[travel] Airlines Raise Baggage Fees
Forget the number of carry-on pieces and the long lines. Air travel is about to get more interesting as US Airways joins United in charging
extra for a second piece of luggage.
Consumers quickly (and too easily) rolled over for weight limits on buggage that continued shrinking. Two major US carriers are now saying that they will charge extra for a second piece of luggage,
even on international flights.
While I've taken plenty of one or two day international flights for business, I can't imagine that carrying a second piece of luggage if I travel to Europe or the islands is going to cost me more.
But it is. The new rules go in effect May 5, coincidentally just in time for peak travel season.
Labels: luggage, travel, United Airlines, US Airways
Airlines Slip On Timely Performance
The nation’s largest airlines recorded a rate of on-time flights this past March that was higher than in February but down from the rate posted in March 2006, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
The 20 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 73.3 percent in March, down from March 2006’s 76.1 but an improvement over February 2007’s 67.3 percent.
Special jeers for U.S. Airways. According to the government agency, the airline had by far the lowest on-time rate at 55.5% (JetBlue was next with 63% -- that's a huge difference). Even more astonishing was the performance of several US Airways flight. The survey found that one flight between Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport to New York -- a flight with direct competition from Delta's "shuttle" was late 100% of the time. That's right, every single flight. Here are the worst five flights and the top 3 overall performing airlines:
Most Frequently Delayed Flights 1. US Airways flight 2188 from Washington Reagan National to New York LaGuardia –
late 100 percent of the time 2. ExpressJet Airlines flight 2575 from Newark, NJ to Pittsburgh – late 96.15 percent of the time
3. Comair flight 5274 from Boston to New York JFK – late 96.00 percent of the time
4. US Airways flight 836 from Boston to Philadelphia – late 95.00 percent of the time
5. US Airways flight 834 Charlotte, NC to Buffalo, NY – late 92.86 percent of the time
Highest On-Time Arrival Rates 1. Hawaiian Airlines – 93.9 percent
2. Aloha Airlines – 93.2 percent
3. Frontier Airlines – 84.8 percent
Labels: airline, travel, US Airways
