WestJet to charge some travellers for first checked bag

[Frequitude]

I think the baggage fee model is great. The airlines were going to get the revenue anyway, but instead of burying it in the cost of the ticket they now burden the people who actually use it. Now I don't have to pay for someone to bring every shoe they own. User-pay for the win.

Combined with enforcing overhead bag sizes, I couldn't be happier.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Combined with enforcing overhead bag sizes, I couldn't be happier.

Now they just have to start enforcing the "buy one ticket, fit in one seat" requirement and air travel will be even better.

(not sure if I should green text that)

[Byrns]

They should charge for carry-ons and give one free checked bag. The plane would be boarded in no time!

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

I think the baggage fee model is great. The airlines were going to get the revenue anyway, but instead of burying it in the cost of the ticket they now burden the people who actually use it. Now I don't have to pay for someone to bring every shoe they own. User-pay for the win.

Combined with enforcing overhead bag sizes, I couldn't be happier.

Except that's not what they've done. The base price certainly didn't drop by $25 when they introduced the fee.

It was a slimy anti-consumer move from a company I expected better from. But my bruised opinion of them doesn't really effect their bottom line at all.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

Except that's not what they've done. The base price certainly didn't drop by $25 when they introduced the fee.

It was a slimy anti-consumer move from a company I expected better from. But my bruised opinion of them doesn't really effect their bottom line at all.

I didn't really expect ticket prices to go down, its more about preventing them going up (in theory). And I don't have too much trouble with the fee....kinda like the 'User pay' concept, even though it does encourage more carry on.

The thing that DID come off as slimy....

- Get on a Westjet flight. No in-flight entertainment installed. Annoyed.
- They start carting tablets down the aisle. Appreciative.
- Charge a fee for the tablets. Beyond Annoyed.

[Tyler]

It's 2014; almost 2015.

There is no need for inflight entertainment. Honestly. For anyone who can afford to fly, there are really no barriers to being able to entertain yourself on an airplane.

If you don't have a laptop, tablet or smartphone, bring a book. Hell, bring a colouring book.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

I think the baggage fee model is great. The airlines were going to get the revenue anyway, but instead of burying it in the cost of the ticket they now burden the people who actually use it. Now I don't have to pay for someone to bring every shoe they own. User-pay for the win.

Combined with enforcing overhead bag sizes, I couldn't be happier.

Yep. I did a 6 week trip to Asia with only a small backpack and one of these



Whereas my sister in law will take 2 suitcases the size of a refrigerator for a 4 day trip to Vegas. I like being rewarded for putting thought into how I pack

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by Tyler

It's 2014; almost 2015.

There is no need for inflight entertainment. Honestly. For anyone who can afford to fly, there are really no barriers to being able to entertain yourself on an airplane.

If you don't have a laptop, tablet or smartphone, bring a book. Hell, bring a colouring book.

Yeah but in this age of declining seat pitch, and increasing passenger to attendant ratio it sucks to use those options. Seatbacks squash the screen on my 15" laptop in Y class. Tables don't get cleared for a while so during that gap you're not able to watch anything. USB cords running down to charge crap further making things feel cramped...

Having AVOD is so much easier...no loading of movies. Just pick and watch.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

Having AVOD is so much easier...no loading of movies. Just pick and watch.

There's no denying that Air Canada's AVOD works beautifully but at the same time... I don't really care and I can survive without it especially since my flight to Toronto was delayed 30 min because the passengers voted to wait to have AVOD fixed, then I missed my connection.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by Tyler

It's 2014; almost 2015.

There is no need for inflight entertainment. Honestly. For anyone who can afford to fly, there are really no barriers to being able to entertain yourself on an airplane.

If you don't have a laptop, tablet or smartphone, bring a book. Hell, bring a colouring book.

