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American Airlines to Charge for Curbside Baggage Checks in Tulsa

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 December 2005, 21:00 CST

By John Dobberstein

Beginning Saturday, curbside check-in of baggage for American Airlines passengers at Tulsa International Airport will no longer be free.

American will be charging $2 per bag for checking luggage outside the terminal. The move could open up the possibility that other airlines will charge for the service, although none have publicly stated they would.

American's fee will be collected by a contractor that currently provides the curbside service for airline. The contractor will then pay American $2 for every bag they handle.

Mary Jones, Tulsa International's spokeswoman, said American's new fee is the latest in a host of fees that airlines have begun charging travelers on items such as extra baggage, in-flight food and entertainment.

Jones declined to say whether the airport objected to the move by American, which is Tulsa International's second-largest carrier and employer.

The airport just wants customers to be aware of a change in service, she said.

Tulsa is the 15th city where American has chosen to implement the fee. By the end of the year, American will be charging for curbside check-in at airports in 23 or 24 cities, American spokesman Tim Smith said Monday.

Earlier this year, American began charging fees at airports in the Northwest, and that spread to airports in Tampa, Fla.; Boston; Chicago; and Hartford, Conn. This month - in addition to Tulsa - airports in Colorado Springs, Col.; Denver; Dallas-Forth Worth; Austin, Texas; and St. Louis were added.

In Tulsa, less than 25 percent of American's passengers check their bags at the curb, Fort Worth-based American said. American officials acknowledged the new fee in Tulsa could cut into tips for skycaps, because some passengers won't use the service if it costs money.

In other cities, contractors have raised the salaries of baggage checkers to compensate, Smith said. He predicted use of curbside check-ins may dip for two or three weeks, then return to more normal levels.

Previously, the curbside check-in service had been included in the price of tickets. But ticket prices won't be going down with the advent of the new fees, Smith said.

Smith said the new fee is simply a way for American to save money and remain competitive with other airlines.

This, philosophically, is not a money-maker because we use a third-party vendor to provide the service, he said. In a sense, rather than every passenger paying for (curbside check-in), it's now a convenience item paid for by those who choose to use it.

American's decision has fed speculation that United Airlines will begin charging customers in Tulsa for the same service next year. United is discussing curbside check-in fees for several airports but there's been no decision made about the Tulsa or Oklahoma City airports yet, said airline spokeswoman Robin Urbanski.

A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines criticized American for its decision, and added Southwest has no plans to charge for curbside check-in.

We're not in the business of nickel-and-diming our customers to death when it comes to amenities like that, said Southwest spokeswoman Edna Ruano.

Smith said American officials haven't decided if the fees will be implemented at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. He would not speculate if it was likely in the future.

Karen Carney, the airport's spokeswoman, said nothing was in the works - yet. American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United and Southwest all offer baggage checks at the curb at Will Rogers, she said.

We're probably going to see it, but it will be several months before we see it here, I think, Carney said.

When asked why Tulsa International was chosen, Smith said there could be many factors, including the competitive environment, which airlines share the same contractors, or other operational issues. The fact that American has a significant presence at Tulsa International might have been a factor too, but Tulsa isn't being singled out, Smith said.

We're looking at a lot of other airports as possibilities, but not done contracts. Every airport is up for review under this, he said.

Source: Journal Record - Oklahoma City

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