My husband and I recently flew from Miami to JFK on Delta. It was our first domestic flight since the checked bag fee was institued. We each had a bag to check and I paid the fee without checking the receipt. When I received my credit card bill I noticed that the agent had checked both bags on my husband's ticket, thus charging $35. for the second bag. A complaint to Delta via their website received absolutely no reply.
Lesson: When checking in, specify that you are each checking one bag and examine your receipt before signing or risk getting scammed.

why are you calling this a scam? You did not read the checkin form/receipt correctly?

Oh, I certainly believe that the OP was hosed. 2 people checking in together with 2 bags -- definitely should be charged 1 bag per person.

It likely was more incompetence than a scam: it's undoubtedly easier for the check-in agent to put both bags on one name than to go through the process twice and collect money twice. Delta should make sure to train their check-in agents to avoid this.

I agree, it was incompetence which to me is not "scammed." But on UA the check in agent often puts both bags on the account of the person who who booked the ticket. A bit different since our bags are free but it's not uncommon. I do think it's on the OP to check before they leave the ck in desk.

If you have paid online before getting to the airport, you won't have the confusion issue, and the cost is $23 or first bag and $32 for 2nd, saving you a few bucks.

You pay online when you check in to get your boarding passes and declare how many bags for each person. They send you a receipt. Easy and less expensive.

When you checked in, how did you mark your bags? 1 bag for each person, or 2 bags in one name? I am always careful not to rush through the check-in process whether at home, or at the airport in their kiosks.

"Lesson: When checking in, specify that you are each checking one bag" - maybe it was your mistake, not the airline's?

rizzuto on Sep 29, 10 at 10:13am
Oh, I certainly believe that the OP was hosed. 2 people checking in together with 2 bags -- definitely should be charged 1 bag per person.

NO. It should be charged the way the Original Poster applied those bags at check-in, it's possible 2 friends travel together, one checks in 2 bags, another has only carry-on. The airline is not responsible if this was how the OP typed in their bags.

I could not check in on line because we were on our way home and I did not have access to a computer. I did check in on line on the outbound flight. We were a married couple and the agent did not ask us how we wanted the bags checked. I definitely will be more vigilant next time.