William P. Hobby Airport

[VicMan]

I really hate this considering current TSA regulation. My bags are usually small enough to be carry-on but if I carry a bottle of wine for a frient, on my wife carries her contact solution (200ml minimal container) we are forced to check bags.

And now - we have to pay???

Exactly. Make a fuss. E-mail and send snail mail.

Tell the airline point blank that it will LOSE good will AND money if it enacts this decision.

[sheeats]

One more reason I stick to Southwest whenever humanly possible.

[editor]

Tell the airline point blank that it will LOSE good will AND money if it enacts this decision.

Lose money to whom? Wasn't Continental the last of the major domestic airlines that didn't charge?

[ssullivan]

Yes. They will check your bag and swipe your credit card at the gate for the fee. I saw it happen on an American flight recently.

At this time, Continental will not be charging for bags checked at the gate. I have confirmed this with a gate agent I know and she assures me that they have been told that they are not to charge customers for checking a bag at the gate because it will not fit on board. However, this is going off the assumption that passengers will continue to show up at the gate with regulation size carry-on bags that should fit. If enough passengers start showing up hauling enormous bags that would never stand a chance of fitting in an overhead bin, I wouldn't be surprised to see Continental start charging. But for now, the plan is to not collect a fee at the gate for checking a bag after boarding has commenced because it wouldn't fit on the plane.

[ssullivan]

Lose money to whom? Wasn't Continental the last of the major domestic airlines that didn't charge?

As it stands now, Delta is the only full-service domestic carrier who is not charging for the first bag. However, I doubt that will remain the case. Delta's merger partner Northwest is charging $15 for the first bag, and I'd be very surprised if Delta didn't eventually adopt that policy.

Among some of the smaller airlines, you can still check one free bag with AirTran, Frontier, and JetBlue.

Amazingly, "no thrills" Southwest is not charging for the first bag or the second bag. Alaska Airlines is the only other domestic carrier who is still doing this.

Yes this fee stinks. But it doesn't affect me at this time due to my status at Continental.

I'm far more upset about today's other announcements at Continental

[tierwestah]

MAN THIS IS WHACK, STR8 WHACK!

[VicMan]

Lose money to whom? Wasn't Continental the last of the major domestic airlines that didn't charge?

This could make people more inclined to fly Southwest, which, as pointed below, still allows for two free bags.

Right now Houston seems balanced between CO and WN - But if there is a loss of brand identity for CO (i.e. loss of "service"), then it makes people more inclined to fly WN.

[rgr]

I have a question. If you bring a "carry-on" on wheels that ends up being slightly too big and they tag it at the gate, do you still have to pay? I'm taking a trip on US Air soon and I was just wondering, because they already have this policy.

i don't know about us air, but for continental, the answer is no.

[rgr]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5985207.html

Continental announced that it will begin charging for the first checked bag in October.

So, why don't we show the airline how silly this decision is by writing letters.

If that fails and October comes, do not check any bags for any reason on the airline. I would prefer that the airline raises ticket costs as opposed to tacking a fee on the passengers.

you can't raise fares. it is well known in the airline industry that people will choose the fare that is less, even if it is only by five dollars. so you end up with ridiculous charges, like this new one.

[editor]

As it stands now, Delta is the only full-service domestic carrier who is not charging for the first bag. However, I doubt that will remain the case. Delta's merger partner Northwest is charging $15 for the first bag, and I'd be very surprised if Delta didn't eventually adopt that policy.

IIRC, Northwest is also the airline that charges a fee so you can select your seat preference (aisle/window).

This could make people more inclined to fly Southwest, which, as pointed below, still allows for two free bags.

That's why I qualified my statement with "major." I've flown Southwest all of once in the last ten years. It simply doesn't go very many places.

[sheeats]

That's why I qualified my statement with "major." I've flown Southwest all of once in the last ten years. It simply doesn't go very many places.

Oh yeah?

Harumph.

[Texas Wahoo]

Oh yeah?

Harumph.

In his defense, I fly domestically a lot and I usually search a lot of sites online to find the cheapest fare. I have yet to get Southwest as the cheapest. And based on that map, they go to almost all of the places I go. For a no frills airline, it seems weird that they're never cheaper to those airports...

[ssullivan]

IIRC, Northwest is also the airline that charges a fee so you can select your seat preference (aisle/window).

