It can be said that I am severely ticked with a new United “enhancement” – I hope that is not what they are calling it! I went to check some last minute baggage allowances for a trip I was planning to book later today. United’s baggage change that is in effect today is ridiculous!
Let me back up – as a Star Alliance Gold member, flyers in economy on United are allowed three bags up to 70lbs each on travel to Europe. That is a great perk but one that most flyers do not have to use often. However, when a traveler needs that allowance, it is good to have. My family came to Europe this summer for over a year long trip and we needed that allowance!
This is the baggage policy until today
This is the new baggage allowance
Fast forward to changes made today – for tickets ticketed from today on, that baggage allowance is cut to 2 bags at 50lbs each! That is a loss of 110lbs of allowed luggage or a 53% cut to what I am allowed to check for luggage. To make it even worse, their annoucement of this change does not point to a single page but tells you to review all relevant baggage pages.
Since the trip I was about to book was mainly for filling the bags to the limit for some things, I am really upset by this. Does this effect any one else in your travel plans?
Hi Charles, outside of the US we have been limited to low free baggage allowances for a long time now so it was only a matter of time before US airlines followed suit, I have noticed that a few more US airlines have changed their allowances since you wrote your article.
You can compare airlines baggage limitations with this table: http://www.carryonluggagesize.com.au/baggage-allowances/international-airlines/