Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air decided today to start charging for your first checked bag when you travel with them, joining the ranks of United, American and many other US airlines in charging you for your first checked bag. I’m all for what it takes to make you a viable, competitive business, but my beef if that most of the airlines cited rising fuel prices in their reasoning. Now that fuel prices are nearly half of where they were last year, and first bag fees still in place, it’s starting to look more like they were opportunistic.
Alaska has yet to update their policy on sporting equipment on their site as it still mentions free luggage, will be interesting to see if they take it as far as United has, whom I’ve sworn off altogether after getting different stories from different agents and employees (even going as far as calling their customer service a week prior to a trip) prior to a surf trip, and thus accruing $$$$ extra charges (and this was prior to their checked bag fee).
Southwest appears to be the last of the major carriers that doesn’t charge for baggage and has the most snowboard friendly baggage policy out there.
Southwest's snowboard policy