Yes and no. Northwest does charge a fee for certain seats, but the vast majority of aisle and window seats are available to all passengers at the time of ticketing without any additional fee. The seats they charge extra for are some of the exit row seats, and some oddball aisle seats that are just like any other aisle seat but a little closer to the front. Northwest never has implemented a charge for across-the-board seat assignments.

The truth of the matter is very few Northwest passengers pay for a preferred seat assignment, as the seats they charge that fee on amount to an extremely small percentage (most definitely 5% or less) of Northwest's total economy class seat count.

In his defense, I fly domestically a lot and I usually search a lot of sites online to find the cheapest fare. I have yet to get Southwest as the cheapest. And based on that map, they go to almost all of the places I go. For a no frills airline, it seems weird that they're never cheaper to those airports...

Price depends on a lot of variables. Generally I find Southwest to be the same price as other airlines in most markets that I would consider flying them to, which isn't many.

And while Southwest is good about hitting most major metro areas, there are a lot of smaller cities they don't fly to, and there are some pretty big cities (Atlanta, New York, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Boston, Charlotte) that they don't fly to as well.

[Watchful]

In his defense, I fly domestically a lot and I usually search a lot of sites online to find the cheapest fare. I have yet to get Southwest as the cheapest. And based on that map, they go to almost all of the places I go. For a no frills airline, it seems weird that they're never cheaper to those airports...

FYI - (you may know this, but not everyone does) - many search sites (e.g., Orbitz, Travelocity) do not show the prices for Southwest - as Southwest does not utilize them.

So - depending on the search you are doing - you may have to visit southwest.com directly in order to see how Southwest compares.

[editor]

Oh yeah?

Harumph.

Say it with me in your best Crocodile Dundee voice...

"That's not a route map."

"Now THAT's a route map"

[editor]

FYI - (you may know this, but not everyone does) - many search sites (e.g., Orbitz, Travelocity) do not show the prices for Southwest - as Southwest does not utilize them.

So - depending on the search you are doing - you may have to visit southwest.com directly in order to see how Southwest compares.

I think Southwest only shows up on one of the big airfare sites. Maybe Hotwire? I don't remember. I do remember being surprised to see it there once since I assumed it was like AirTran and kept its fares to itself.

When I'm going somewhere domestic I usually open the following tabs and compare prices/routes/times/connections for all of them..

• Travelocity (sentimental benchmark, I guess. Wins 10% of the time)
  
• Cheap Tickets (wins 40% of the time)
  
• American (wins 40% of the time)
  
• United (because I'm at a United hub. I don't know why I bother to check because it's always double everyone else)
  
• Southwest
  
• AirTran (if I'm going to the southeast or New York)
  

If I HAVE to get somewhere and just can't find a reasonable rate I'll Priceline out of desperation. I got really lucky this last time. The cheapest I could find ORD-YYZ for the specific dates I needed was $635, but I managed to Priceline it down to $350. I actually ended up with good times, too. I'm amazed. I always fear Priceline because I like more control over the route and times. But as a last resort it sometimes works.

[KinkaidAlum]

The changes to the OnePass program are also what irk me the most.

Additionally, Continental just pulled out of a lot of cities from IAH...Chattanooga, Tallahassee, Oakland, Palm Springs, Abilene, San Angelo, Montgomery, Hartford, Guayaquil, Cali, and a few others are now gone.

Also, we're losing the flight to London Gatwick although we are gaining a trial 3 times per week non-stop to Rio.

[KristinDaugherty]

One more reason I stick to Southwest whenever humanly possible.

Sheeats, those are AWESOME boots the stews are wearing! I wonder if I could get me a pair ... ladies' size 10 narrow, in case anyone has a bunch just layin' around...

[CALMSP]

with so many of our passengers being exempt from the first bag fee, I dont see it being a problem of losing any of our customers. Its well known, that this charge is only geared towards teh people who buy the hotwire, cheaptickets, etc type of tickets who search the internet constantly looking for the lowest fee. With an anticipated increase in $100 million dollars, its well worth this charge!!

[jmancuso]

i hate flying.

[Texas Wahoo]

FYI - (you may know this, but not everyone does) - many search sites (e.g., Orbitz, Travelocity) do not show the prices for Southwest - as Southwest does not utilize them.

I did not know that. I've checked southwest's site a couple of times though, and never got a close price.

[VicMan]

Also, we're losing the flight to London Gatwick although we are gaining a trial 3 times per week non-stop to Rio.

I think we may see some more airlines pull out of Gatwick; because Heathrow is preferred by business, airlines that wanted more Heathrow slots are putting a/c at Heathrow.

