Don't let airline fees take off with your good mood this holiday season (Photodisc/Getty)
We're just a week away from Thanksgiving, and only days away from the start of the holiday travel season, which always bring lots of consumer frustration with airlines. This past May, when airlines started charging baggage fees, everyone was up in arms about the injustice of it all. Unfortunately, if you're a heavy packer, and you've got to fly, you have little choice but to fork over the money.
But if you don’t want to pay $15 to $25 (or more) per checked bag, you still have some options. Currently, eight domestic airlines allow passengers to check one bag free on flights within the U.S., though only one allows two free bags. AirTran, Alaska, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Midwest, Southwest, and Virgin America all let passengers check one bag at no charge. Beginning December 5, however, Delta will follow suit along with American, United, and US Airways by charging for your first checked bag. Good ol' Southwest—and you've probably seen commercials touting this—is the only major airline left that still allows two free checked bags per ticketed passenger.
Keep in mind also that if you must bring several large bags, it's worth finding flights on airlines such as Southwest, AirTran, and JetBlue even if there are cheaper fares at other airlines, as the $35 or more you'd be paying for your luggage on other airlines might make up the difference in airfare. (Though these airlines usually offer cheaper fares than others anyway.)
If you can’t fly one of these airlines or have more than one bag per passenger to check, you can still avoid the fees. Consider sending a box ahead to your destination. It should cost considerably less to ship a box than the $15 to $25 airlines are charging for the first and second checked bag—and remember that you pay that charge each way for checked luggage. There are also exceptions to the fees, usually rewarding frequent flier members, or pertaining to certain ticket classes or military personnel. Check ahead on your airline's website to see if you qualify for an exemption from the fees. Of course, airlines' policies are constantly changing. Always check directly with airlines to get the latest on baggage allowances.
And then, there's the obvious—pack light and be judicious when deciding what to bring on upcoming trips. If you can go without it, it's probably best to.
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