[Travelandtourism] AirTran quietly raises bag fees, but we couldn't let them get away with that, could we?

[Peachtree Travel]

by Peachtree travel on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 9:57am.

after September 1, so that first bag will soon cost you $20 instead of $15. 
The fee change affects tickets booked on or after today.

The second checked bag remains at $25.

It appears the airline did not put out a release or otherwise make public 
mention of the fee increase. Instead, it placed a link on its homepage 
directing people to "learn more" about "new checked bag policies." This, in 
my opinion, is the absolute bare minimum of effort to notify customers of a 
policy change that will cost them a few more bucks. Airlines rarely give 
more than 24 hours notice before these changes take effect anyway, but 
clearly AirTran is trying to muffle any bad press due to the fee.

At $20, AirTran's fee is still on the low end compared to its competitors, 
most of which charge $23 to $25 for the first bag. Because of this, I don't 
really expect AirTran's move to set off a massive wave of fee hikes, though 
it bears watching to see if other airlines follow suit. You can track all 
the airlines' fees with our Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees.

Readers, what do you think about AirTran's new fee? Do you think airlines 
have a responsibility to communicate their policy changes better?

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