US and Alaska: A Tale of Two Baggage Fee Schemes

US has announced that you can now pay your checked bag fees online when you check in or book your flight. This is a good idea. Unfortunately, there's a catch... they will penalize you if you DON'T do it online...$5 more if you pay for your checked bag at the airport. :roll:

Alaska has announced that they are finally joining the checked bag fee club, and will begin charging the industry standard $15 effective July 7. On the bright side, they will now guarantee your bags will come out within 25 minutes of the plane parking. If they fail, you will be compensated with 2,500 Alaska Mileage Plan miles or $25 off a future flight. :borat: