AA will now bring your checked bags to you for a $30 fee per bag. Thoughts.
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/0...es-to-offer-home-luggage-delivery/
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RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
Interesting concept, and $30 actually sounds quite low.
I wonder how this is supposed to work at international stations - where you're technically supposed to clear customs/immigration formalities with your checked luggage.
I wonder how this is supposed to work at international stations - where you're technically supposed to clear customs/immigration formalities with your checked luggage.
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RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
| Quoting MEL (Reply 1): I wonder how this is supposed to work at international stations - where you're technically supposed to clear customs/immigration formalities with your checked luggage. |
I would imagine this service wouldn't be available on international services.
An interesting concept, however the cost of delivering bags is a tricky business. Is AA using their own equipment and personnel to accomplish this? I know bags get delivered all the time when they miss their flights, but the distance from the airport can vary from 10 miles, to over 400 miles if you really think about it. IMO, this service won't help if the service only costs $30 per delivery. Although I'd imagine AA has a system in place to estimate the cost.
My family and I had UA misplace our bags when we flew into SYR several years back, and we were driving north to Canada. Sure enough they delivered it, but I know $30 didn't cover the cost.
Just my 2 cents....
ALL views, opinions expressed are mine ONLY and are NOT representative of those shared by Southwest Airlines Co.
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- PlaneAdmirer
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RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
Other carriers have been doing this for years.... United for instance in 2007 began a door to door service.
UA often have promotions where its cheaper to ship your baggage ahead of time then check it at the airport. Its often a win-win for the consumer and airline. Consumer saves money, and airline never has to see or handle your bag on the plane.
p.s.- UA does this in association with FedEx.
[Edited 2012-08-07 16:50:20]
UA often have promotions where its cheaper to ship your baggage ahead of time then check it at the airport. Its often a win-win for the consumer and airline. Consumer saves money, and airline never has to see or handle your bag on the plane.
p.s.- UA does this in association with FedEx.
[Edited 2012-08-07 16:50:20]
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- AirlineCritic
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RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
Interesting. Wonder if it works out.
FWIW, I fly a lot on OneWorld (enough to be their highest tier FF) and some of it on AA metal. I've only made one (1) trip where AA did not lose my luggage on some segment, in all other cases they lost it. That being said, staff attitudes seem to have improved with the bankruptcy, and at least now they listen to your problems and are nice. And don't lose the luggage for weeks, only for hours or days. An improvement!
FWIW, I fly a lot on OneWorld (enough to be their highest tier FF) and some of it on AA metal. I've only made one (1) trip where AA did not lose my luggage on some segment, in all other cases they lost it. That being said, staff attitudes seem to have improved with the bankruptcy, and at least now they listen to your problems and are nice. And don't lose the luggage for weeks, only for hours or days. An improvement!
RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
I love the concept and for once an airline is charging for an actual amenity, rather than a basic service. Personally, I can think of many trips where I would have paid a fee in advance to have the bag delivered to me.
If they do they sure do a lousy job of advertising it. I will admit, I've flown UA, maybe, 6 times in the past 4 years (not counting CO), and I've never seen this service advertised. Could be because I'm an idiot, but when offering something for sale, it has to be sold to the lowest common denominator - idiots.
The news article you quoted says the service starts at $30, so we have to assume that's the base rate and the further out from the airport the delivery is then the more it costs. Still a valuable service.
| Quoting LAXintl (Reply 4): Other carriers have been doing this for years.... United for instance in 2007 began a door to door service. |
If they do they sure do a lousy job of advertising it. I will admit, I've flown UA, maybe, 6 times in the past 4 years (not counting CO), and I've never seen this service advertised. Could be because I'm an idiot, but when offering something for sale, it has to be sold to the lowest common denominator - idiots.
| Quoting MEL (Reply 1): nd $30 actually sounds quite low. |
The news article you quoted says the service starts at $30, so we have to assume that's the base rate and the further out from the airport the delivery is then the more it costs. Still a valuable service.
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RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
| Quoting AirlineCritic (Reply 5): FWIW, I fly a lot on OneWorld (enough to be their highest tier FF) and some of it on AA metal. I've only made one (1) trip where AA did not lose my luggage on some segment, in all other cases they lost it. That being said, staff attitudes seem to have improved with the bankruptcy, and at least now they listen to your problems and are nice. And don't lose the luggage for weeks, only for hours or days. |
I have flown 70,000 miles on AA in the last 12 months and have checked a bag 98% of the time. I did not have lost or delayed bags at any point during that time (knock on wood). AY was actually the last airline to misplace of my bags, about 18 months ago. Sorry you've had so much bad luck with yours ....
" Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness ... Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. ” - Mark Twain, 1869
RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
| Quoting AirlineCritic (Reply 5): Interesting. Wonder if it works out. FWIW, I fly a lot on OneWorld (enough to be their highest tier FF) and some of it on AA metal. I've only made one (1) trip where AA did not lose my luggage on some segment, in all other cases they lost it. That being said, staff attitudes seem to have improved with the bankruptcy, and at least now they listen to your problems and are nice. And don't lose the luggage for weeks, only for hours or days. An improvement! |
I don't think this service will improve your lost-luggage rate, it appears to be a service to allow you to circumvent the hassle of waiting and collecting your bag at the baggage carousel area. Which means if the airline loses your bag as they have in the past, the service will not be able to "personally deliver" it, and you will still be SOL.
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- DocLightning
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RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
| Quoting airlinespotter (Thread starter): AA will now bring your checked bags to you for a $30 fee per bag. Thoughts. |
Depending on where I am going and my timeline, that might actually be a very good deal.
I'm going somewhere for a business trip for a week, so I need to check a bag. I fly there, walk off the plane with just my day's change of clothes. Go to the hotel, freshen up, go to my day's meetings, and when I get back, my bags are waiting for me. That's totally worth $30 to not have to stand next to the luggage carousel for up to an hour waiting for my luggage if it's a large aircraft.
| Quoting redflyer (Reply 6): If they do they [UA] sure do a lousy job of advertising [their door-to-door service]. |
I've seen ads for it on video-equipped flights. The trouble is that it's almost $100, IIRC. That's a bit rich for my blood.
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RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
In May, United had a promotion when it was mere $25 per bag.
There was a news story at the time that suggested people ship their bags ahead, as the airport fee was $60 for 2 domestic bags compared with $50 shipping it.
I know several folks that have done it over the years. With UA's program Fedex does it all for you door-to-door. Your bags can be at your hotel waiting for you when you arrive.
Oh, and you can do this directly yourself without the airline. DHL, UPS, even USPS, and several other shipping companies have special rates for luggage.
There was a news story at the time that suggested people ship their bags ahead, as the airport fee was $60 for 2 domestic bags compared with $50 shipping it.
I know several folks that have done it over the years. With UA's program Fedex does it all for you door-to-door. Your bags can be at your hotel waiting for you when you arrive.
Oh, and you can do this directly yourself without the airline. DHL, UPS, even USPS, and several other shipping companies have special rates for luggage.
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RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
It works for sure. They will bundle many bags and have them delivered by a single vehicle if it is in the same direction.
If they got 10 bags in a flight, that means USD 200 to 300 in fees and probably a USD 50 to 70 expense.
I decided to try and when i come back from Rio next monday and i will just use the Global Entry together with the Vip Bag option. My idea is to leave JFK airport in 5 minutes and at 6:25 it gives me the chance to avoid the traffic. Twenty minutes waiting for a bag means also an additional 30 minutes of traffic to go to Manhattan.
If it works will be always a very good option while arriving on business days.
Of course will not get 100% of passengers, but i would say 5% is probably an acceptable number.
If they got 10 bags in a flight, that means USD 200 to 300 in fees and probably a USD 50 to 70 expense.
I decided to try and when i come back from Rio next monday and i will just use the Global Entry together with the Vip Bag option. My idea is to leave JFK airport in 5 minutes and at 6:25 it gives me the chance to avoid the traffic. Twenty minutes waiting for a bag means also an additional 30 minutes of traffic to go to Manhattan.
If it works will be always a very good option while arriving on business days.
Of course will not get 100% of passengers, but i would say 5% is probably an acceptable number.
New York + Rio de Janeiro = One of the best combinations !
RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
Straight from the AA website:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/bagdeliv...e=undefined&repositoryId=undefined
Highlights:
1 bag - $29.95
2 bags - $39.95
3-10 bags - $49.95
http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/bagdeliv...e=undefined&repositoryId=undefined
Highlights:
1 bag - $29.95
2 bags - $39.95
3-10 bags - $49.95
| Quote: Focus on more important things by having up to 10 bags delivered for you. Deliveries may be made to destinations up to 100 miles from the airport. If your destination exceeds 40 miles, you will incur an additional $1 per-mile charge. If you're traveling with more than 10 bags, you may place multiple orders. |
| Quote: Baggage delivery service is available for flights originating from all U.S. domestic locations and selected international pre-clearance cities. International pre-clearance cities include: NAS - Nassau Bahamas FPO - Freeport Grand Bahamas AUA - Aruba DUB - Dublin YVR - Vancouver YYC - Calgary YUL - Montreal YYZ - Toronto YOW - Ottawa Delivery service is not offered for arrivals at the following destinations: All international destinations LAS - Las Vegas SJU - San Juan SJF - St John STT - St Thomas STX - St Croix *Baggage delivery service is provided by BAGS VIP Luggage Delivery. American Airlines is not responsible for products and services offered by other companies |
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RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
| Quoting redflyer (Reply 6): If they do they sure do a lousy job of advertising it. I will admit, I've flown UA, maybe, 6 times in the past 4 years (not counting CO), and I've never seen this service advertised. Could be because I'm an idiot, but when offering something for sale, it has to be sold to the lowest common denominator - idiots. |
I seem to recall when you purchase your ticket on united.com, the option is made available with all of the other fast lane access, upgrades, etc. You're right though, they didn't do the best job of advertising it.
