United Airlines will begin charging to use overhead bins in 2017

[Zorro]

Gone are the days of the free sandwiches, the complimentary pillows, the headphones that didn’t cost $5. The in-flight comforts that were once a given are now nothing more than a nostalgic reminder of decades past.

Out went the free checked bag, in came the fees for those few extra inches of leg room. Want to make sure you sit next to your children on a flight? On some airlines, there’s a fee for that.

Now, on United Airlines, you won’t necessarily get the use of an overhead bin, without paying more money.

The overhead bin: “one of the last sacred conveniences of air travel,” as an angry Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., put it Sunday as he denounced the move.

http://www.denverpost.com/2016/12/06/united-airlines-charging-to-use-overhead-bins/

[Auggie]

1. You thought cheap fares and frequent flier programs came with no strings?

[pinboy3niner]

2. I'll have to pay for a bin I only use to store my carrion?

[rickford66]

13. Are you a vulture?

[Siwsan]

3. Runaway greed.

At one time, I flew 2 to 3 times a year, just to get away and spend time with friends. I loved flying. Cross country, over seas - I loved and looked forward to it. Now I dread the very idea.

I'm flying to North Carolin for my Grandniece's first birthday, this month, and I'm already anticipating hassles, inconveniences and unanticipated charges. They've already switched my return flight, scheduling me to leave earlier than I had planned.

I wish Amtrak was more robust, that's for sure.

[DK504]

4. And that is the reason

I refuse to fly on United ever. They have been fucking the American public for way to long and since 9/11 they have had free range to gouge the entire public. This shit has to stopped.

[malaise]

5. American Airlines are now charging fees for bags

These are not budget airlines - we're being robbed with no protection from anyone - the banks, big pharma, insurance companies and the airlines and we wonder why people are pissed.

[Initech]

8. And nothing short of a revolt will stop the corporate kleptos from taking.

[malaise]

10. +1,000

It is crazy - now they intend to cash in with the carry ons.
No one cares - they have their own jets

[snooper2]

12. They should just make bags free again and raise ticket prices

Pretty damn cheap to fly anywhere these days....

[malaise]

15. They raised the fare and charged for bags

This is not some budget airline

[Initech]

6. I never want to hear another word from the airline industry about profits again.

They've been penny pinching us for years and making billions. And their CEOs get insane salaries every year. Then they go whine to the government about how they just can't make ends meet. Fuck that shit. No more complaining from them. This is the last straw.

[marybourg]

7. The flying public has made it clear

that price is the main criterion for choosing an airline. What can we expect but the Walmartization of air travel? We are complicit in this.

[taught_me_patience]

9. Completely misleading. It is a lower tier of ticket

which just adds more choice to the consumer. This class of ticket would be great for college students going home that already have clothes there and don't need to take anything more than a small backpack.

[TwilightZone]

11. The lower tier won't matter; people price-shop and they'll price it to be competitive with others.

Their "new" tier will just replace the current lowest fare, and they'll charge more for the services that used to be included in that base fare. They've already been doing that for years - Economy Plus, preferred seating, exit rows, more room, blah, blah.

[CrispyQ]

14. I had a boss who FedEx'd his suitcase to his hotel after the 9/11 shit started.

He carried a brief case on the plane & that was all.

[RonniePudding]

16. It's the way to go if you have the funds

I have done it several times with souvenirs purchased on trips and will be looking to do it in the future with luggage, though my new mantra is travel light.

[Xolodno]

17. There are companies that ship your luggage to your room.

Never used them before as the cost of just taking it with me was cheaper than using them.

I don't fly often, but....

This is the kind of thing where now you have to price out your flight+luggage vs. flight no luggage + luggage service carrier.

What the airlines are ultimately doing is trying to segment each cost and trying to create the illusion of a cheaper price.

I was looking at one trip once and the difference between one airline with the other was $20. But what I noticed was the more expensive had a shorter layover time and got me where I wanted to go faster. So for $20, I went ahead and booked it....but then it got me wondering, how many people would book the cheaper without looking at all the options?