More fallout from the new baggage fees - US Airways airport skycaps lose their jobs
July 1, 2008 - As US Airways begins to institute additional baggage fees ($15 for the first checked bag) they will replace the current skycaps with unionized airline employees. This change appears to be due to contract issues regarding the collection of fees. In addition to the new baggage fees, they will still charge $2 per bag for curb-side check-in, so don't worry you still get to pay more than the folks who go inside for this "convenience". It is not clear if there will be any delays in the conversion from curbside skycaps to curbside airline employees, but just to be safe we suggest you allow a little more time during the transition in case you find that you need to go inside. This is in addition to the extra time we suggest you allow while the airlines transition to collecting these additional baggage charges overall. Some of the airports to affected are: Pittsburgh International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, DFW, Boston Logan International Airport.
Don't worry - the good news with respect to the lines is that with fewer flights and higher prices, there's a chance there will be fewer people waiting to pay these charges!
Remember, if you eXpect delaYs you can beat them!
Happy Travels!
-Gus
