re: Southwest ending free checked bags

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30+ pre boarders is a gross exaggeration

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Dude, I have flown SW twice in the past few weeks! There were certainly 30+ people lined up for this. These were both Vegas flights.

Maybe on your routes from Bumfrick to Bumfart, there aren't this many, but on major routes, they certainly get into the dozens.

When I fly solo I agree with you, there are much better options that I can get by with. But for family travel for the 3 of us they have been the best option nearly every flight we've booked. I generally don't check a bag unless we are gone 5+ days. But I do like to sit together, which is great with family boarding. I don't care if it's the back, the front, the exit, or wherever, doesn't mean much to me. But you want that on another airline? That's a fee. Want a carry on? That's a fee. X3 it adds up. Headed to Disney? Gonna need to check at least one bag. That's a fee. For those of us filthy casuals and infrequent flyers without status and with little ones, the old Southwest policies, while outdated and I can admit aggravating for alot of others, were nice to take a little of the stress out of travel. When I booked my ticket, I knew I wasn't getting a luxury experience, but I also knew I wasn't going to be surprised at the airport with baggage fees and I'd get to sit with my family. With those factors in mind, Southwest consistently saved me at least $100 per ticket. Time will tell how this will affect future pricing.

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I can check one bag for a months long stay in Europe

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So you go months without washing clothes?

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Serious question, why in the world do you like their 'open seating policy?"

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I’ll answer. It’s easy and quick, and you aren’t charged extra for selecting your preferred spot like other carriers do. Sorry you can’t remember to check in 24-hours before your flight.

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I’m not worried about it. I only fly Spirit

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Besides the amount of flights and destinations, Spirit will be eating Southwest’s lunch.

Southwest’s decision could save Spirit from bankruptcy.

Once you factor in the baggage fee of Spirit and their fares, they are still cheaper than Southwest’s rates with out the bag fee.

There are laundries all over. Even though work would pay 4 Euro per pair of socks to do it in the hotel, I dropped my bag of dirty duds at a laundry 50m from the front door and had them do the bag for maybe 10 Euro, mostly gym clothes. Besides, do you now how many pairs of micromodal fiber underwear you can stuff in a tiny space? Same with undershirts, etc. You don't need to launder dress shirts and slacks every day with the proper undergarments, either.

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Serious question, why in the world do you like their 'open seating policy?"

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I check in exactly 24 hours before and am almost always in the A group. I get on the plane much later with other airlines almost always. I was on a united or American flight the other day and there were NINE boarding groups. What the frick? How is that better? Felt like a Key and Peele skit.

I’ve just never had an issue with it. Other airlines make you pay to sit anywhere but the back it seems.

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Charge exorbitant fees for carryon and make checked bags free. All of the BS with boarding is now solved and the airline makes more money

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Uh, one teeny-tiny problem with your theory: right now who pays the people to handle the carry-on luggage to get it from Point A to Point B of a flight?

HINT: (Nobody, the passengers each handle their own carry-on baggage for FREE)

In your scenario, not charging for checked luggage would drastically increase the number of pieces of luggage handled by the airlines at check-in and also increase the number of folks who handle baggage and force airports to enlarge their entire baggage handling systems and operations. Who pays for all those additional people AND equipment? The flying public pays for it.

tl/dr: Reversing the rules on the current status of what luggage flies free would cause more new problems than it would solve present problems.

Remember that checked bag fees were enacted after 9/11 to defer the costs carried by the airlines for "Temporary" enhanced security. When it comes to price increases, nothing is temporary.