the slimy group of people who fly today--once limited to the bus-now airlines are so cheap that any o ne can use them--i hope it gets so expensive that only business people going on really useful trips and wealthy can fly--that way next trip i take i wont have to sit next to five sneezing slobering slugs who should be at home de-licing themselves

The fee for the first-bag is ridiculous! I can see the fee for 2 or more bags or heavy items but for a FIRST BAG??? Come on now! Let's get real here! The Public needs at least one bag so they can carry a fresh change of clothes and toiletries! I have an ideal, how about the PUBLIC/American consumer CHARGING the U.S. Airline Industry for 'bumping' passengers when they (the airlines) are Overbooked, for travel delays, missed flights due to the airlines fault, strikes by their Unions and any other incidentals considered to be at the airlines fault!! I consider this a reasonable fee for the airline industry for screwing up peoples travel/vacation plans!!! FAIR is FAIR!!!

As far as I am concerned the Airlines can kiss my A$$! There service is crap compared to 10 or so years ago, they nickle and dime you for every little thing...surprised they do not charge you to pee too! Furthermore they are ALWAYS late cause they can't seem to pull their head out from their A$$ as they are too busy running around the terminal trying to fill one or two seats with the overflow, last flight was an hour and half late due to exactly this and I watched them intently the whole time. If the seat is sold and paid for, and someone doesn't show you punish everyone who did show trying to fill that seat...STUPID!!!! The fee that really torches my butt is the unaccompanied minor fee for which all the airline does is escort your child to their seat then off the plane to the appointed person for Continental to the tune of $75.00 each way. Guess my daughter will not be visiting her father any time in the near future...thank you to all the Airlines for being detrimental to my daughters relationship with her dad! I hope you all suffer and then have too re-evaluate your "customer service" which is nill.

I agree with Deborah 319612, it's a management issue. Greed or profiteering. When I started in the business, airlines paid 10% of the base fare to agencies. No longer. But what they don't understand is that no carrier is prepared or manned to handle the business travel professionals push their way. It's sad. I'm not sure how the smaller agencies are staying in business. Next thing you know, they are going to charge you to go to the bathroom, and an extra elevated fee for each square of toilet paper! What will they do when people simply cut back on travel and the all go bankrupt? With today's technology, business meetings can easily be held with online meeting sites, thereby cutting out the need (so much) to fly. It's like don't poop where you eat! But they already have.

This is just another way for the executives to pocket more money in revenue. They have raised ticket prices to cover their fuel costs. Why does Southwest not do these extra fees. The answer better management. I heard this morning SW bought futures in gas when a barrel of oil was $59. Smart thinking. So all these other fees the other airlines are charging are totally ludicrous. So the more carry on we have the more the cabin becomes unsafe if the flight hits turbulence and the doors open and the longer we now have to sit on the plane why they take these extra cases off to store them in the cargo hold. Hmm now there's a thought you don't pay at the counter and they store the bag under the cargo hold for free, like they should be doing anyway. Just another fleecing of America...Thank you Our elected senators and environmental wackoes. Remember BIG BROTHER is gaining strength

I feel that everyone is hurting right now due to the fuel prices not just the airlines. Everyone has at least one bag to check in so we shouldn't be penalized. The people they should charge is the passengers that don't check in their bags and put them in the overhead bins. Let's go back to the old days where all bags are checked. This will speed up the process of passengers getting on/off plane.

While I understand the airlines plight, they need to understand ours. Airline fares have almost tripled in the past month. The public's gasoline prices are now over $4.00 gallon. The public is certainly not going to pay the sky high airline ticket fees along with luggage fees and maybe lavatory fees. We are going to curtail our driving on long trips. All I can see is airline travel declining due to cost. What don't their bean counters understand about disposable income. I was once a veteran flier but not anymore.
Goodbye the friendly skies. Most of you had lousy service anyway.

I Totally agree with Serena7362. people with carry ons, backpacks etc. crowd the cabins, hold up de-planeing and are usually very rude. Charge for the carry-ons!! With less carry-ons going through security cheks will be faster and easier.

