Starting today, the Fly.com team will provide a round-up of the day’s top and most interesting stories related to the travel industry. Readers are welcome to post comments and their own favorite stories in the Comments section below. Enjoy!
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Allegiant Air becomes the 2nd domestic carrier to charge for carry-on bags. Beginning today, bags that do not fit beneath the seat in front of Allegiant passengers will be subject to fees ranging from $10 to $30 if paid online; the fee rises to $35 for those who pay at the airport. Spirit Airlines began charging for carry-on bags last year. Read more (at MSNBC.com).
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Virgin America begins flying from Philadelphia today. Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin America, said on CNBC that the quality of service provided by incumbent U.S. carriers is “pretty dire”, and that travelers deserve better and get more when flying Virgin. Taking a shot at U.S. Airways, the airline that dominates the Philadelphia market, Branson noted that U.S. Air offers “no plugs for equipment, no entertainment system” and that Virgin is the kind of airline that people enjoy flying. Virgin flies nonstop between Philadelphia and Los Angeles today, and will offer nonstop service between Philadelphia and San Francisco starting next Tuesday, April 10. Watch the video (at CNBC.com).
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Pinnacle Airlines files for bankruptcy protection, to stop flying regional routes for United and US Airways. Pinnacle Airlines, a regional carrier that operates approximately 1,300 daily flights under “Colgan Air” and other brand names, announced that it is filing for bankruptcy protection. The airline also announced that it will stop providing regional flights for United and US Airways before the end of the year. Given Colgan Air’s spotty safety and training records (including a February 2009 crash near Buffalo, New York), United and US Airways fliers may find this a welcome change. Read more (at The Washington Post).
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Frontier Airlines to stop offering fresh-baked cookies on flights. On a less serious note, Frontier has decided to stop offering complimentary cookies that were baked in-flight. Nonetheless, the end of fresh-baked cookies is still a small degradation of value and service, as the airline plans on replacing the cookies with snacks for purchase. Read more (at Travel Weekly).
Matt Ring 9:49 AM on April 5th, 2012 |
I think all airlines should charge for carry-on bags, but make checked luggage free. Carry-on provides extra convenience for passengers who do not want to wait around at the carousel for their luggage. Plus, carry-on space is limited so by charging for checked bags airlines are forcing passengers to bring everything onboard. This causes major traffic jams in the aisle and leads to more delayed departures.
And no more cookies on Frontier is really sad…that was one of my favorite snacks!