Bags don't fly free: Charges have boosted airlines' departure performances, study finds
25 Aug 2016 12:48:16
phys.org
When most major airlines began charging flyers for checked bags in 2008, travelers grumbled. Southwest Airlines"”one of the most successfully run airlines in history"”even resisted and seized a new marketing slogan "bags fly free."
However, a new study that includes a University of Kansas researcher has found checked baggage fees have actually improved the departure performance of U.S. airlines in addition to boosting revenue.
"Because passengers changed their behavior, less weight went into the plane below the cabin," said Mazhar Arikan, a KU assistant professor of supply chain management in the School of Business. "This offset any changes in carryon luggage, and it helped airlines improve their on-time departure performance. The below-the-cabin effect dominates the above-the-cabin effect.
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