Outside View: Bag fee is a plane ticket increase

The following editorial appeared Friday in the Miami Herald.

Let’s stipulate something from the outset: With the cost of fuel zooming straight up into the wild blue yonder, airlines have to find a way to get more revenue from passengers. Getting rid of the pretzels won’t do the job. But, really, is it necessary to stick airline passengers – or rather, certain categories of passengers – with a mandatory $15 fee for the first checked bag of luggage?

This is what American Airlines wants to do, and we think passengers are about to be taken for a bumpy ride. The fee is American’s way of coping with a genuine crisis in airline costs. At first glance, it seems a reasonable proposition. Most airlines have some sort of fee for checking more than one bag, and bags add weight to the flight, which requires more fuel, which costs more money …

But there are a number of drawbacks to this plan, announced just as the summer vacation season (for those who can still afford a vacation) is about to begin. It’s worth taking a deeper look and considering some alternatives. For starters, checking a bag is more of a necessity than it once was.

Even passengers who want to travel light prefer to check a bag today because only toiletries in small containers can get through security, meaning the rest has to go in a checked bag. Under American’s plan that means an automatic $15 fee, which translates into $30 for a round-trip.

This fee would not apply to those who qualify for elite levels of flying programs, those in first or business class, international travelers and some others. Guess that just leaves the average traveler who takes one or two trips a year, with or without the family, to pick up the bill. Given that American controls 68 percent of passenger travel at Miami International, it seems particularly unfair to those who use that airport.

Why not just call it what it is – a surtax on fuel due to the soaring cost of oil – and tack it onto the price of the ticket? Among other things, this would have the advantage of allowing passengers who want to do some comparison shopping among the various airlines (even if they have to fly out of another nearby airport) to find the best price.

Some passengers may consider the fee on checked baggage as an invitation to carry a bigger bag in the passenger compartment. That way, they won’t have to check anything. Anyone who has been on an airplane lately knows that this is a bad idea, the last thing airlines should encourage.

Everyone is paying more for everything these days, and prices keep going up. Airlines have cut out all the frills, and now they just need more money from passengers to cover expenses. We understand.

The solution shouldn’t be a fee on one piece of luggage. Call it what it is: a fare increase.