United Makes Plans to Drop 'Baggage Neutrality'

theodp writes "If you need a clue as to how creative ISP execs might get in the absence of network neutrality, look no further than United Airlines CEO Glenn Tilton, who is wowing Wall Street with his willingness to examine new ways to wring money out of the carrier, including making economy passengers pay a fee unless they want their luggage to come last off the plane." Now I think when i was like gold ultimate handjob elite years ago my bags had tags that usually made them come out first, but this seems just kinda crappy. I mean, remember when you got a meal on airplanes? No wonder people hate to fly.

Comments

No one wins but crooks.

[Erris]

The US traveling public who get to keep an artifically low price to travel. Everyone expects to fly $125 one-way, anytime, anyprice.

United is always the most expensive airline and prices are generally high, not low. If ticket prices were taking care of the things they should, this would not be bad but they are not.

The $4 billion new "information system" that will be used to extort money for bagage service that other airlines simply provide, is an example of waste. Other airlines implemented reasonable ticketing when forced by deregulation more than a decade ago. I doubt that it cost them billions of dollars or that real improvements to United's system would either. The difference in costs is a red flag for kickbacks and other corruption that's not serving anyone's interest.

you have it wrong its investor return, customer service, job security.

You can put it in any order you like. I don't see a benefit for any of those involved. Investors have poor returns when money is wasted, employees are demoralized and customers face poor service. The point of all of this is that a CEO who proposes to screw customers for the benefit of employees, to screw employees for the benefit of investors, and so on and so forth is screwing everyone. When you trust someone who thinks it's OK to screw people, you will find yourself screwed.

Re:Without Ethics, You Have Nothing.

[Erris]

Actually, any listed company has only one primary responsibility, which is investor return.

A company's responsibility is to all of the people involved. A company that will screw any person will screw every person, including the investors. Every person deserves fair and ethical treatment. This is something that needs to be said over and over until everyone believes it.