The major airlines now collect more than $3 billion (yes B as in BILLION) in bag fees a year – and they still don’t want to refund you if they loose or delay your bag and are aghast the government would want them to. The governments logical take, along with the rest of us, is that they should return the fee for failure of providing the “service” they charge for.

It was reported that the government wants to address two of the biggest complaints about the air travel industry with this new regulation: poor service and the ever expanding baggage fees. The airlines routinely charge $15 – $35 to check a bag, $20 – $45 to check a second and so on. Most airlines don’t provide a refund for lost or delayed luggage, even if it takes days to return a passenger’s baggage. It was reported that more and more travelers are carrying on their bags, making the airlines job easier (and asking the government to pickup the bill for all the effort it takes to screen all of these carry-on bags). Still, last year, more than 2 million bags didn’t arrive on the same flight as their owner.

The new regulation would require airlines to refund the baggage fee if a bag is lost or not delivered in a “timely” manner, said to be within two hours of the passenger’s arrival. As the American Society of Travel Agents stated, “Absent such a requirement [return the fee], there is little incentive to assure timely delivery.”