American to charge $15 for 1st bag

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- American Airlines intends to slash its domestic capacity by a range of 11% to 12% in the fourth quarter, grounding aircraft and cutting back its workforce, because of record fuel prices, economic concerns and competition, the carrier's parent company AMR Corp. (AMR:AMR Corporation)
Along with reductions to its mainline domestic capacity, the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline will also begin charging $15 for passengers' first checked bag, the first of any network carrier to do so. AMR said it plans to retire at least 75 mainline and regional planes, including many of its MD-80s and some Airbus A300 planes. The carrier didn't state how many employees would be affected.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/amr-slash-domestic-capacity-adds/story.aspx?guid=%7B50605892%2DC78D%2D418F%2D991C%2D10CDB854BA00%7D

oh, you mean airline baggage...sorry...

Had to think about that one a minute... finally hit me.. lol Little slow this morning.

or maybe not...i don't remember MUCH about 1972 at all...

I travel light.

Somehow I don't see this plan lasting very long. People will just go to the competition.

As if things weren't bad enough: flights delayed and canceled, missed connections because of airline delays, an extra charge now if you want to sit on the aisle or by the window, no leg room, etc. etc.

Now, if you are going on a longer trip or have a family with children, you will have to pay to check your bags.

Remember, too: you can carry only a small zip-loc baggie of things like shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, makeup foundation, etc. Fine for the business traveler or if you are on a 4-day trip. But difficult for those who are staying somewhere longer or who need to take special products with them.

Difficult, too, for older persons to heave their luggage into the overhead bins. Hell, I'm not that old (late fifites), but at 5 foot 2, I can no longer easily heave my bags up there.

Plus, when absolutely everyone starts to carry their bags on there will be no room in the overhead bins, and it will take even longer to board and deplane--clogging up the aisles and causing even further delays.

This is about firing baggage handlers. It's about fewer jobs. It's about eking out extra dough. It's about not caring about passengers' needs even more--if that is possible.

It seems as if every flight I take is becoming more and more like refugees in steerage.

I. hate. flying.

Some manage to get on before most others so they can stuff the overhead compartments everywhere (not just over where they are sitting) with their enormous and multiple carry-ons. Then if you're not one of the first 10 people on the plane, you can't find a place to stow your carry-on postage stamp in first class because some asshole back in the last row has already filled the space above your seat with the Volkswagen he carried on.

Edit: And I forgot the part where you've landed and Fibber McGee rushes to open the overhead compartment above your head before you can get out of your seat. Many's been the time when I was glad to have had a window seat when that happened.