Every Time American Raises Checked Bag Fees, a Southwest Angel Gets Its Wings

Yesterday, American Airlines announced that it's keeping up with the Deltas, Uniteds and Continentals by jacking up checked-bag fees another $5: from $20 to $25 for the first piece of luggage, from $30 to $35 for the second. To which The Consumerist responded late yesterday with this:If you want to...

By Robert Wilonsky

January 19, 2010

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Yesterday, American Airlines announced that it's keeping up with the Deltas, Uniteds and Continentals by jacking up checked-bag fees another $5: from $20 to $25 for the first piece of luggage, from $30 to $35 for the second. To which The Consumerist responded late yesterday with this:

If you want to check a third bag, you will have to buy the airplane (cash or certified checks only), and if you want to check a fourth bag, you will have to endure a phone call from AA's CEO Gerard Arpey, where he will cry at you and say he doesn't know how to run a company and he's scared. He only made $8.9 million in total compensation last year, so cut him some slack.

The real winner: Southwest, of course, which is mentioned positively in every other comment posted to any story about American's charging for checked bags.

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