American Airlines Raises Checked Baggage Fees ... Again

American Airlines has been squeezing consumers out of money recently (although to be fair, what airline hasn't been trying to get more money for pedantic services?) vis a vis checked baggage charges.

I actually checked a bag for the first time in freaking forever when I went to Chicago two weeks ago and, well, good Lord: It's absolutely insane that you have to pay $15 to stow your bag in the belly of an airplane for which you have already paid $300 to fly on. Good news is, you won't have to pay $15 any more. Now it's $20!

Yup, that's right: an additional $5 per bag when you check your luggage. How wonderful. In case anyone's curious, yes, this is precisely what leads to that jerk behind you stuffing your bag further bag into the compartment with his "carry-on" which weighs roughly 600 pounds.

Airline Service Improves Slightly, Fliers Agree

According to recent consumer research, airline service has gotten better over the last several months. Although the numbers aren't dramatic, it's important to note that the improved passenger experience is in spite of additional airline fees for second bags, snacks and much more.

The airline business scored 64 out of 100 in the first quarter of this year, a 3.2% increase over the same period a year ago, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which randomly surveyed thousands of consumers across the U.S. Major carriers saw improved scores, or at least no decline.

Despite the fact that airlines managed to break even or improve slightly in customer satisfaction, their overall performance is relatively dismal.

Airlines were still among the lowest-scoring businesses in the index, which measured customer satisfaction with the products or services of hotels, restaurants and 14 other sectors. Full-service restaurants scored highest at 84. Airlines scored far below their own index high of 72, achieved in 1994.

Since it's graduation season, let's use an educational metaphor... that means that at their very best in 1994, fliers still gave airlines a C minus (on the 10-point scale). That makes their current "64 out of 100" a solid 'D'. But even that disappointing review may have given them too much credit.

"It certainly looks like most of these increases, if not all, are due to lower passenger load," says Claes Fornell, professor of business at the University of Michigan and index founder, noting that the recession has kept many Americans from traveling.

To continue the metaphor from earlier, airlines would have completely failed the service test, but there was a big enough curve for them to squeak by with a D.

Now to be fair, airline satisfaction will never be as high as it will for full-service restaurants. The reasons are obvious... having a well prepared meal will always be more enjoyable than spending five hours trying to sleep against a bulkhead. Not to mention security. When was the last time you had to walk through a metal detector to eat at a five star restaurant? Yet, security is a much needed aspect of air travel.

Despite all the "necessary evils" that plague air travel, there are still plenty of ways airlines could easily improve customer satisfaction and flier experience. If you need a good example, look no further than Dustin Curtis' excellent critique and redesign of American Airlines' homepage.

Speech Recognition: American Airlines Goes High-Tech

American Airlines announced today that it will be adding speech recognition technology for its frequent travelers.

The technology, provided by Microsoft affiliate Tellme, will recognize AAdvantage members' phone numbers and greet them by name when they call to make a reservation. The system also automatically offers gate and flight information.

The technology is designed to save the airline money by reducing the need for employees to handle customer calls, although American spokesman Charley Wilson said the intent was to improve customer service, not cut jobs.

Other companies like Domino's Pizza have already utilized Tellme's technology to reduce the cost of training new operators and reducing the number of calls that need to be handled by a real person. While customers will no doubt enjoy the convenience of the new technology, it's unclear yet what lays in store for American Airlines phone operators.

For the record, despite American Airlines billing this as speech recognition, it's really just phone number recognition. If you're interested in learning about real airline technologies, check out American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum of aviation in Dallas, T.X.