I finally managed to make it home for the holidays. This is despite almost missing my connection in Denver due to aircraft maintenance issues and having lost luggage upon making it to Toronto. However, it is a busy time of year. These issues are somewhat expected and I am trying to remain positive about the whole thing. However, there is another matter that struck me as odd.
I flew with Air Canada, whose partner carrier for American domestic connections is United Airlines. United, like many american carriers, started charging $15 for the first checked bag last summer. Many of you probably recall that the justification for the fee increase was the rising cost of fuel. Sure enough, when I checked into my flight early yesterday morning, I was charge that additional fee for baggage that was ultimately lost. The lost bags are a hassle but what really got me was the fact that the cost of fuel has fallen recently and by quite a bit.
The price of fuel has only recently started to fall and it may take a while for the airlines to offset the time period increased cost. I also fully expect fuel costs to shoot back up in the near future but, if it remains low and the baggage fee was meant to offset it, the airlines should revoke it in the future. I‘m going to make it a point to mention this every time I am charged for checking a bag.
