[Travelandtourism] Senate Bill Aims to Block Airline Baggage Fees

[Peter Donahue]

Hello Cheryl and everyone,

    Good! It's about time! Perhaps this sentiment is the sign of a new air 
travel model readying to replace the old broken system.

Peter Donahue


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
To: "travelandtourism" <travelandtourism at nfbnet.org>; "Echevarria 
Travelblog" <nera563pipu at post.wordpress.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2011 11:36 AM
Subject: [Travelandtourism] Senate Bill Aims to Block Airline Baggage Fees



By Judson Berger

Published November 22, 2011

FoxNews.com

Airlines would no longer be allowed to charge passengers for their first
checked bag under a bill being introduced in Congress ahead of the holiday
travel season.

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., announced the legislation Tuesday, describing it
as way spare passengers from "unfair fees" while encouraging them to ease up
a bit on the carry-on bags.

"Air travel can be a stressful experience for many reasons, but unfair fees
for basic amenities should not be one of them," Landrieu said in a
statement. "Passengers have been nickeled and dimed for far too long and
something has to be done about it."


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Under the proposal, passengers would be allowed one checked and one carry-on
bag free of charge, provided the bags are within the size limits. Airlines
would also be required to provide free access to drinking water and
toilets -- the senator wants to impose penalties on any airline that fails
to comply.

But the industry described the proposal as a step backward. Steve Lott,
spokesman for the Air Transport Association, said banning baggage fees would
actually be less fair to customers, as it could result in higher ticket
costs that all passengers would bear as opposed to just those who are
checking bags.

"Most in Congress understand that the airline industry was deregulated more
than 30 years ago and the government should not mandate what products and
services a deregulated industry should offer customers," Lott said.

The industry started charging for checked bags to deal with rising jet fuel
costs and a weak economy. According to industry estimates released this
month, the average price of a gallon of jet fuel rose from just over $1
between 2001 and 2005 to more than $3 in late 2011. According to the Air
Transport Association, airfare alone does not cover the operating cost of a
flight.

Lott questioned why Congress would target the kind of fee systems that are
"common practice" in other industries.

"You don't get one free Coke at your hotel when you check in," Lott told
FoxNews.com.

In arguing for the bill, Landrieu cited a recent survey by the U.S. Travel
Association that listed the glut of carry-on bags as the top concern of
travelers.

The survey found more than 72 percent of travelers surveyed said people are
bringing too many carry-on bags through security. The trend is likely a
product of the costly fees for checked baggage. Not only do the extra
carry-on bags clog the space in the overhead bins and lead to long lines at
security checkpoints, they result in added cost for the Transportation
Security Administration.

A Landrieu aide said the security costs are a top issue the senator is
trying to address with the legislation.

"There's an increased cost because of this, for security to scan all these
bags," the aide said.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told Landrieu during a Senate
hearing this past March that the extra carry-on bags translate to about $260
million in added security costs.

But Lott, while acknowledging more customers are bringing carry-on bags,
said TSA was dealing with long lines well before airlines started charging
for checked bags -- thanks to requirements that passengers remove their
shoes and other items at the checkpoints



Read more:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11/22/senate-bill-aims-to-block-airline-baggage-fees/#ixzz1eYEDnqkB



Leading the Way in Independent Travel!

Cheryl Echevarria
http://www.echevarriatravel.com
631-456-5394
reservations at echevarriatravel.com

For daily updates read our blog at
http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com


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