Southwest Airlines Lets the Industry Have it During 2008 NFL Opener
Southwest Airlines - the official sponsor of the NFL - let the airline industry have it Thursday night with an ad that reinforces the idea that Southwest, unlike most of its competitors, does not charge extra fees on such things that used to be free. The first advertisement featured a man dumbfounded as he checks in at the Southwest Airlines desk and is told his two checked in bags are absolutely free.
American Airlines led the way in charging a fee for the first checked in piece of baggage, though Spirit Airlines, with its hub out of Fort Lauderdale, had tagged on the fees some time before American.
Delta Airlines and Continental Airlines are two US legacy carriers that have not imposed the fee on the first checked bag unless it is over the weight limit.
JetBlue, which has not imposed the baggage fee, ironically has come under heavy flack for offering a $7 pillow and blanket package. That airline, however, still offers tons of freebies such as snacks and around two dozen DirecTV channels that include CNN, Fox News and most of the ESPN offerings.
USAir recently began charging for soft drinks. Albeit, USAir is still great for the $100 "at the kiosk" business class upgrades when checking in on flights where such seats are still available.
Southwest is the biggest carrier serving Las Vegas and is a popular airline with Gambling911.com readers. They still offer some of the cheapest fares, especially on the West Coast.
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Payton O'Brien, Gambling911.com Senior Editor
