American figures out another fee, sort of: get your bags delivered, for a price

No time to pick up your suitcase at the airport baggage carousel? American Airlines will deliver it to your home or hotel — for a fee.

American said Thursday it will begin offering baggage-delivery service on Monday using another company, Bags VIP Luggage Delivery. The service could help the airline appeal to lucrative business travelers as well as families with children.

It’ll cost the traveler $29.95 for one bag, $39.95 for two, and $49.95 for up to 10 bags. That’s on top of regular fees for checking bags.

Airlines have greatly expanded the number of services that require payment of an extra fee, from changing a reservation to getting a seat with more legroom. American’s latest offering is the first of its kind for a major airline, the company says.

American’s service will deliver the bags within four hours to destinations within 40 miles of the airport. It’s available for locations up to 100 miles away, but the price rises $1 per mile and deliveries could take longer.

The service will be offered seven days a week, including holidays, at more than 200 U.S. airports and some overseas. Passengers must reserve their bag’s ride at least two hours before the flight.

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Additional
From Aviation Bizblog: The newest service illustrates one direction that airlines are going to increase the fees they bring in from ancillary services.

The first round was mainly directed at charging passengers for services they previously received at no extra costs, such as charges for checking a bag or for talking to an agent to book a reservation.

The second round, the new frontier, is to think up new services not previously offered, such as the post-flight delivery service, to which they can charge additional fees to those who want it.