Senator Asks Airlines to Stop Baggage Fees

As fuel costs are low, one U.S. Senator has made a public statement to ask airlines to stop charging for baggage fees as summer travel gets underway. In recent weeks, there have been reports of long line and pile-ups at TSA checkpoint lines and in part, it is because travelers cram as much as they can in carry on bags to avoid extra bag charges from the airlines.

If people are packing more into their carry-on bags in order to avoid paying airline fees for checked luggage, it can take them longer to get through the security lines. The TSA’s own estimate is that baggage fees mean 27-percent more carry-on bags, causing longer lines and wait times than check points without fees.

 

“These wait lines will become a source of not only aggravation but also diminished safety, they are indeed becoming a national crisis,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal

TSA officials have applauded the idea of eliminating extra baggage fees.