UPDATE: It was a glitch! Thank goodness. From United “We had a temporary issue impacting prices shown on the baggage calculator. This didn’t impact the actual price customers were charged, and this customer should have been charged the correct fee of $35 first bag and $45 second. We corrected the error at the end of March.”
Yesterday, I wrote a post titled Is American Airlines Out of Their Minds? The topic addressed within is completely different from the topic of this post but now, it looks like American’s biggest competitor is out of their minds, too. Why? For charging a reader three times the amount for the same size/weight checked bag for his return flight. Thanks to reader “D” for sending me screenshots of his itinerary and United’s insane baggage charge. Here are the details.
Reader Question:
“Thank you for all of your helpful information. I catch you on Leo’s show each weekend. I have an upcoming trip to Chicago and sprung for 1 class up from Basic so that I could bring on a carry-on “free” of charge. I do not plan to check a bag but this jumped out at me on the itinerary. If I were to check a bag it looks like they would charge me 3 times as much to bring it home!”
My Reply:
First of all, I appreciate you appreciate my information. BTW: For those who don’t listen to AM radio or podcasts, I’m on Leo (Laporte’s) show is called The Tech Guy and I’m a guest every Saturday at 12:30pmPT. You can watch/listen to it here.
Now to the question: I thought “D” must have been mistaken but the screenshot (below) clearly shows he’s not. United is indeed planning on charging him three times the amount for a checked bag for the return portion of his San Diego to Chicago flight next month.
“D”s flight details
Thu, May 06, 2021 1747 San Diego, CA, US (SAN) to Chicago, IL, US (ORD)
And returning
Sun, May 09, 2021 2154 Chicago, IL, US (ORD) to San Diego, CA, US (SAN)
As you can see below and in the screenshot above, these are the baggage allowance and charges for this itinerary
Thu, May 06, 2021
San Diego, CA, US (SAN) to Chicago, IL, US (ORD – O’Hare) $45 USD
Sun, May 09, 2021
Chicago, IL, US (ORD – O’Hare) to San Diego, CA, US (SAN) $150 USD
$45 for one checked bag is already ridiculously high but $150 for the same bag, weight and route is almost criminal. Do you agree? Have you seen anything like this before?
I reached out to United for comment but haven’t heard back yet so I will update the post when I do (UPDATE: I heard back from them and their response is at the top). But I tried booking the same flights on United.com, which is where “D” purchased his flights. Incidentally, it’s now three times the price he paid 10 days ago and I don’t see any information on baggage rates. And I’m not willing to book the flight to find out, even though I can get my money back within 24 hours; it’s just one more thing to forget and it’s a headache I don’t need).
But there is no Basic Economy being offered on this route so that’s not why. The only thing I can think is that maybe United is testing some new checked baggage rates by charging more on busier days since he’s returning on a Sunday, which is typically the busiest travel day of the week.
So that brings me back to my original question: Is United Airlines out of their minds?
Why visitors still make use of to read news papers when in this technological world everything is accessible on net?|
True Dat bro
Did the plane crash? Was it on time? People love to complain…why don’t you take Amtrak…a company that has a fatal derailment every 36 hours or Greyhound…who once had a bus vanish only to be found in the Mojave desert 29 years later full of 41 skeletons, no wallets, and no evidence of the driver.
Basic Economy seats were implemented to insure “everyone” could find a fare to match their budget. This has been nothing short of a nightmare for the employees. Why? Because it seems those purchasing the cheap seats either can’t read or don’t like to read the fine print. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BRING A ROLL ABOARD bag with you in the cheap seats. Only what fits underneath the seat in front of you and that is the size of a shoe box at some locations. BRING A LARGE BAG of crap and PAY DEARLY dear. Prior to social distance boarding which is back to front (until April 15th it appears) those seated in basic economy (the last three rows on the aircraft) boarded last and deplaned last (good luck making that tight connection) however that all changed with covid. For months, basic has been boarding first and CS agents have to stop them, hold up boarding to charge and check a bag in some cases causing flight delays. Otherwise, they would be taking up the coveted overhead space which in theory has been reserved for those who have paid a higher fare or carry the United Chase Visa card which btw is pretty good deal if you travel more than once a year. So, CS agents and flight attendants who also monitor “checked bags” at the door, (god bless them for handling this so graciously) the basic economy BS they see over and over on a daily basis. United, will you please end this nightmare called the basic economy seat? The planes are full again and fare stability should be returning quickly. And for those of you shopping purely for low fare try SPIRIT followed by Greyhound, bicycle or even hitch hiking. Basic economy has perhaps been profitable, but at what cost to employee frustration and flight delays for those premium passengers? I wonder? Johnny?
I work for United and our website is showing incorrect baggage charges as of late. The correct price for the first bag is $35. I posted this same comment last night but it looks like it was deleted. I’m trying to spread correct information but it seems the intent of this post is to purposely spread negativity.
Just approving comments now. But I updated the post earlier today when United got back to me
United is awesome – American terrible