Earlier this month, Janice Hough at Consumer Traveler wrotethat coming anti-consumer “interline” baggage rules were worse than baggage fees. With all respect to Ms. Hough, who is a travel agent, in this regard, we believe she is wrong, although we can understand her point of view. Let’s go over the issue. Interline baggage refers to a bag thru-checked from one airline onto another carrier. Many discount carriers have traditionally not signed interline baggage agreements with other airlines, as a money-saving measure. JetBlue, for example, started out this way, but saw the advantage of partnering up, and now does a great deal of interlining. Ms. Hough’s article was prompted by an October 25th press release by Delta Air Lines. Delta will no longer thru-check baggage onto a separately issued ticket. For all airlines, thru-checking of baggage was a courtesy if the other flight was not on the same ticket. By making this policy official, Delta joins the ranks of many other carriers who have made this practical decision. US Airways made this decision back in August, other airlines have had such a policy for years. From the airline perspective, this courtesy was problematic and a logistics issue. For one, international regulations [...]
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