The rising cost of fuel has forced the national flag carrier to follow suit of other airlines and implement additional fee charges to its passengers. Effective July 9th, 2008 the airline will charge its passengers $20 to check a second bag weighing less than 60 pounds on all international flights.
While this is a new charge to the airline?s passengers it is not new in the industry as all carriers operating between South Florida and the Bahamas introduced this fee earlier this year with an average charge of $25 for the second checked bag. Indeed, most carriers on this route recently introduced a charge for the first checked bag ranging between $20 and $25 per bag. Bahamasair opted not to implement a charge for the first checked bag at this time.
Bahamasair Board of Directors and management in reviewing its fee charges were conscious not to over burden its passengers and to implement charges that were more liberal than its competitors. While other carriers limit the weight on checked bags to 50 pounds per bag, Bahamasair allows its passengers up to 60 pounds per checked bag before charging for overweight.
The airline will also increase its charges for a third or more checked bag from $85 to $100 effective July 9th, 2008. This incremental charge will not only defray the escalating fuel cost but also the cost of subcontracting cargo flights to transport the excess bags on the South Florida flights. There will be no changes to the excess baggage charges.
Along with the changes to the checked bag charges, the airline will also increase charges relative to ticket changes and refunds. A passenger changing their itinerary on an international flight will be assessed a charge of $100 rather than the current $60 charge. Most passengers on other international flights are assessed a charge of $100 to $150 to change their flights while some carriers deemed the ticket void with no value if not used on the original flight booked.
Bahamasair will also increase the ticket change fee on its domestic routes, increasing the charge from $20 to $30 per change. The airline is hoping that passengers will properly plan their flight and stick to their booked reservations as late flight changes can impede the airline from selling a seat that it perceives as being sold.
While most airlines do not allow passengers a refund of tickets not used, Bahamasair remains more liberal on its refund policy. However, refunds will now attract a penalty of $100 on international flights and $50 on domestic flights.
During this iteration of fee charges, Bahamasair, like its counterparts, will institute a fee for transporting unaccompanied minors. The airline will charge a fee of $50 to accommodate minors on international flights and $25 on domestic flights.
According to Mr. Henry Woods, Bahamasair Managing Director, the airline?s Board of Directors and management struggled with balancing the assessment of these charges to its loyal passengers and the rising cost of fuel. The airline has experienced its fuel cost escalating from $7.4m in 2002 to $21.3M in 2006 and estimated to cost $26M this fiscal year and there is no definitive decrease on the short term horizon. Major carriers are reducing their fleet, furloughing crew, cutting routes, creating other innovative austerity programs and increasing fares daily to stave off the increasing airfares and Bahamasair is no different in this exercise to remain in the air. We hope that the traveling public will understand these increased fee measures and continue to support Bahamasair.
