Southwest Airlines checks luggage point-to-point to save money.

Okay, so you all know how I feel about the TSA (Transportation Security Administration). If not, check out my blogs. But I want to hear your air war stories too. Of course, there must be many, many out there with the airlines making so many changes and not offering the service of the past.

How about charging for checked baggage? First of all, why can’t they all do it the same? I recently checked in at Kearney, Nebraska and was told I could only check one bag free. The second would be charged $25 as I was connecting to Alaska Airlines through Denver. When I told the agent that her airline’s website said I could have two bags free, she said she had to collect for Alaska Airlines. I then advised her that if the originating carrier allows for two bags free, they go all the way free.

The snippy agent checked with her supervisor and was told that I was right. She reluctantly checked my second bag free, but that did not deter her from telling two customers later that they couldn’t check their bags through on their connecting flight to Juneau. Again, being a real pain in the behind, I intervened and told the couple that I was checking my bags all the way through and that they didn’t need to reclaim them in Denver and then check in again at the Alaska Airlines ticket counter so they could check them on to Juneau. Not to mention that they would have to succumb to being hassled at yet another TSA security checkpoint.

The snippy agent told the couple, “Well I wouldn’t check them through.” So they didn’t. Later on the plane the couple told me they didn’t want to argue with the agent. Please, what kind of people are the airlines hiring that they don’t even know the basic rules.

Checking luggage through to your final destination on most airlines is the rule, not the exception. And not checking luggage through to your final destination is a royal pain.

I have to admit that when I got to Anchorage I was thrilled my two bags had made it despite the visions I had of the snippy agent hiding one of my bags in the ladies room just to make her point.

Let’s start sharing notes. What are your air war stories? Get venting in the air war stories forum. See you there.