SWA = False Advertising ?? Do Bags "REALLY" Fly Free?

[Poohlovr]

We don't have JB or AT here. When Southwest releases their fares, they are always lower than the legacy airlines, not including the baggage fees the legacy lines are charging.

When you look at it that way, my bags fly free. Even if they are building it in to the pricepoint, what do I care? They are still cheaper.

 

[Glencora]

But this was not always their business model - it's a relatively recent change.

In goofy4tink's defense, I think it is perfectly rational to point out that Southwest includes baggage costs in its fees because other airlines do not. They price those separately. The point is that there's no such thing as no cost to transport baggage - there's a cost to everything. Southwest makes that cost indistinguishable because it's included in the fares. Most other carriers make it readily apparent through charging additional fees.

Actually, yes, it has always been their business model. SW has never charged for bags. They just didn't have to use it as an adverting point until the other airlines started charging. And do you really think that the other airlines woke up one morning and said "Uh-oh, we've been forgetting to charge for baggage all this time. We'll just add on this extra fee now to cover it." It's not that the other airlines don't include what it costs to transport your luggage into their fares - it's that they charge you an extra fee for checking a bag.

Of course there's a cost to everything - but to say SW is charging for bags, is, again, like saying they're charging for FA's. Are the FA's salaries built into the price of the ticket? Of course they are. Does that mean that SW is charging you for FAs?

 

[goofy4tink]

So basically, what you're saying is that if you pay more for a SW flight than another carrier, then the bags aren't free, but if you pay less, they are? Your bags are free on SW because there is no charge to check your bags. Period. These is no difference in the price you pay for your flight if you do check a bag as opposed to if you don't. Other airlines make you pay money when you check your bags. That's "not free."

"SW just buries the price of the baggage into the ticket" is a pretty weird statement - you might as well say that SW charges extra for the FA's, or the emergency oxygen system, but they just "bury it in the price of the ticket." SW has a business model that is completely different from the legacy carriers. That's why they can have bags fly free.

Let me put it another way....airlines have always gotten your baggage fee money. But you never saw it. Now....some ailines need that extra money...so they are adding an addtl fee to cover baggage costs.
It has always cost more to fly a plane fully loaded with baggage...that's pretty obvious. A heavy plane is more expensive to fly than a light plane. So.....the airlines knew how much they needed to charge a passenger in order to cover the cost of all that luggage. In essence, your checked bags, as well as any carryons, were being paid for through your basic fare...no harm, no foul. But now....with the airlines bleeding like crazy, they need more but are hesitant to raise fares too much, so they have added those baggage fees.
I'm sorry if anyone disagrees but we have always paid for our bags..in some way. We had to...it was just a cost of doing business.

 

[goofy4tink]

Actually, yes, it has always been their business model. SW has never charged for bags. They just didn't have to use it as an adverting point until the other airlines started charging. And do you really think that the other airlines woke up one morning and said "Uh-oh, we've been forgetting to charge for baggage all this time. We'll just add on this extra fee now to cover it." It's not that the other airlines don't include what it costs to transport your luggage into their fares - it's that they charge you an extra fee for checking a bag.

Of course there's a cost to everything - but to say SW is charging for bags, is, again, like saying they're charging for FA's. Are the FA's salaries built into the price of the ticket? Of course they are. Does that mean that SW is charging you for FAs?

Of course they are...it's included in your fare. The same as the pilot and the cost of toilet paper in the bathroom. And that's my point. Do you think that those FAs are working for nothing?? Of course not.
Why do you think airlines stopped serving food? Sure you can get food now..but it costs you. Bags are nothing different. The cost of carrying checked bags was always included in your fare. It's all in how you look at it. Again....it is human nature to feel good about something if they can't see the charge. Like I said....DME is put out there as a 'complimentary' service. Really?? So, Disney, out of the goodness of their hearts, are giving us all a free ride to and from the airport??? Doubt it. Disney does nothing out of the goodness of their hearts. It makes good financial sense for them to do this, and they charge every single person staying at a resort for the service. We just don't notice it because it's such a small fee and it isn't itemized. But the money for that service is coming from somewhere.

Same thing with checked bags. The cost for moving those bags is coming from somewhere. It has always been covered by our fares. These new checked bag, and the carryon fees out there, are addtl fees....designed to increase revenue for the airlines.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

SW doesn't handle much cargo. They gave up (or lost) their US mail contract years ago. SW has employees ready to load bags. The incremental fuel required to fly our bags is included in the fare we pay. Passengers who don't check a bag may wind up with a carryon bag almost as heavy as the bag they otherwise would have checked.