[Montrose1100]

The changes to the OnePass program are also what irk me the most.

Additionally, Continental just pulled out of a lot of cities from IAH...Chattanooga, Tallahassee, Oakland, Palm Springs, Abilene, San Angelo, Montgomery, Hartford, Guayaquil, Cali, and a few others are now gone.

Also, we're losing the flight to London Gatwick although we are gaining a trial 3 times per week non-stop to Rio.

I'll have to drive past the airport to double check. I can't believe they don't fly to Abilene anymore... But I haven't seen much air traffic anyways.

[editor]

Just heard on the radio: United is going to start charging $50 for the second bag. That's double the outrage it was already charging.

I've never seen an airline try so hard to get me to avoid it.

[KinkaidAlum]

I'll have to drive past the airport to double check. I can't believe they don't fly to Abilene anymore... But I haven't seen much air traffic anyways.

The flights to Abilene and San Angelo end around the 1st of October. Most other cities listed ended after Labor Day.

Also, the Paris CDG flight is being downgraded from a 777 to a 764 this fall. This will be a bigger deal because Continental has already announced that the 777s, 757s, and new 787s will be getting lie-flat new seats in Biz class but the 767s wont. The only int'l routes from IAH on CO on 777s this fall will be Tokyo and London. Paris, Amsterdam, Rio, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Honolulu all get the 767s.

Where's the love from the hometown airline?

[ssullivan]

Also, the Paris CDG flight is being downgraded from a 777 to a 764 this fall. This will be a bigger deal because Continental has already announced that the 777s, 757s, and new 787s will be getting lie-flat new seats in Biz class but the 767s wont. The only int'l routes from IAH on CO on 777s this fall will be Tokyo and London. Paris, Amsterdam, Rio, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Honolulu all get the 767s.

Where's the love from the hometown airline?

According to the latest timetable, the 777 to 764 switch is only for about six weeks, starting right before Christmas and lasting until early February. At that point the 777 returns. This is probably a reaction to the decreased demand for travel to Europe that always happens in the winter, and the fact that Continental is wrapping up retrofits to the older 777s that involve installing the new on-demand in-flight entertainment system, more BusinessFirst seats, new power ports at every seat, and overhead crew rest areas. They may be taking advantage of the decreased winter demand to speed up the 777 retrofits, and put a 764 on that route, before demand picks back up in the spring. Also this spring Continental has the new Shanghai flight starting which will require a couple of 777s, so it makes sense to get the retrofits wrapped up this winter while there's less demand for those planes.

As for the new BusinessFirst seats, none of the 777s have them now, and none are getting them until next year. It is a small step down from the current 777 BusinessFirst seat to the current 764 BusinessFirst seat, but there are also a lot of frequent fliers who prefer the 767 seat anyway. For economy passengers, Continental's 767s actually have a more comfortable seat than the 777s

[editor]

Speaking of legroom... for those of us who have to fly coach, SeatGuru can be a really useful tool. I keep it open in a separate window when I'm booking a flight. Sometimes leaving an hour earlier or later is enough to get 2-3 inches of extra legroom, or a twosie with the wife instead of a threesie with a stranger.

[ssullivan]

Speaking of legroom... for those of us who have to fly coach, SeatGuru can be a really useful tool. I keep it open in a separate window when I'm booking a flight. Sometimes leaving an hour earlier or later is enough to get 2-3 inches of extra legroom, or a twosie with the wife instead of a threesie with a stranger.

That is a great site. I was a contributor for it when it was first being developed, providing some of the details on the Continental and Northwest fleets. There are a few items on it that are a matter of the site owner's personal opinion but for the most part it's quite accurate.

[houstonmacbro]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5985207.html

Continental announced that it will begin charging for the first checked bag in October.

So, why don't we show the airline how silly this decision is by writing letters.

If that fails and October comes, do not check any bags for any reason on the airline. I would prefer that the airline raises ticket costs as opposed to tacking a fee on the passengers.

I've heard this practice is common on airlines in Europe. Can anyone verify this?

(Personally, I think it stinks and would rather have a slightly higher ticket price as well. I mean, pretty soon they'll be charging us extra fees for wanting an actual seat!).

[ssullivan]

I've heard this practice is common on airlines in Europe. Can anyone verify this?

Yes it is common practice with the discount airlines in Europe. In fact, some of them, like Ryanair, are so incredibly low-service, that they don't have window shades, jet bridges (you walk across the tarmac