United to try checked luggage buffet

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Do you always travel with two bags to check? Some people don’t travel light, and they know that, in this new world of airline fees, they’re going to have to stomach an extra charge as a result. Under a new United Airlines plan, you’ll be able to “subscribe” to extra bag privileges. Instead of paying $20 for the first bag checked and $30 for the next one, you can shell out $249, buffet-style, and enjoy a full year of checking two bags.

This works for both domestic and international flights. The program pays for itself after a mere five trips. So, if you’re a road warrior or just like your vacation time, this could be a smart program for you.

But, don’t get too comfy: United is calling this an “introductory price.” If the program works well, expect your breakeven point to creep a bit higher next year.

Passenger’s bathroom dash causes panic on United flight

by Alison Brick on

You know when you’ve just downed your water bottle before reaching airport security? And you didn’t have time to use the airport bathroom? And then the plane is delayed on the tarmac?

Yeah, even then…don’t use the airplane toilet before takeoff.

One passenger learned the hard way yesterday. United Flight 22 had already left the gate at Los Angeles International Airport, but hadn’t taken off yet, and the man needed to use the toilet. But of course the fasten seat belt sign was on and a flight attendant told him to sit down.

He got up and ran to the toilet anyway.

I could easily imagine that happening. In my mind, it’s more of a personal emergency and not a threat to public safety.

But apparently, the flight crew didn’t think so. The plane was brought back to the gate. Once there, the man was escorted out, and the other passengers were let off the plane. Then, the plane was searched.

What did they find? Nothing. Nothing on the plane. Nothing in the man’s luggage. Nothing but proof that the passenger really needed to use the toilet.
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People like to fly during the holidays – and the airlines want to exploit that

by Scott Carmichael on

The airfare specialists over at Farecompare.com came across something rather unsettling a couple of days ago. When looking at the fares airlines loaded into the various booking systems, they noticed that American Airlines started adding a $10 fee applied to all flights on the Sunday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 29) and Jan. 2 and 3.

Shortly after that, United Airlines pulled the same stunt, followed by Delta Airlines. Essentially, this “Miscellaneous surcharge” is a way for the airlines to make a huge amount of money on the days people need them the most.

It may not be as pathetic as the new British Airways seat selection fee we wrote about, but it comes pretty damn close.

These holiday tickets are historically the most expensive of the season, but making all that extra cash isn’t enough for the airlines. The only way to stay away from this bogus surcharge is to avoid the three days mentioned above, or to pick an airline that has not (yet) chosen to climb on board the silly surcharge bandwagon.

Flying for the rest of the year – fewer seats, higher fares

by Scott Carmichael on

As the financial brainiacs of the world slowly start to see some gradual improvement in the global economy, the worlds airlines are pushing through some far reaching changes to their Q4 2009 schedules.

Because the recession hit the airlines so suddenly, none of them were able to make any major cuts to their schedules (these schedules are set in stone in advance).

Overcapacity has meant that 2009 was actually a very good year for passengers, with some of the lowest airfare we’ve seen in years.

Of course, now the airlines are looking at their new schedules, they are making sure that the overcapacity is a thing of the past, and that means trimming the schedule.

Obviously, fewer seats means more people fighting for the cheapest seats, which will naturally result in higher prices. The schedule cuts will bring airlines back to the levels post 9/11.

According to an AP report, American Airlines will be hit the hardest, with a 10.5% drop in passenger miles on its domestic routes. United Airlines is hit equally hard, with a 9% drop. It isn’t all bad news though – JetBlue expects a modest increase in passenger miles for the rest of the year.

Bottom line is – don’t expect any more amazing fare deals any time soon and think about booking early, because flights are probably going to be filling up pretty quickly.

(Image from Flickr, stevelyon)

United Airlines follows the competition – also offering double elite miles

by Scott Carmichael on

Several days ago, Grant wrote about a new promotion from American Airlines, offering double elite qualifying miles. It was only a matter of time till the next airline followed – and United Airlines did just that.

Between September 3rd and December 15th (which just happens to match the American Airlines dates), you’ll earn miles twice as fast on United Airlines. These miles are not redeemable though – they only count towards your yearly number for elite status.

This means you’ll be able to reach Premier level with just 12,500 miles, or 1K with 50,000 miles. The promotion is not automatic, so head on over to their promo page and enter your Mileage Plus number.

If you fly a lot of short flights, you can also opt to earn double earning segments – but you can only pick one of the two, miles or segments, so pick wisely.

If you have any travel coming up this year, I highly recommend signing up for all these promotions – even if you end up falling short of the requirements, they can’t be applied retroactively, and it only takes a few minutes to enter your information.