The unfriendly skies

Hello again from Chicago where I'm snowed in. But at least I'm not flying on United.

It seems they've has added a delightful new wrinkle to their poor service and utter disregard for passengers. If you check-in anything more than one piece of luggage you will now be charged $25 for every additional bag. Unless of course you fly with them over 25,000 miles a year. So in other words, a thousand people.

Here’s what it means to all United travelers.

More people will be schlepping carry-on bags. The bins will be over flowing. The woman seated next to you will have to keep her shopping bag of meat souvenirs under her (and your) feet. Bins may open, bags may go flying, and you of course will be the one nailed by some idiot’s over stuffed carry-on.

And the security lines become even more of a picnic as each person now has more luggage to juggle along with their shoes, computers, coats, and their Glad bags that must be measured because God forbid you sneak on one extra ounce of toothpaste.

Lines to check-in bags, normally moving with the speed of a glacier, will be even longer as passengers protest this new policy and/or claim they have the necessary miles, which will require the agent to look up their frequent flier information.

What more can United Airlines do to make life more miserable for its customers? Well…let’s see. One of their daily flights from Chicago O’Hare to Minneapolis is apparently late….96% of the time.

And how about this? That bag you paid an extra $25 for – I betcha any money they lose it.