In the past, we’ve written about reasons why people complain about airlines. For example, see Another United PR Disaster: You Can’t Make This Up! For this post, we look at two factors in airline dissatisfaction: baggage fees and lost luggage.
Baggage Fees and Lost Lost Luggage: Two Factors in Airline Dissatisfaction
Since 2010, airline baggage fees have skyrocketed. At the same time, lost baggage remains relatively low. [So, it doesn’t matter unless Your luggage is involved.] So one thumb’s down. And one thumb’s up.
Baggage Fees
According Niall McCarthy, writing for Statista:
“All travelers hate baggage fees and U.S. airlines have been steadily increasing them for years. New data from the Bureau of Transportation reveals just how much they’re stowing away and it’s a lot. Last year, total baggage fee revenue among 11 major carriers in the U.S. totaled $4.9 billion, an increase on $4.6 billion in 2017. A whole host of airlines continued to put up their fees in 2018 including America, United, Delta, and JetBlue. Back in 2010, those same 11 airlines made $2.3 billion from baggage fees, less than half the 2018 figure.”
Lost Baggage
“After a long flight across the United States, there’s no greater annoyance and inconvenience than waiting by the baggage carousel in vain, only to find out that your airline has misplaced your suitcase. The good news for American travelers is that less bags are being lost .”
