Baggage Check-In at the Airport: When Free Services Become Fees

Changes at Houston Airport

Recently, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue have quietly begun charging passengers who wish to check their bags at the curbside of Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. This service is no longer free, leaving many feeling frustrated.

Following in American Airlines' Footsteps

This move isn’t just limited to Delta and JetBlue; it mirrors actions taken by American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, which have outsourced this service to a company named Bags, Inc. and started charging fees. This means they replaced higher-paid employees with lower-paid contractors.

Additional Costs for Customers

With this model, they have transformed a cost center into a revenue source. The main issue is that this service is no longer complimentary, and passengers now find themselves waiting in line alongside other budget airlines like Spirit or Frontier, which doesn’t provide a premium feel.

Programs at Various Airports

Delta claims that curbside service is free at most U.S. airports, but in reality, they have outsourced more services than other airlines. Currently, they are utilizing BAGS, Inc. in several locations including Tampa, Houston Hobby, New Orleans, and San Francisco. Some places, like Phoenix, even have a free program organized by the airport itself.

Passenger Confusion

However, when passengers are faced with additional fees for this service on top of baggage check fees, they genuinely feel perplexed. A Delta passenger in Tampa has expressed dissatisfaction with this situation.

Has Southwest Made a Mistake?

Southwest Airlines may have made a significant error by laying off their baggage check staff and opting for outsourced services. While they save on salaries, they might be losing revenue from baggage fees, at least based on my experiences.

Service Fees at Dallas Love Field

At Dallas Love Field, Southwest has now begun charging a service fee for curbside check-in. This has left passengers feeling even more annoyed, as they could previously tip staff there to avoid baggage fees.

A New Business Model

This outsourcing model not only generates additional charges for services that were once free but also creates a paradox: workers at outsourced companies earn less, yet because passengers are now paying for the service, they often don’t tip as generously as they used to.

Another Aspect of Airline Service

American Airlines continues to maintain free curbside baggage service at their airports through their subsidiary, Envoy Air, in Miami. This shows that when airlines handle the service themselves, they can maintain quality and customer satisfaction.

Looking Ahead

However, when airlines transfer services they once provided for free to external providers and shift to new fees, it’s truly disappointing. This trend of charging fees seems to be spreading from low-cost carriers to those previously considered premium, like Delta.