Tag Archives for checked bags.
Checking bags means earlier airport arrivals, baggage-claim waits, and lost-bag risk. Use the right card, keep valuables with you, and know when AirTags help.
Self-tagging a bag should mean the airline has removed the bottleneck. Instead, passengers can print their own tags in two minutes and still stand in line for an hour just to hand the bag to an employee — a completely unnecessary failure when automated bag drop already exists and some airlines do use it.
Delta and JetBlue have quietly begun charging passengers to check bags curbside at some airports, turning what used to be a convenience into yet another fee. The change looks small at $3.50, but it is part of a bigger shift: outsourcing a once-premium service, lowering labor costs, and monetizing the airport curb instead of treating it as part of the ticket.
An American Airlines baggage handler at Charlotte Airport thought texting a coworker a bomb threat would be a funny prank—but it quickly turned serious when police arrived, arresting him on felony charges.
An El Al flight from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv departed without 140 checked bags after they were vandalized with “Free Palestine” stickers, triggering a security alert and lengthy inspections at LAX. Authorities suspect an inside job by airport employees, and passengers landed in Israel without their luggage.
An influencer is sparking debate by claiming airlines should reward thinner passengers with free checked bags, arguing that total passenger weight—including your luggage—should determine ticket prices. While appealing at first glance, this provocative idea ignores airline economics, practical logistics, and legal realities, ultimately proving itself more effective as culture war fodder than actual policy.
Millions have watched the same gut-punch: a checked suitcase rolls onto the baggage claim carousel already popped open, dumping clothes out in public while everyone stares. It’s a perfect illustration of why checking bags is a time tax and a trust exercise you usually lose—so pack lighter, keep what matters with you, and treat anything you do check as disposable.
Southwest killed its “Bags Fly Free” promise, but travelers aren’t giving up that easily. A clever workaround buried in Southwest’s vacation bundles still lets you check two bags for free — even after the airline took the perk away.
Southwest Airlines is going to start confiscating passenger bags at the gate on almost every flight once they begin charging for checked bags in two months.
For the first time in company history, Southwest Airlines let go of 1,700 non-union employees at its headquarters. Employees were banned from corporate headquarters and firings took place online.
Now, in addition to major business changes like selling seat assignments and charging for checked bags, the airline is going to be outsourcing its skycap service.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
