Don't Let the Airlines Stiff You with Excessive Baggage Fees

Baggage restrictions vary from airline to airline and even from flight to flight. On a flight from Atlanta, Georgia, to Los Angeles, California, Delta allows you one free carry-on bag, one free carry-on "personal item" such as a purse, camera, brief case or laptop - and every little thing more than that has a fee. Even a day planner or a wheel chair is considered to be a "personal item." If you try to take an additional bag as your personal item, this will be disallowed. A second bag is not viewed as a "personal item." Knowing what the restrictions are requires investigating not only the airline you will be traveling with, but also the particular flight you will be taking because the restrictions change from flight to flight. They are so variable that you need to be either a computer genius at finding out what the restrictions are or a very dedicated travel veteran to understand and prepare for every eventuality -- and the expense can be staggering. The fees for your checked bags will be reduced by two or three dollars if you pay the baggage fees when you order your ticket online. Otherwise, you get charged an additional two or three dollar fee at the check-in counter. The fees for checked bags range anywhere from twenty-five dollars for the first bag, to thirty-two dollars for the second bag, one hundred twenty-five dollars for a third bag and any additional bags are charged two hundred dollars each, up to ten bags, which is the maximum number of bags you can take. Those fees are all added up individually, so if you want to check three bags you will pay an additional one hundred and eighty-two dollars. The airline will also charge extra if the bag is larger than their restrictions and they charge extra if the bag weighs more than their restrictions. Did you know that these fees are charged "each way," too? So for one round trip, three checked bags, can add three hundred and sixty-four dollars to your travel expenses. They really get you both coming and going. Frontier Airlines fees are slightly smaller but not really so as you would notice. Jetblue does allow one free checked bag, so there is a money saver, but to avoid all these fees, pack small, pack light, and carry it on. Check the website of your airline to get the most current and most specific information about luggage for your flight. But there is an even better solution than this. It is both cheaper and simpler to ship a couple of boxes or bags via UPS, Fedex, or USPS overnight than to check it at the airport as luggage, especially if you are staying with family or friends at your destination -- and especially if you need to conserve funds. Here is the scenario: You do your packing without worrying about the size and weight of anything -- except your one free carry-on piece. Make sure your carry-on bag fits the airline criterion or it will not be free. For the items you are shipping, if you can easily carry it, it will probably cost much less to ship, than the nearly sixty dollars charged for checking just two bags at the airport. Then a day or two before you leave, ship off the big stuff and be done with it. I recommend that you make your free personal item a luggage cart for use at your destination. By shipping your other stuff overnight, you have just saved yourself not only time and hassle as you travel but also a big bunch of money at the airport. You will have very few items to be inspected by airport security which saves time and hassle, too. You will also have most definitely saved yourself quite a few bucks which you can now spend on vacation attractions instead of on sticky luggage fees. If you are staying at a hotel, call and ask if you can ship a package and how to address it. Do not forget to ask if they charge a fee for this and how much it is. You will also need to find out where to pick it up when you get there. Then be careful to ship your stuff in time to arrive before you arrive. That will save the hassle and the cost of all those airline restrictions. When you get to your destination you will need a convenient way to manage your stuff, which is where your handy well made steel luggage cart comes into play. With a fold up luggage cart, which you can carry-on as your "personal item" or include in one of the boxes you ship, you will have all you need to handle the other boxes or bags when you arrive at your hotel, or your uncle's place. It is very simple to unfold your personal luggage cart, load up your boxes or bags and be on your way, that you will wonder why you did not do this years ago. Why limit yourself? You can easily ship all the full size personal care items you need so you also save the hassle and time of putting a little of each liquid into those separate tiny little bottles and labeling all that. You also will be able to take every business item required to do your job with a very small amount of planning and effort -- and most importantly, with minimal expense to you. Life is way too short to do things the hard way or to waste money by letting the airlines stiff you. Shipping separately lets you put your hard earned cash to a much better use. You can also insure your packages if you feel you need to, or register them to make sure they arrive. It will, of course, be cheaper to simply ship them. You can use UPS, Fedex, or the United States Postal Service which ever one you trust the most, or costs the least. With a little planning and preparation you can make your trip cheaper and more manageable. You will also feel more comfortable and prepared when you get to where you are going because you will have all the things you need to either get the job done or to participate fully in the sports or events planned for your vacation -- without buying extra stuff at your destination. Do not forget your luggage cart which makes toting your stuff so much more efficient at your destination. Happy traveling!