When you fly the little itty-bitty planes like American Eagle, United Express, or Delta Connection (which are operated by a sub-contractor of the named airline) with small overhead bins, they take all but the smallest bags from you at the gate and return the to you at (or near) the gate at the end of the flight. Generally, if you gate-check on a mainline flight (one operated by the named airline itself), you’ll get your bags back at baggage check.
The mainline flights do make exceptions for baby strollers and assistive devices for the handicapped.
Fair points. I use LAX>>other big cities a lot and the gate check bags wind up on the carousel. I’ve been on smaller planes where the gate check bags are left on the jetway or the tarmac. This may even be the case at Burbank, I haven’t had to collect a gate checked bag there recently.
The problem with the current system is that it makes price comparisons very difficult. You sort on price, and find that the supposedly lowest cost flight is higher cost if you feel like taking any luggage with you. And this information is often hidden until you start booking a fare. So for instance a Southwest flight might look more expensive than a United flight, but turns out to be cheaper.
I wonder why the travel sites don’t have you input carry-on and bag information first, and compare on that basis. Perhaps it is because the airlines would object.
As other have noted previously, if you don’t need the bin space, there is no reason to cram yourself into the plane any sooner than you need to.
Our plan was to get the credit card that the airline that we use 95% has. We refuse each and every year to play the annual fee, and each and every year they waive it. We check one bag for free due to the credit card, and carry on my one small backpack that is only 50% full. There is always bin space for this one small bag. And even though we can get onto the plane sooner because we have the credit card, we inevitably wait until the end so we spend less time on the plane.
Just one instance where we have chosen not to enter the rat race.
Yeah, but that’s not the same as gate checking. Some of the others clarified it above. I use the valet checking on small planes like the little Embraers because I get it back on the bridge. But when on a full sized airplane, “gate checking” simply means checked luggage, taken at the gate.
This is in fact the point. It’s Expedia’s fault; or Travelocity’s… or…
Basically, people tend to book based on the lowest price online in the travel sites, and a dollar or three makes all the difference. So airlines price their tickets as low as possible, then try to make up for that in secondary charges: seat selection, luggage, boarding priority, overhead bins, meals, drinks, leg room…
famous episode where the boss accidentaly hit “Reply all”:
No surprise that thes secondary charges ar a major revenue source for airlines now.
I was looking to go away next month. I won’t take Southwest because they don’t have a direct flight & the connections will take about the same, or even longer, than driving. By driving I can take what I want, not be subject to body cavity searches, & be on my own schedule.
American has direct flights but Expedia only has cattle (officially “Basic”) class & first class. Cattle class doesn’t let you book a seat & I am way to tall to sit in a middle seat. American’s own website has a “Main Cabin” class; however, I still can’t tell if I need to pay extra for seats in that section (their wording say I ‘may’) & you don’t even get an option for doing that. I might get one after I enter my information. Uh, no. I want to know how much it will cost me before I decide if I want to book it.
So now I need to waste time on phone because they’re sneaky & underhanded. :mad: