Bumping and bag loss

This story says bumping, delays, and bag loss - the markers of air travel quality - are getting worse for US air travelers.

A discouraging quote (and another reason to go light/one-bag):

“We’re going to see more delays and those delays translate to cancellations, mishandled bags and unhappy passengers,” said Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport Association, a trade group for the major U.S. carriers. “It’s not a pretty picture.”

And the trend is towards extra baggage charges:

‘The increase in lost bags comes as at least one domestic carrier - Spirit Airlines - plans a new fee for passengers who check their bags. Come June, Spirit will charge $5 each for one or two checked bags if the ticket was booked online and $10 each for passengers who do not book online.

(Dean) Headley said he did not think the idea will fly with consumers who long have expected their ticket prices to include a checked bag or two.

“It will set off an absolute atomic bomb,” he said.