That might change when (if) Southwest is able to do a better job selling cargo.

Just as an FYI - Southwest ranks third in all airlines in cargo and gave up the smaller margin mail contract to focus on cargo. United and American are 1 and 2.

They have recently won an award for cargo as well.

 

[Detailor]

The cost for moving those bags is coming from somewhere. It has always been covered by our fares.

This premise is certainly true.

These new checked bag, and the carryon fees out there, are addtl fees....designed to increase revenue for the airlines.

I agree that it's either a way to increase revenues and profits or to slightly offset reductions in fares demanded by the competitive market.

Dick Taylor

 

[phillipst47]

My SW fare is $10 higher than Air Trans would have been. However... last year when I came back from Disney World, I had accumulated souvenirs and stuff and ended up with a sack to carry on. Since I already had my small suitcase and laptop bag I'd taken with me, I had to check my suitcase and paid $15. This year I think Air Trans is charging $25 for checking a bag.

So... personally, I decided to pay the $10 higher fare and check my small suitcase and a larger one, for for souvenirs and stuff I buy, and just deal with carrying on my laptop bag. Plus, my little suitcase last time had to be packed jam tight with only exactly what I thought I'd need for a week. Extra trip stress!

I don't see it as false advertising at all. I'm saving the baggage fees I'd have with Air Trans in the long run.

 

[Miche_503]

I don't have anything to compare it to but noticed the fees in my receipt.

Base Fare $971.16
+ Excise Taxes $72.84
Advertised Fare $1044.00
+ Segment Fee $22.20
+ Passenger Facility Fee $27.00
+ Security Fee 1 $15.00
Total Payment: $1108.20

 

[Tara]

I don't have anything to compare it to but noticed the fees in my receipt.

These are all government taxes and fees charged by airports and Homeland Security. They are not related to baggage.

Base Fare $971.16 This is the airfare price before any taxes or fees - what the airline charges.

+ Excise Taxes $72.84 This is federal tax levied on all airfare. Note that excise taxes are charged on airfare, but not on separate baggage check fees.

Advertised Fare $1044.00 The price of the airfare plus tax.

+ Segment Fee $22.20 This is a federal fee of $3.70 charged for every flight segment. It looks like you have 6 segments - 3 passengers taking a nonstop flight, so 3 segments out and 3 segments back.

+ Passenger Facility Fee $27.00 This is a fee of up to $18 per passenger, charged by the airports. It varies because different airports charge different fees. MCO is $9 per passenger - that's what my receipts always reflect, too.

+ Security Fee 1 $15.00 This is the September 11th fee - it's $1.50 per person, per segment. 3 passengers x 2 segments x $1.50.

Total Payment: $1108.20

 

[TDC Nala]

The bags fly free. You don't. No, it isn't false advertising. They put the increase in price somewhere other than on bag fees.

 

[thumperjr9]

I don't consider it false advertising. With so many airlines charging for bags, they simply are letting the customer know that there is no extra charge for bags....or the bags are included in the quoted fare. The whole concept of add-on (ala carte) fees for bags etc. can be looked at from different perspectives. In the end the total price (fare) is what it is. So when comparing just make sure you consider all extra charges.

For our upcoming trip I watched fares for quite a long time. Because of possible conflicts I wasn't sure if we would be able to go. So, I didn't want to book the air until I was sure. Over about a 4 month period I compared Airtran, Southwest and Jet Blue (for the same dates). The fares were frequently changing and each airline had the cheapest price at different points of time (sorry, does that make sense?) In the end...When I was ready to book our flights, Jet Blue's were the cheapest.

This does make camparing the fares more complicated and frustrating. You have to take into consideration: bags fees, fees for seat assignments at the time of rez (Airtran charges if you want seat assign. before the 24 hour check-in, Jet Blue does not.) Also very important.....even though the intial fare of a non-stop flight might seem more expensive, there are extra airport costs with extra stops. So always check the final price after extra taxes and airport fees are added on!!

 

[jamstew]

SW is almost always cheapest for me, so my bags definitely fly free. On rare occasion, JetBlue might be $10 or so cheaper, but their schedule isn't as good.