Spinning stories from airline
baggage fees
Last a week a friend nipped out on her lunch hour and returned with a new piece of carry-on luggage in hand.
“It’ll pay for itself in less than three trips,” said the frequent flyer.
Airline fee hikes, at first a nominal nuisance, are starting to pinch even upscale travelers. At the $25 a crack ($23 if you pay online) announced earlier this month by the likes of Delta Air Lines, Continental Airlines and others, checked luggage on a round trip for two people can cost $100 – or more if the group checks any additional grips.
In some ways the a la carte pricing is good for consumers and theoretically keeps down travel costs for those of us who fly light and don’t want a $5 pack of M&Ms or Pringles. Although the checked-bag rigmarole strikes me as counter-intuitive – wouldn’t you want to encourage people NOT to clog the aisles, under seat areas and bins with a lifetime of possessions? Faster, more efficient boarding would ensue if we were charged for overhead bags rather than cargo-hold luggage. Maybe an air transportation economist at your area business school or consulting firms can shed some light on the pros and cons.
By Flickr user Practical Hacks
At any rate, a business story about luggage coping skills might be in order. Are sales of smaller duffels on the upswing at department stores and online? Are airport shops filling the gap with totes and gadgets designed for easy stowage?
To report this story, I’d go through flight attendant unions and speak to on-board crew for their candid opinions of the new policy. They might not be willing to talk on the record but if your news organization’s ethics policy allows, you might get some pithy anonymous quotes. Gate agents and other staffers also will be a gold mine of news and opinion, and worth the effort to track them down. Start with your local chapter of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants and whatever other labor groups serve crew in your area.
Another tip: Flight crew often are based in one city but actually dwell in another. They often group up to share transient housing at motels and inexpensive apartment complexes near the airport. If your turf includes an airline hub, do some meeting and greeting at the restaurants, bars and residential compounds near the airfield; you might develop some long-term sources among pilots and FAs for future airline coverage.
Back to baggage: Some of the ground-crew handlers are unionized, as well, and those groups may have a stance, opinion or story leads about the efficacy and safety of the new fee-based policies.
And from a pocketbook and convenience category, seek out frequent travelers by networking near home or by contacting organized groups such as the (admittedly biased) Association for Air Passengers Rights. Local travel agents, a dwindling but still active group, may also be able to talk about strategies and caveats.
