Wednesday, April 15, 2009

US Airways Checked Baggage Fees

I should have expected it, but it disappointed me nonetheless. Yesterday I called US Airways Silver Preferred Customer Service line -- the line that is reserved the more frequent traveler, and I had this conversation:

Are there any exceptions to customers who are required to pay checked baggage fees?

Um, I'm not sure...

What about First Class passengers, or Dividend Miles Preferred members?

Oh, okay. I don't know about those. But please let me check.

[Seven minutes on hold; I hung up.]

This morning I simply searched for "US Airways checked baggage fees" and found a single page that laid out the whole policy, including exceptions, and found my answer in a few keystrokes. Yes, First Class passengers and Dividend Miles Preferred members ARE exempt from all checked baggage fees. And there are a bucketful of other exceptions.

Ah, the airlines' customer "service." I really hope that survival of the fittest works its magic in this industry.