United Airlines New Baggage Policy

[Frank]

quote:

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Originally posted by leilanidude

Seems to me it may be difficult enforcing the carry on rule though.
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Not at all. They have already started part of the new policy by forcing anyone boarding in group 4 and 5 to surrender their 20" wheeled bag, at the gate. They tag it and take it straight to the cargo hold on the plane. You are then forced to get your luggage thru normal baggage claim at your final destination.

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are there any fees for this service?

[leilanidude]

There is no fee but your bag that you didn't want to check in the first place, is now taken from you right at the gate as you board the plane and placed in the cargo hold. This means you have to wait for your bag when your flight arrives.

[Durian Fiend]

quote:

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Originally posted by leilanidude

There is no fee but your bag that you didn't want to check in the first place, is now taken from you right at the gate as you board the plane and placed in the cargo hold. This means you have to wait for your bag when your flight arrives.

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I don't think this is the way they intend it to work. One of the expected benefits of this new fare will be to reduce the volume of carry on luggage, which also reduces the need for gate checked luggage. Processing gate checked luggage is a drain on labor and time efficiency.

[kalakoa]

It's almost cheaper (and certainly way more convenient) to mail your luggage to the hotel...

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

The LA Times states that the new economy fare will allow you one carry on, with a $25 fee to check your first piece of baggage. They also suggest that this will not be a lower price fare, but the new lowest price fare. So you can expect to get less service for your fare, while other ticket prices will rise.

Make no mistake: Unless United offers a significant discount for the basic economy fare, this is a price increase. The new fare will become the benchmark, and today’s economy fare is almost certainly destined to rise. Basic economy passengers with suitcases will have no choice but to check them, at a fee of $25 (for the first checked bag).
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/...story.html

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen

[punaticbychoice]

I'm not flying anymore.
So no concern to me.
Jimmy Carter ended the CAB.
CAB was the Civil Aeronautics Board= regulated airline standards and practices.
I love deregulation- don't you?
We are all stuck with it in Hawaii.

[Tink]

Could never understand why somebody needs at least three pieces of "carry on" luggage for a two week vacation, each the maximum size allowed, then have a purse, "man purse" or otherwise the size of a carry on. Why so many outfits and shoes? I learned at an early age one pair of shorts, one swim short, slippahs, three pair undershorts and socks. Dress pants, shoes and shirt you wear on the plane, maybe another dress shirt in the bag. Add toiletries and a sandwich bag of laundry soap to wash skivvies in the hotel sink, good to go. Optional add fins, snorkel and mask, still one carry on. If I need another shirt or shorts, I buy it, and mail it home if it doesn't fit in the carry on with all the requested souvenirs.

Community begins with Aloha

[leilanidude]

Processing gate checked luggage is a drain on labor and time efficiency.
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Actually, it isn't, As you get to the jetway, they scan your ticket, immediately the printer next to it is spitting out the tag for your bag. They attach it and off you go, without your bag. Adds but seconds to each passenger as they go to get on, which is faster than checking the bag at the counter where they take time to weigh it. I have now had it happen twice and it didn't slow anything down.

[Durian Fiend]

quote:

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Originally posted by leilanidude

Processing gate checked luggage is a drain on labor and time efficiency.
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Actually, it isn't, As you get to the jetway, they scan your ticket, immediately the printer next to it is spitting out the tag for your bag. They attach it and off you go, without your bag. Adds but seconds to each passenger as they go to get on, which is faster than checking the bag at the counter where they take time to weigh it. I have now had it happen twice and it didn't slow anything down.

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Faster than checking bags at the counter for you, but as a former airline employee who has worked on both the ramp and as a gate agent, we did not want to be tagging bags at the gate. Gate agent has to take them down the jetway, or at least they're supposed to, and a ramp agent has to come up to get them. This takes them away from their regular duties.
One of the supposed benefits for UA of this budget fare will be more carry on space for the standard class passengers, therefore less need for gate checked bags. Of course, this scheme backfires if an el cheapo passenger does bring a carry on that needs to be checked, because they will be charged for it. That really slows things down.

[Mimosa]

We have in the past when flying to the madland,always FedEx our luggage a week in advance to the hotel of our choice or a family friend near our desired destination.We also always fly stand by and in this fashion ,flights are cheaper and no luggage to contend with,not even a carry on.
May not work for every one,but works for us .
The best day to fly is mid week or after a holiday.
By far the best flight to Europe Via Honoruru is the red eye on Christmas Day.


Mrs.Mimosa