Some major airlines, such as Universal Air, began
considering plans to charge passengers by the pound in response to Allegiant Airline's recently-announced
plan to charge up to $35 per carry-on bag.
"It's simple math," stated Howard Fine, a spokesperson for Universal
Airlines, a rival of Allegiant Air. "Heavier passengers cost more to ship
from point A to point B."
In response to questions about consumer backlash over yet another scheme
to increase the cost of airline travel, Fine downplayed such concerns by
stating, "Our new "Pay-by-the-Pound Plan' is much different than the fees
that have recently been imposed by our competitor, Allegiant Airlines. Paying
by weight is not a new idea. The post office has been charging by the
ounce to ship packages for decades. We're simply taking the same idea and
applying it to airline travel."
In 2009, most major airlines began charging substantial fees for checked
luggage--in some cases, up to $60-$70 per bag. Since then, many passengers have
successfully avoided paying those costs by increasing the amount of carry-on luggage
that they take on their flights.
Howard Fine explains, "Fees for checked luggage haven't really worked.
Sure, passengers are checking in fewer bags, but now they are carrying-on a lot
more luggage. It's sort of a game of chess. Airlines make one move, and then
passengers make the next, but in the end the airlines are still carrying the
same amount of weight."
When questioned about Allegiant Air's new plan to charge for carry-on baggage,
Howard Fine commented, "Passengers aren't going to like it, and I don't
blame them. In fact, that's why Universal Air would never impose a carry-on
fee." Fine elaborates, "Carry-on fees seem punitive. It's like passengers figured
out how to get around checked luggage fees, and now they are being punished by
airlines like Allegiant for being savvy consumers."
Yet, Fine remains confident that passengers will view Universal Airline's "Pay-by-the-Pound
Plan' differently, "Carry-on fees are punitive, but charging by weight is
actually beneficial." When asked to elaborate, Fine added,
"Well, it's simple really. Passengers who weigh less will pay less."
It remains to be seen whether passengers will react positively to Universal
Airline's "Pay-by-the-Pound Plan.' However, for his part, Howard Fine
remains upbeat, "If you think about it, it's kind of like Universal is
creating an incentive for passengers to be fit and trim. In a sense, we're
creating a health plan for our passengers."
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