Scoop’s Views

United Airlines (UAL) has increased baggage fees for passengers with heavy bags. In fact, it doubled the baggage fee from $25 to $50. The fee went into effect today for flights departing in November.

The only positive note in the baggage increase that I saw was that active duty military personnel with travel orders would not be accessed the baggage fee. That’s good news, and something I would have appreciated having a waiver for if these sky-high baggage fees were in place when I was in uniform.

Tags: 9/11, active duty military, airlines, baggage fees, bags, bankruptcy, competitive price, cost savings, departing flights, flights, flying, military personnel, passengers, profitable business, quality service, robbery, security precautions, struggling financially, surviving airlines, ticket prices, tickets, UAL, United Airlines

When it enacted the Privacy Act in 1974, Congress sought to restrict the amount of personal information that federal agencies could collect and, significantly, required agencies to be transparent in their information practices. The Privacy Act is intended “to promote accountability, responsibility, legislative oversight, and open government with respect to the use of computer technology in the personal information systems and data banks of the Federal Government[.]” Adherence to these requirements is critical for a system like Secure Flight.

Tags: airlines, database, datamining, DHS, EFF, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, passenger security, personal data, privacy, Privacy Act of 1974, Secure Flight, Technology, terror suspects, Transportation Security Administration, TSA