United Airlines to charge for first bag!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25118405/

United Airlines to charge for first bag!

No big surprise there. Once American announced it, I figured it wouldn%26#39;t be long before every other airline started doing the same thing.

It drives me crazy that they site rising fuel prices as the raeson for having to do this. Yeah, fuel prices have recently increased dramatically and are unreasonable, but the airlines have, for some time, started charging for services that used to be included in the price of a ticket while also raising ticket prices as much as possible. Yet the overall service on many of them continues to go downhill.

United Airlines to charge for first bag!

I don%26#39;t travel with much so it is not a problem. I am amazed when I see people checking 4 or 5 bags for a weekend trip. United has been going in this driection for 5 years. They quietly starting charging for bags over a certain weight a few years back.

Whenever possible, I try to fit everything into a carryone suitcase just because I hate the whole process of checking bags and retrieving them. I%26#39;ve learned to pack light over the years. However, when going by car, I still take enough clothes to change five times a day if I wanted to.

When I%26#39;m riding the T, I always wonder about some of those suitcases that people are trailing behind them which are almost as big as my closet. I wonder if they are going away for months or are just trying to be prepared for every whim over a weekend

I%26#39;m not surpised either - once AA did it you knew it was pending. They probably have the same sort rules where it doesn%26#39;t apply to certain travel like international. Article says US air also..... either way, the increase was coming whether it%26#39;s through this means or another since fuel pricing is out of control.

I fly a lot, and I fly almost exclusively United. Long, long ago I made up my mind to never check a bag, not even for an international flight.

United has e-mailed me (because of my Premier Executive customer status) to inform me that I%26#39;m not subject to the new charges. Big deal.

The amount of time I%26#39;ve saved from not waiting for a checked bag, the amount of hassle I%26#39;ve saved from never losing my luggage, and the number of flights I%26#39;ve made on tight connections because I travel light and travel carry-on only is nearly incalcuable...one of the smartest decisions I%26#39;ve ever made.