PenAir is not changing its luggage policy for Unalaska flyers.
The airline clarified its rules recently after Mayor Frank Kelty announced PenAir might make its policies more restrictive by cutting the number of allowed checked bags from three to two.
That’s not the case, according to Missy Roberts, PenAir's VP of sales and marketing.
“The Dutch Harbor/Unalaska market is not our market, so we can’t make those decisions," she said. "It has to come from Alaska Airlines.”
Right now, Roberts said Alaska Airlines has no plans to change its baggage rules.
While PenAir operates the island’s flights to and from Anchorage, Alaska Airlines is in charge of selling tickets, naming prices, and deciding policies.
That means Unalaska travelers can still check three bags -- one more than PenAir allows on its other routes in southwest Alaska.
Roberts said the recent miscommunication stemmed from a phone call between Kelty and PenAir CEO Danny Seybert, as they discussed the ongoing problem of bumped bags.
“[Seybert] told the mayor that we don’t have as big of an issue in our other markets, because our baggage rules are more restrictive than Alaska’s," said Roberts.
If Unalaskans want more of their bags to arrive on-time, she said reducing the amount of checked luggage would help.
