2nd Checked bag = $25

[Dustin]

It may seem harsh but the fee was going to make its way to tickets one way or another. This way just gives you some control over how it effects you.

I may just be numb to the airline industry since I have logged around 100,000 frequent flier miles in the past year though

[Diane Amberg]

Whew! Are your ears ever normal? I'd be sick all the time if I flew that much. I always seem to catch something. I used to love to fly, not so much now that all the fun has been taken out of it. Even our tickets for San Antonio in Nov. have been changed. They have canceled some flights and now our time to change planes in Dallas  has been cut to 45 min. I'll bet we can't make it since we are always late getting out of Philly and we have to go a long, long way to the next gate. Do any of you know if Dallas/Ft. Worth still has motorized carts? Al can't walk that far and wheelchairs are iffy with only 45 min. to work with.

[Tobina+1]

Diane; depending on if you have a terminal change or not, but I think you can make it OK.  They do have those motorized carts in Dallas that will meet you at the gate and drive you to the next one.  If you have a terminal change, they have the... (looking for the term)... SkyRide; the train that goes from terminal to terminal above the buildings.  I think if you let the stewards know, they can help with the wheelchair to get Al out of the plane, and then help you on to the cart.

Dustin; I know the fees would make it's way into the tickets, but I think I'd rather pay for a higher ticket than be griped with the fact of feeling nickle-and-dimed to death.  I used to fly that much, but luckily I'm able to work from home more.  I'm only about a once a month flier now.  If they were smart, the airlines would have done the opposite and made everyone feel good... $25 off your ticket if you only check 1 bag, $40 off if you carry-on!  Heck, it works well for Walmart... up the price and then have "Rollback" prices for a couple weeks to make people feel like they're getting a deal!

[Diane Amberg]

Thanks Tobina! Al's fine for short distances and on and off planes, but across large terminals is too much. I'll check and see if it's a terminal change. It's American Airlines.

[Judy Harder]

Diane,

When I have had to fly......I never go anywhere that they don't go the wrong way first till they figure out what direction that we are suppose to go.

when I check in (buy ticket) I tell them I am disabled (true) and need help getting to the next gate.
I have been picked up by both a motor cart like a golf cart and at Ohare I had a young man meet my plane with a wheel chair and since the drivers/helper knew where I wanted to go, they just headed there and I had lots of time.

I think that if something were to happen they would hold the plane (that I am not sure of) but it does make a difference.

One time I didn't know I could ask, this might have been before Rhemotoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia raised its mighty head and had to run across the Houston air port and the gates could NOT have been anymore further apart unless one was in the Gulf and the other was Oklahoma.......LOL.
I did make the connection, but it wasn't funny. Also I was fairly healthy.

Tell them you need help and I think the airline I was on was Continental........and I can't remember the other.....but may have been one of the Frontier or Western  airliners.  I have found out it doesn't hurt to ask.........and it does hurt when you don't.
Happy traveling.
Judy

[Wilma]

Judy, don't you hate to have to ask for help?  I am still too independent and don't want to have to be helped.  I must say though, there isn't any place I go that there isn't someone offering to hold a door for me or push me, or to just help in any way they can.  What I like is to approach an automatic door the same time someone else does and offer to open the door for them.

[sixdogsmom]

I can identify will all of this! Ted is unable to walk a great distance. When we go to KU Med Center, they have fabulous handicapped Valet parking. You pull up a drive right in front of the door, they ask if you need a chair. They have ones with or w/o oxygen; there are people there to help with patient unload/load and gear load/unload. All are just great folks, and you see the same ones every time you go, so they must be well paid and treated. There is one area of the hospital I have trouble with the chair; it involves a long sharply ascending ramp that aggravates my rotarcuff 'ritis boy something fierce. We have started calling for someone from transportation to aid us. Those folks are outstanding also, now if the narrow doors in the old part of the hospital were as accomodating. And the cost for valet? A whopping $2.00, just went up from $1.00. Wow what a bargain dad!

[Diane Amberg]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Al has had to have help for years and has had few problems, but occasionally we've reserved transportation that never showed up between flights, or they had the wheelchair but I had to push it ( not that I mind, but I also had our two carry on's, Al's c-pap and my purse. By the time I piled all that on him, he was buried.)  We used to take his scooter with us and have gate to gate arrangements, but once it was dropped from the loading belt and once it was raining and it got soaked while they were bringing up to him. Now we just rent one, as we will for San Antonio. It gets delivered to the bell captain and it's there on our arrival. We have a crane in the Honda so we can take the scooter with us on driving trips. HUP in Philly also has the valet parking, so we use it for his Post Polio visits. They will even on and off load his scooter for him if he's having a bad day. Wonderful people.

[Teresa]

This about it the way it will be before long. 

[frawin]

Awesome Teresa, and it may not be as far fetched as one might think. We fly alot and I am so tired of cancelled, delayed flights, setting in airports, listening  to everyone gripe and all the time knowing you won't make your connecting flight or make your meeting is no fun. I have traveled alot for 40 years and it is worse now than it was 40 years ago. Braniff was the worst I have ever seen and KLM Royal Dutch was the best.
THANKS FOR SHARING THIS