As if airfare weren’t expensive enough, it’s now the norm for airlines to charge for checked bags, and the fees just keep going up, up and away.
Airfare Watchdog recently assembled this handy dandy chart of baggage fees for major US airlines, airline by airline. How do they stack up? Airfare Watchdog offers this conclusion:
“If you’re a heavy packer, you’ll want to fly with Airtran, Alaska, Frontier and Southwest, even if there’s a cheaper fare on another airline.”
A woman picks up her checked luggage at Delta baggage claim at LAX. Delta now charges $23 for the first checked bag and $32 for the second. Photo by Eileen Mansoorian, via Flickr Creative Commons.
Where can you still check two bags for free? That would be Southwest, which now stands as the sole airline to offer two free checked bags and is doing a good deal of marketing around this distinction.
Don’t feel like shelling out an additional $25 to check a bag next time you fly? You have options. One is to pack light. Another is to take a chance and try gaming the system. Let’s take a closer look at both of these options, shall we?
Pack it all in one bag. Doug Dyment is a one-bag evangelist, and his website (www.onebag.com) just may persuade you. He suggests the solution is to always use a packing list, and states that if it’s not on your list, it shouldn’t be in your bag. Fair enough. An added bonus of a list is that it ensures you won’t forget any essential item, either. He says to resist the temptation to add non-essentials. “If you’re thinking ‘I might need this,’ you’re likely mistaken; if it’s ‘I can’t survive without this,’ you may be right. But consider it carefully and dispassionately.” He goes on to say “I have yet to hear of someone returning from an extended trip who vows to take more stuff the next time!” Me, neither.
For more info on packing light, check out this article on Packing for Portability at MSNBC.com. Also see What? You’re Still Paying the Airlines to Carry your Bags? at Frommer’s.
Game the Luggage System. I read this New York Times’ Practical Traveler column with interest this week as it confirmed something I’ve taken note of myself. There are so many carry-on bags on overfull flights right now that late boarders often have no choice but to check their bags at the gate – for free. So, one way to possibly avoid the lines at baggage check, checked bag fees, and long wait at baggage claim is to spend a little extra time at the duty -free shop while the rest of your fellow passengers are boarding the airplane. Then, show up at the gate for the final boarding call and ask the gate attendant if your bag can be checked. Evidently this works a good part of the time. But it doesn’t work all the time–you may end up paying for that checked bag, or worse, searching in vain for space among the jam-packed overhead bins as you board.
How are you dealing with the increase in checked baggage fees by airlines?
