Air Jamaica: pay for extra baggage, which might arrive after your holiday

by Karen Walrond on

You know, I get it. I do. I mean, the economy is bad, people aren’t taking vacations as often as they used to, and so airlines are feeling the pinch. They need to come up with creative ways to make a bit of cash. Of course they do. We all do. I get it.

However.

Something tells me that Air Jamaica might just be shooting themselves in the foot with their latest scheme. According to USA Today, Air Jamaica will allow passengers flying from New York to Grenada and New York to Barbados to check one bag on the plane for free — but the second bag will cost them US$ 25.

But dude, that’s not the best part.

The best part is that this second bag? The one that you’re PAYING EXTRA to bring on the flight? Won’t actually be on your flight. Instead, it will be “transported within 7 days,” and you’ll have to go to the airport to pick up the bag yourself.

Huh?

The airline states that the reason for this new policy is because of “weight restrictions on the aircraft.” Hmm.

Ooooh. Wait, I get it: they’re implementing this ridiculous policy so that no one will want to fly them anymore, and look for alternate routes to Grenada and Barbados, and therefore the planes will be lighter, since they’ll have no baggage or passengers. It all makes total sense to me, now!

Except for, you know, the part where it doesn’t.

10 tips for smarter flying


Misery works: airlines making money on baggage fees

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The one thing nobody says about the “nickel and dime” strategy is that it can work. For the airline industry, charging passengers for extra bags translated to more than $1 billion in lifeblood to a struggling business last year, according to the Department of Transportation. As much as you may hate to shell out that extra cash, last year, it went to businesses that desperately needed it.

Before the financial decay spread to every corner of the business community last year, airlines typically allowed two pieces of checked luggage per person and charged for anything else that followed. Then, United Airlines started demanding that passengers throw down $25 for a second bag, with US Airways following to the tune of $15.

It adds. Up. United brought in an extra $133 million. Delta picked up an extra $177 million. American Airlines wins with $278 million last year from baggage fees. Even Southwest Airlines pulled in an extra $25 million. Rick Seaney, CEO of Farecompare.com, believes that baggage fees could be worth up to $3.5 billion in 2009.

EasyJet tells six year old girl that her teddy bear has to travel as excess baggage

by Scott Carmichael on

It’s amazing what a total lack of common sense can do for your company.

Take for example the story of a check-in agent at Glasgow airport responsible for helping Easy Jet passengers. When 6 year old Amparo Peris-Bordes approched the desk with her mother, this EasyJet staffer told her that she’d have to pay 9 pounds, and send her teddy bear onto the conveyor belt, and into the hold as excess baggage.

For some reason, her mother refused to pay this, so they boxed the bear up, and sent it home with the mail.

EasyJet has of course announced that they’ll review their internal procedures, because nothing says “bad PR” like a smiling girl in the news reporting how mean your airline is.

Buffalo crash pilot lied on job application

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Remember that plane crash in February, in Buffalo? There were 50 fatalities. Well, it turns out the pilot would have lost his job if he hadn’t lost his life. Marvin Renlsow, who was a pilot for Colgan, reportedly falsified his job application by not disclosing two failures on flight tests in small planes. Had his supervisors known, he “would have been immediately dismissed.”

Currently, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether the crew responded inappropriately to a stall warning … as well as Colgan’s hiring and training practices. Among the issues is whether unauthorized chatter among pilots and fatigue played roles in the crash. Renslow’s copilot, Rebecca Shaw, flew from Seattle to Newark overnight, arriving the day of the accident and evidence suggests she wasn’t able to get much sleep that day.

The plane, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 crashed in Clarence Center, New York en route from Newark, New Jersey to Buffalo. All 49 people on the plane died, along with on person on the ground.

Bodypainted Air New Zealand staff and a really catchy tune

by Scott Carmichael on

Yes ladies! After many, many, many airline PR stunts only involving the female flight crew, Air New Zealand have finally made a video showing mainly male employees. The employees are all stripped down, and bodypainted to let you know that their fares have nothing to hide – with no unexpected surprises or additional fees.

Kudos Air New Zealand, and thanks for the catchy tune (sung by New Zealand native Gin Wigmore)!