With respect to AA's program, I thought it was similar to UA's with the FedEx whereby they actually pick up your luggage for you and ship. I thought the rational there was to cut down on the luggage being handled by the airline and thus reduce the need for ground staff? AA's approach you still have to check in the bag at the airport? I guess it saves to thirty minutes or so upon arrival, but sometimes the biggest nightmare is just getting through the line to actually drop off a bag! Nevertheless, glad to see AA trying something that makes sense and improves their revenue.
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- GVAJFKflyer
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RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
Off topic, in Switzerland, you can have your luggage delivered at any rail station for pickup, no matter what airline you fly, without having to stop at baggage claim at the airport. For selected (bigger) train stations, the delivery time is okay; for smaller stations, it would only work if you do not need your luggage too soon upon arrival (2nd business day ...).
http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service...ices/baggage/fly-rail-baggage.html
In the other direction, you can check in your luggage at any rail station in Switzerland. At 56 (bigger) train stations, you can even complete all check-in formalities (and receive your boarding card), thus saving time at the airport. This however only works for select airlines:
http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service...e/check-in-at-the-railstation.html
http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service...ices/baggage/fly-rail-baggage.html
In the other direction, you can check in your luggage at any rail station in Switzerland. At 56 (bigger) train stations, you can even complete all check-in formalities (and receive your boarding card), thus saving time at the airport. This however only works for select airlines:
http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service...e/check-in-at-the-railstation.html
RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
I wonder how AA will deal with the fact that Embrears are often weight restricted. My wife learned the hard way that a checked bag on an Embrear often winds up on a later flight. Flying between PIT and ORD, it was often the case that bags got bumped and even passengers, because weather was affecting the amount of fuel, and thus the load.
RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
So is this $30 (and up) fee in addition to the checked baggage fee?
RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
As they always say in business "find the maximum number of ways to bring in revenue."
I can see the most successful pricing points for this being on morning flights for travelers - just get off the plane and go - and let the luggage be waiting at the hotel when you arrive.
Or for those flights arriving late at night - get off the plane and get home and let it be delivered later - or even the next day. If there's nothing of huge importance in the luggage - why not?
I can see the most successful pricing points for this being on morning flights for travelers - just get off the plane and go - and let the luggage be waiting at the hotel when you arrive.
Or for those flights arriving late at night - get off the plane and get home and let it be delivered later - or even the next day. If there's nothing of huge importance in the luggage - why not?
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RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
Most majors (and I include SR in its time) have a practice of doing this in Switzerland for delayed luggage. You give an address, and they will have it delivered at no charge. BA did this last year for me to a village in France 40 minutes out of GVA. SR used to contract with local GVA cabs to bring the misplaced luggage. AA's move is smart; another form of ancillary revenue, but they'll probably get some takers, especially in in F and B.
RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
| Quoting JAAlbert (Reply 18): So is this $30 (and up) fee in addition to the checked baggage fee? |
From the FAQ:
Q: Is the price of this service in addition to my regular baggage fees?
A: Yes. Any applicable bag fees will need to be paid to American Airlines at the airport during the time of check-in.
Also:
Q: How do I pay for this service?
A: Payment for this service is made directly to VIP Luggage Delivery using a major credit card (American Express, MasterCard, VISA or Discover card) at the time of order.
So it appears AA isn't getting a cut on the front end, but perhaps a referral fee?
RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
| Quoting WN787 (Reply 2): Is AA using their own equipment and personnel to accomplish this? |
No wAAy. Based on the service description, all they are doing is using the delayed bag delivery service they already have in place. Those contracts are already negotiated and the infrastructure is already there. The only question would be the SLA. Delayed bag delivery can take 4 hours or more from the time the bag shows up on station. That wouldn't work so well for evening arrivals.
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- Viscount724
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RE: AA Will Deliver Your Checked Luggage To You.
| Quoting HBGDS (Reply 20): Most majors (and I include SR in its time) have a practice of doing this in Switzerland for delayed luggage. You give an address, and they will have it delivered at no charge. BA did this last year for me to a village in France 40 minutes out of GVA. |
In my experience that's standard practice for all airlines. Do any airlines NOT deliver delayed bags at no cost to the passenger?
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