Tuesday April 03, 2007 - On Monday, April 2, 2007 the annual Airline Quality Rating Report was released. Sponsored by the Aviation Institute at University of Nebraska at Omaha and Wichita State University, the report details what most frequent business travelers already know – the number of passengers finding themselves bumped, their flights delayed and their bags lost is increasing. Last year, for every 1000 passengers, between six and seven bags were lost, stolen or damaged.


With flight delays on the rise and often translating into cancellations and mishandled luggage, there is no relief in sight for passengers affected by everything from overbooking to inconsistent enforcement of rules regarding checked and carry on baggage.


In addition, according to an Associated Press story on the new report, at least one carrier is planning to implement a new charge for passengers who check their bags, and other airlines could follow suit. Customers will be charged $5 each for one or two checked bags if their ticket was purchased online, while customers who didn’t book their flights online will be charged $10 for each bag.