United Airlines Plans to Make Itself Less Competitive

Not too many years ago each passenger on a domestic airline flight could check up to three bags, and each bag could weigh up to 70 pounds before any additional charges applied. Sometime after 9/11 most airlines dropped the limits to 2 bags and 50 pounds. I just heard this morning that United Airlines will drop the limit down to 1 bag on flights in which the passenger is flying on a non-refundable coach ticket, the fare used by most flyers. A second bag will cost you $25. A third or fourth bag, $100 apiece.

This is foolish. If you're traveling for more than a couple of days you pretty much have to take two bags, and more and more flyers are carting around large carry-ons which jam the overhead luggage compartments and slow down the boarding process. This will only get worse with the new rule, at least on United should anyone care to continue flying with them.

I'm hoping there will be a passenger backlash against this new policy or else it will quickly spread to the other major carriers. With air fares getting worse by the day and airline performance declining as more flights are delayed and services are cut (we couldn't even get a free bag of peanuts during our January trip to Texas), and increased silliness trying to get through security, we've already gotten to a point where travelers are looking at other options.

If I'm traveling 500 miles or less, I'd rather drive than hassle with air travel.