Sen. Charles Schumer's outrage is understandable. It's galling that an airline would want to charge passengers for carry-on luggage. Last week, Florida-based discount carrier Spirit Airlines announced it would charge up to $45 for each carry-on bag that does not fit beneath the seat. At the same time, Spirit officials also announced they would be cutting most tickets by $40.
Schumer, D-N.Y, has made a plea to the Treasury Department to rule that carry-on bags are a travel necessity, which would make them exempt from a separate fee.
As much as we admire Schumer's gumption, how about letting consumers decide whether carry-on luggage fees are a good business practice?
Spirit officials say planes could fill and empty faster if there were fewer carry-on bags. While that might make one aspect of travel more convenient, a growing number of people schlep their bags with them because of the staggering charges for checked luggage. Others want to skip the waits at baggage claim areas. Competition for limited space in overhead bins is not only a time concern, some passengers have been struck on the heads by items falling out of overstuffed bins and some flight crew members have suffered muscle strains from lifting heavy bags.
Southwest Airlines, which had the lowest rate of customer complaints in the industry in 2009, does not charge for checked baggage. Interestingly, it has outperformed many other air carriers during the difficult recession. Could there possibly be a connection to its policy not to charge for bags?
Clearly, air carriers need to do more to improve the flying experience. A recent Chicago Tribune report said Boeing Co. has redesigned luggage compartments for its line of commercial jets. Seemingly, they will do brisk business as airlines seek a means to alleviate this issue.
Rather than seek a government fix, this problem cries out for a free-market solution. Air travelers are tired of being nickeled-and-dimed every time they plan a business trip or vacation. Something tells us the most effective check against yet more fees will be the traveler's choice of air carrier.