This is ridiculous! The PUBLIC needs at least one BAG so they can carry their clothing, toiletries when they travel on business or on a vacation!! I agree with a second bag fee or more or for heavy items. I suggest to all who are reading this post to write their Congressman/Congresswoman, the Airlines Industry, CEO'S, and any others involved in the airline industry that ENOUGH is ENOUGH with these outrageous FEES!!! I have an ideal, how about if the American Consumer/Public start CHARGING the AIRLINE INDUSTRY for MISSED FLIGHTS, OVERBOOKING, DELAYS, UNION STRIKES and other incidentals due to the FAULT of the Airline Industry itself and NOT from the Publics fault!!! I believe this a FAIR and REASONABLE charge!!! FAIR is FAIR!!! RIGHT??? Let us, the AMERICAN CONSUMER and the one's who are PAYING the Airlines BILLS, CEO'S outrageous Salaries/Bonuses start CHARGING the Airline Industry for Missed Flights, Overbooking, Delays, Union Strikes, etc.etc. and see how THEY (the Airline Industry) like it when the 'cards are turned on them'!!! OR, YOU the AMERICAN PUBLIC can just sit back and be lead like meek sheep and be led by the nose by the airline industry because they know you won't fight back because YOU need them more then they need you! Sooooooooo, either sit back and enjoy the increased FEES (errr..the 'ride') or START FIGHTING BACK people!!!

This is ridiculous. Don't nickel and dime people to death, it is irritating. If the airlines need to raise fares a bit to offset fuel prices, then do it. Customers want to see the full price of a ticket at the time they buy a ticket and compare it to other airlines, not pick a fare and buy a ticket only to find out later there are additional fees. This policy would cost $50 round-trip to bring a kid's car seat, a pair of skis, or other items which passengers cannot leave home by packing lightly. Tell me the full fare the when I am comparing ticket options, and then don't ask me for more money later. Otherwise I will fly with an airline that has transparent pricing.

Place your seatbacks in their original upright position, turn off all electronic devices and fasten your seatbelt. Also pray that your 100# carry-on doesn't fall our of the over-loaded overhead bin.

Carry-on baggage has become absolutely ridiculous in the past decade.

I believe that this was done because of the lawsuit that the skycaps had filed against one of the airlines(American?) recently and won. The skycaps were and are losing out on tips for a number of years now. To add $15 for the first checked bag on top of the $25 for a second checked bag, is ridiculous! I am an over-packer, aka "packing diva", however, I managed to consildate my stuff into one checked bag. Delta has a $3 per bag checked policy right now. I still checked with the skycaps, and paid the fee and tipped them too. I still feel that they do a good job and are not paid enough to get by in these tough economic times. I know that I will not be able to bring everything that I would normally travel with with my carryon. I may consider mailing my stuff to my destination, when not traveling to a hotel or resort. This is going to be kaos!

The "nickel-and-dime" attitude of the airline industries is definitely turning off this travel lover!!! Instead of searching for airline ticket bargains, I will start looking for (stay loyal to) airlines that try to cater to their customers, if even in small ways. While I have often bought the lowest-priced ticket in the past, I will now be more inclined to pay a bit extra (perhaps $15) per ticket to avoid United and its $15 checked bag fee. I know I'll still shell out the same amount of money for the trip, but I certainly don't want to encourage this trend toward a la carte travel. I sincerely hope that other airline carriers (including AirTran, my current favorite) resist this trend.

Seeing that I just flew United to and from L.A. and paid $25 because I had a 2nd bag, I find this at the very least amusing. As I returned home last night I found out that I had paid $25 for the "PRIVILEDGE" to have United in fact lose the very bag I paid them extra for on my return trip. And they wonder how their customer service ratings are below virtually any other industry.

The airlines are simply catering to the business traveler by making it cost extra to check a bag. More power to you, if people will pay it, then charge it. I think business travelers will start cutting back soon as well, so I think the strategy is flawed. They need to start charging what they need to make a profit and let the market fall where it will. First they make the seats smaller, then they cut out snacks, now charging for luggage. Sounds to me like they are desperate. I am voting with my wallet and will not be flying on leisure this year (except for free tickets from miles).

Maybe next they'll add a coin slot on the restroom door so you have to pay to use the facilities in-flight!

Charging for checked bags will only encourage more carry-ons. The airlines are insane. They should charge for oversized/overweight carry-on bags instead and allow one checked bag free.

They should also enforce the rule that your carry on must be in the compartment DIRECTLY OVER YOUR SEAT. Too many times I've seen inconsiderate people seated at the back of the plane put their bag in the overhead at the front so they can grab and go.

If the airlines are going to charge for checking the bag, then the airlines had better take better care of checked baggage and not lose them. In a step further I think the airlines should be held responsible for ALL lost bags and ALL stolen items from those bags

While i agree with most of you on this forum, what kills me is most people will complain about the fees, complain about the fares, complain about the service, complain complain complain. Yet you will all still buy the tickets, pay the fees, continue to be their platinum fliers, and support exactly what they are doing. Stop complaining about it and stop flying United and American and any other airline that imposes fees such as a fee for any checked bag. There are plenty of airlines that don't a la carte travel. Bottom line...stop complaining and do something about it.

United Airlines expects to make how much a year on this birdbrained idea? They forget that they need passengers to make this work. I will NEVER fly United again.......