Air Canada to Charge for Every Checked Bag to U.S.

[Loves2Read]

Air Canada is now going to be charging $25 for the first piece of checked luggage and $35 dollars for all pieces after that on international flights.

http://news.sympatico.ctv.ca/canada...VNews/20110902/air-canada-flights-fees-110902

This makes me so annoyed.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

This is terrible! I still can't believe any airlines charge for a FIRST bag! The second is at least understandable. So if you need two bags (which I've done going home because I like to shop at Disney), you're paying $60 just for your luggage!!!

 

[Feckless]

And once Air Canada gets away with it, West Jet won't be far behind... That is ridiculous. Who can travel without bags, especially internationally? So, they are upping their fees, but at the counter when you think everything is paid for.

Seriously, I loathe Air Canada anyway and avoid them wherever possible. Porter gets my business whenever I can do it.

 

[grover]

Westjet posted on FB today that they have no plans to charge for the 1st bag. Hope they stick to that.

 

[HeatherLassell]

Westjet posted on FB today that they have no plans to charge for the 1st bag. Hope they stick to that.

Well we as their customers have to hold them to that!

Well and they only say they have no plans "at this time" to introduce the fee.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

If Westjet had more options, I'd fly with them and try them. To fly to Orlando with Air Canada from Charlottetown, you have at least a dozen options of flights. With Westjet, you have two. Usually one flight leaves at 3pm and then gets to Orlando the next day at about 6pm. It's really annoying, because you end up losing a whole day, plus you'd need a hotel in the layover city etc.

 

[Disney Addicted]

Question about checked luggage. I have only flown JetBlue where each person only had 1 suitcase each. So I have not had to pay for luggage before. But we are (were?) considering Air Canada to fly to LA as it has a direct flight.

With the luggage however, would that be $25 for 1 suitcase both ways? Or $25 for 1 suitcase *each* way, resulting in a $50 charge? That makes a huge difference in the # of checked luggage and money.

 

[MedicGoofy]

It's $25 for each flight ticket. So it would cost you $50.

I'm surprised that AC hasn't done this already. They are just doing what pretty much every other airline does. It doesn't surprise me in the least. I would much rather see AC charge for luggage and then lower the cost of their flights. But realisticly, I don't forsee that happening either.

 

[Disney Addicted]

Yikes! That adds up fast. If we brought 6 suitcases for three weeks, then we would be looking at $340. From what I looked at last month, it was already $1,000 - $1,200 cheaper to fly from Buffalo or Detroit. I will be taking another look and see which airlines charges or has the first bag free. Thanks for the answer!

 

[CaligirlPEI]

If Westjet had more options, I'd fly with them and try them. To fly to Orlando with Air Canada from Charlottetown, you have at least a dozen options of flights. With Westjet, you have two. Usually one flight leaves at 3pm and then gets to Orlando the next day at about 6pm. It's really annoying, because you end up losing a whole day, plus you'd need a hotel in the layover city etc.

I so feel your pain Disneyfreak. Im in Summerside and had to book with Air Canada for that exact reason. didnt want to drive to halifax and stay there coming and going then drive home all the way from there. blah... oh well...we have to do what we have to do living here.

when are you going to DW? im heading down sept 25th (23 more sleeps!!!)

 

[CaligirlPEI]

I had just flown to Vegas on Delta and they charge for the first bag as well. it was $25 each way i flew.

when i AC starting this new policy? That wasnt a charge when i booked my flight 3 months ago.

 

[Gigi22]

We use Aeroplan to pay for most of our flights between Canada and the U.S. So far we have managed to scrape up enough points (and fly so rarely) that we mostly fly Business Class, so no fees, yet.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

I so feel your pain Disneyfreak. Im in Summerside and had to book with Air Canada for that exact reason. didnt want to drive to halifax and stay there coming and going then drive home all the way from there. blah... oh well...we have to do what we have to do living here.

when are you going to DW? im heading down sept 25th (23 more sleeps!!!)

I don't have a trip totally in the works. If I can find a good flight, I would do a very short trip around Nov 11th. I am a teacher, so it would have to be really short, leave Thursday night after PD, Friday's a holiday, have Fri and Sat there, then leave on Sunday. Just to see the World at Christmas.

Flights are always an issue from here, but the convenience of flying in and out of Charlottetown is always worth paying a little more to me. It's a lot farther for us to drive to the US for flights too, like some in Ontario and NB do. Oh well!

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Question about checked luggage. I have only flown JetBlue where each person only had 1 suitcase each. So I have not had to pay for luggage before. But we are (were?) considering Air Canada to fly to LA as it has a direct flight.

With the luggage however, would that be $25 for 1 suitcase both ways? Or $25 for 1 suitcase *each* way, resulting in a $50 charge? That makes a huge difference in the # of checked luggage and money.

It's $25 for each flight ticket. So it would cost you $50.

I'm surprised that AC hasn't done this already. They are just doing what pretty much every other airline does. It doesn't surprise me in the least. I would much rather see AC charge for luggage and then lower the cost of their flights. But realisticly, I don't forsee that happening either.

Actually, the AC website states that the $25 fee is actually per direction, so it becomes $50 each way if there are two people.

Yikes! That adds up fast. If we brought 6 suitcases for three weeks, then we would be looking at $340. From what I looked at last month, it was already $1,000 - $1,200 cheaper to fly from Buffalo or Detroit. I will be taking another look and see which airlines charges or has the first bag free. Thanks for the answer!

Ouch! Good luck... Luggage fees are nuts, I really don't like them. We pay to fly, we NEED luggage when we're flying, so it's not fair! Although I'm glad I never flew on an airplane that allowed smoking! EWY!

 

[sjsjbrook]

I have a family of 6, The girls like to have their own bags, but yikes, I think it would be cheaper to ship everything to WDW and back.

I am definately looking at flying out of Detroit and Buffalo now, way way cheaper flights, less tax ( what they are not saying is there will be tax on the baggage fees 15% in Ontario).

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

I'm surprised that AC hasn't done this already. They are just doing what pretty much every other airline does. It doesn't surprise me in the least.

Exactly! We just wondered what took them so long??

 

[LuzzBightyear]

Hopefully the extra $25 will go to ensuring all bags arrive with the passenger all the time...yeah right lol

Seriously though, the extra $25 really isn't a huge deal for me personally, but I do question the logic behind behind AC's decision. The smart thing to do would be to quietly raise fares a bit. With the baggage fee, not only are you going to get more PO'ed customers since the new fee is so visible, but I am certain we will see more and bigger carry-on bags accompanying passengers who will inevitably try to avoid the fee. This will lead to more customers arguing with flight personnel (whether their carry on should be allowed), more cramped cabins, slower getting on and off the planes...essentially much crappier flight experience. Pass on an extra $25 in the ticket price, hardly anyone would notice.

 

[pxlbarrel]

That's what I'm more worried about ... the increased number of cabin baggage. My carry on consists of my camera, camera gear and laptop or ipad. There's nothing extra in it but it's big (still smaller than an allowed roller bag). It's not like I can check it. Now, I'm going to have to worry that people will bring carry on that they normally would have checked just to avoid paying the fee... and I'll be left with a carry on that I can neither check nor put above me in the cabin.

 

[bbangel]

This was a crazy bad decision. It was one of the only reasons to even look at their fares since the US airlines are almost always cheaper even after the baggage fee. The only way this makes sense is if they lower the fares to be more competitive.

 

[glenpreece]

well my next air canada flight on oct 31 will prob be my last unless they are significantly cheaper than westjet next time i go to wdw