If you aren't going to have an inflight system, give us free wifi instead.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

I think the baggage fee model is great. The airlines were going to get the revenue anyway, but instead of burying it in the cost of the ticket they now burden the people who actually use it. Now I don't have to pay for someone to bring every shoe they own. User-pay for the win.

Combined with enforcing overhead bag sizes, I couldn't be happier.

I think it's an absolute joke. People who don't want to or can't afford the fees will try to pack smaller and carry on their bags. The result will be a shortage of bins for flyers like me who have always packed light. It will be a nightmare during the winter with everyones parkas and overcoats.

Departure times will be delayed with flight attendants checking bags for flyers who couldn't find an empty bin. There will squabbles between flyers when the bin above thier seat is being used by another 4 rows back because their bin was full.

Deplaning will take much longer as everyone stands up and waits as each and every passenger grabs their bags, coats etc from the overhead bin. It's bad enough without the fees and will get much worse with them.

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

Except that's not what they've done. The base price certainly didn't drop by $25 when they introduced the fee.

It was a slimy anti-consumer move from a company I expected better from. But my bruised opinion of them doesn't really effect their bottom line at all.

The Econo fares (only WJ fare with no free luggage) have generally been cheaper than before the bag fee and there are many more seat sales on them than before.

And what Dion is describing hasn't happened.

[The Goon]

My thought is that there should be a fare based on the total weight of passenger plus all luggage, but I can imagine that would be hard to market.

Or, we could reverse the whole thing - charge for carry-on and not checked baggage:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...ticle21792643/

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by The Goon

My thought is that there should be a fare based on the total weight of passenger plus all luggage, but I can imagine that would be hard to market.

Or, we could reverse the whole thing - charge for carry-on and not checked baggage:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...ticle21792643/

My aunt argues this as well. If a passenger weighs 125lbs and is allowed 50lbs, and someone who is 280lbs is allowed 50 lbs; does it make sense to charge the 125 lbs passenger extra for a 53lbs bag, whereas the 280lbs passenger is actually bringing more weight with a 20lbs bag?

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Tyler

It's 2014; almost 2015.

There is no need for inflight entertainment. Honestly. For anyone who can afford to fly, there are really no barriers to being able to entertain yourself on an airplane.

If you don't have a laptop, tablet or smartphone, bring a book. Hell, bring a colouring book.

None of my 2014 devices have batteries that let me watch 8 hours of movies.

The biggest thing for me is the amount of pre-planning involved, and storage. If I'm just bringing my phone, it's so full of music I'd have to move some off to put a couple moves on, and I'd have to look for some movies and have them ready to go in advance. I kind of like scrolling through a list of moves and tv shows I probably wouldn't have ever watched and putting one on and falling asleep to it if it sucks.

[calumniate]

Most 8 hour flights have charging ports as far as I know?

[Bill Bumface]

Good point, if they don't have an entertainment system, having that makes a huge difference. I haven't been on a flight that long with no entertainment system yet.

[JonDuke]

All this talk about lack of TVs, Wi-Fi or any in-flight entertainment.
Makes me wonder how the heck people survived back in the day before those options existed.
Must have been excruciatingly torturous and so unbearable.

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by JonDuke

All this talk about lack of TVs, Wi-Fi or any in-flight entertainment.
Makes me wonder how the heck people survived back in the day before those options existed.
Must have been excruciatingly torturous and so unbearable.

You talk to the people around you...

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by JonDuke

All this talk about lack of TVs, Wi-Fi or any in-flight entertainment.
Makes me wonder how the heck people survived back in the day before those options existed.
Must have been excruciatingly torturous and so unbearable.

Great picture. Wow, look at those comfy seats, all that legroom, and free food....

Anyhow, my point on the inflight entertainment is that it has been a standard, a given, for God knows how long. It's a common expectation at this point. Hell, airlines use their entertainment system as a minor marketing point.

And hey - it's a gear grinder, not much more than that. The reality is that I flew safely from one ocean to the other in a day. That's the key part, I get that.