Jim, good thoughts but let me clarify:
1. The charge I suggested is for the “convenience†of brining a bag aboard the aircraft in addition to a personal item, in the land of lower fares, the customers that are paying for a discounted seat should pay for the additional convenience. This rule would not apply to Chairman Pref. and full fare paying customers such as you. There would be plenty of room (for a bag) for these special customers who sometimes run late.
2. See answer 1.
3. The charge is handled at the ticket counter or podium in the terminal not on the a/c.
4. The overhead bins on the 737-300/400 are the same bins on the 757 and will accommodate a 24 in roller board as long as it’s not an older Tumi or the type of bag that has the extended feet on the bottom. Tumi have the carry handle on the top that does not retract or give much preventing the door from closing. All the over head bin doors are curved to accommodate the luggage turned as long as it does not extend past the side of compartment. You may have to lift the bag a little to get the door under the edge of the luggage, but the door will close.
Again, I say let's give this a try, if it doesn’t work we can always go back. But I think everyone will be very surprised and pleased at how fast you get a seat and get off the a/c if we limited the carry-on’s.
Andy,
Unfortunately, I just don't agree that charging
EVERY customer to bring a carry-on is the answer. As many have already pointed out, until we are able to deliver checked bags with a better degree of
reliability, putting more checked bags into the system is not a good idea. What we need to do is
PROVE to our customers that we are reliable, not only in OTP but in PAWOBS. Once we have achieved top tier status in
ALL DOT statistics then customers will feel less apprehensive about checking their bags.
If you look at some of the things that are floating around the industry, you will see that the
LEGACY carriers are trying to find a way to nickle and dime customers for everything. AA is testing charging customer per checked bag. NW is testing charging customers for "premium coach seats". Nearly all airlines are charging for meals in coach. Headsets, alcohol - charge, charge. There is even talk of charging for the sodas and juice that we serve. So where exactly is the benefit of flying so called "full service" airline? For the miles? Please....I can use the money I was going to have to pay to check a bag, carry a bag, have an aisle seat, eat a meal, drink a rum and coke and watch a movie to pay for my next trip.
What you have to look at also is the incrumental costs associated with having more bags in the system. Carry on bags move them selves from plane to plane. Checked bags don't. Toss another 40 bags per flight to the system and what will happen? You will have to hire more rampers to move the bags, purchase more carts to move the bags in, longer turn times since cargo loads will increase, increased weight and balance issues since carry on bags are figured into the passenger weights. (if someone doesn't carry on a bag, it doesn't reduce the passenger weight figured for that customer.)
So if the objective is to reduce the number of cabin bags, how are you going to pay for the increased costs of the additional cargo bags?
Personally, I don't like the idea of charging for aisle seats and checked or carry on bags. Where does the nickle and dimeing stop.....
