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Airlines are doing everything they can to make people check bags. Why? Because it's revenue that doesn't get taxed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/business/29bags.html?_r=0

It'd be in their best interest to get rid of carry-on storage altogether, drop ticket prices, and raise checked-bag fees.

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Strange, it doesn't seem to explain the reasoning behind this other than that airlines like it (obviously). It goes against the general principles of tax accounting policy as well: they (indirectly) deduct the cost of handling the bags as expenses, so why not the income therefrom? Both should count towards net income, or neither should.

How about when you bill out as a consultant, you can charge $1/hour, plus baggage handling fees of $199/hour?

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