American Airlines wants you to check your bag. Fewer carry-on bags speeds up the boarding process, since passengers don’t take a few seconds each to stow their bag. And at the very end of boarding they don’t find that they’re out of bin space and have to race to gate check carry-ons. Anything they can do to reduce that time before departure is a win.
American Airlines in Paris
Southwest Airlines, which offers free checked bags, winds up gate checking bags far less often. They’re even able to turn planes around more quickly. That lets the airline run their optimal schedule more efficiently. They can run a similar schedule with fewer planes.
At the same time, American doesn’t want to match Southwest with free checked bags. They charge bag fees and don’t want to give up that revenue (or the tax benefit). They also use bag fees as an inducement for customers to get their credit card, and give them recurring business in exchange for bag fee waivers as a status benefit.
American Airlines Baggage Claim, Austin
So the airline tries to square this circle through something of a lottery. On domestic flights, passengers checking in at their kiosks may be offered the opportunity to check their carry-on for free. That gets it checked long before the gate, which speeds up the boarding process.
But they can’t offer it every time. If customers knew they’d get free checked bag offers at the kiosk they wouldn’t pay for checked bags! Hence, it’s a free checked bag lottery. Walk up to the slot machine kiosk and spin the bag fee waiver wheel.
This game of chance extended to international flights this past Wednesday, September 4th. It is not offered at check-in in Amsterdam, Copenhage, London Heathrow, Tokyo Narita, Santiago, St. Martin, or Toronto.
Here’s an internal memo from American describing the process.
If you’ve got a smaller bag, want to check it, you might as well see whether American Airlines will give you an offer to check it for free at the airport kiosk.
I have status with AA but have always felt cheated because the free checked bag does not extend to international flights, which is all I generally take. I have never figured out why it is offered domestically but not internationally, and no one has ever been to tell me when asked.
I haven’t taken an AA transatlantic flight in economy in a long time. Don’t you already get one free checked bag, even in economy?
Why would I want that? The whole point of a carry on is so I have my stuff with me and I don’t wait for bags.
Hey Gary: I wish the aircraft pictured still flew to CDG. AA mothballed A330-200 and -300 in 2020. These were the most comfortable transatlantic aircraft in coach. Add this decision to the list of bone headed mistakes, especially since most were fully paid. They probably are still paying storage in the desert!
@Ron, your comment puzzles me. AA Golds get a free checked bag on all AA flights. Are you perhaps talking about this benefit not extending to codeshare tickets on partner airlines? I believe this is an issue when flying on BA metal as an AA elite.
Gary, thank you for sharing the exciting news. I agree with you. Traveling to Las Vegas, Macao, Atlantic City, or Singapore is unnecessary to bet on American Airlines. With their new and improved free checked passenger baggage lottery for international flights, you also get to gamble on whether your bag will arrive safely at your destination when you land.
Photo 3/2/24 Roswell NM
https://images.app.goo.gl/WsMSGs9sGen5V4rTA
One thing that bothers me about AA is that of the major US airlines, it is the one that does not allow the free checked bag from holding their credit card to extend to international flights. I learned this the hard way at the airport for a flight to Costa Rica. I have multiple AA credit cards, including the one that grants Admiral Club access and find it disappointing that none of them grant this benefit.
Imagine the resentment if you had to pay to check a bag and the guy sitting next to you brags that he was offered a free checked bag that he would not have otherwise been entitled to. On the other hand, I don’t fly American. So. who cares.
America West — Pay legacy fares, get UUULCC treatment.
@ Frank – Weird thing to brag about, bro.
Those wishing to take advantage of such a system will have to make sure that their carry-on bag is sturdy enough to be thrown around by baggage handlers and that they have other bags to put items like lithium ion batteries, fragile items and expensive items in. Since there will probably no checking if the passenger has another carry-on bag with them along with their personal item, this may not work out the way American Airlines intends it to work.
“since passengers don’t take a few seconds each to stow their bag”
Only a few seconds? lol have you actually flown in the last 20-30 years?
I prefer to have the ramp guys play corn hole with my bag, so I always pay to check my bag.
IME passengers take tens of seconds each to stow their bags, and there are several hundred of them. It’s the most frustrating way to start a trip, if.onlynwe could turn the clock back and Make Airlines Great Again!
And here I thought the American Airlines checked bag lottery was about whether you would ever see your checked bag again.
I don’t know why people are complaining. If you don’t want the checked bag offer, don’t accept it, easy as that. And be happy that this may speed up the boarding process for YOUR flight. If you paid for a checked bag and the guy next to you gets it free, oh well, that’s life – it happens every day with seat selections, business upgrades, the guy who booked the cheaper fare, and – gasp – is already happening with bags that are gate checked. If you need a service, pay for it. That guy with the free checked bag still had to plan to comply with all the same carry on policies
My motto never check bags with a connection. If irregular operations come about and you need to be re-accommodated you’re probably screwed with bags. They likely aren’t going to arrive with you. Direct flights are less risky but again if you need to be rebooked you can’t retrieve your bags and recheck them ensuring they will arrive with you.
So now that they’re going to pay flight attendants boarding pay they’re interested in speeding up the process. I don’t care about how long it takes to board I care about how long it takes to get off the darn plane. Everybody grabbing bags from the overhead takes forever.
This is so stupid. The least they could do is make having a credit card give you a free bag regardless of the destination.
Simply put, unbundling needs to stop. Every flight must be priced with a suitcase in the hold.
This speeds up plane loading, security and boarding. It also reduces the chances of cabin crew and fellow passengers getting injured whilst overweight carryons get bravely lifted above head height into a locker.
A Lottery with Check in bags for AA airline, Not gonna work
This makes so much sense. Everytime you check a bag it’s a gamble to see if it shows up on the carousel. Might as well make the entire process a gamble from payment to receiving.
And dumb me thought that you get 1-2 free bags on international (at least TATL and TPAC) flights, regardless of status, booking class, or stupid credit card.
Is this an AA thing only? Or do all big US carriers do this? And how did I never notice???
As usual, further proof that travel is a lot less fun, and loyalty is pointless.