As a new way to combat rising fuel costs, some airlines are now charging extra for check-in luggage. Find out which ones and whether this is actually a good thing or not
It’s getting harder and harder to find the airline bargains and even when you do, you get hit with extra fees left and right. One of the newest is the check-in luggage fee that airlines from Spirit to United are charging passengers to reportedly offset the extra money they have to shell out due to the rising costs of the fuel they have to buy.
What are these fees, how do they apply to you and are they fair? Let’s break it all down.
Who Is Charging Check-In Luggage Fees?
Many budget airlines have implemented this new policy over the last few months, and some of the majors are now starting to try it out. Here are some examples…
Southwest now allows two bags of 50 lbs or less free, but a third bag will incur a charge of $25. Your 4th through 9th bag or item will incur a charge of $50 per piece, and any bag or item thereafter will be $110 per piece.
Spirit airlines charges $5 to $10 per checked piece of luggage if pre-reserved online when booking or $10 to $20 per checked piece of luggage if you pay at the airport.
Skybus has always charged $5 a piece for the first two pieces of checked luggage and then $50 for each additional to compensate for its fares, which can be as low as $10 a segment.
Both Delta and United Airlines now allow the first piece of checked luggage for free, but the second one will be charged $25. After that, a passenger on United can check up to four more items, but it’ll cost $100 per piece, unless they require special handling, and then it may be a $200 fee. The only exception is they will allow customers who have Premier status or higher in their Mileage Plus or Silver status or higher with Star Alliance to check the second bag for free.
Many overseas budget airlines like Ryan Air have also been charging fees ranging from 2 pounds and up for checked luggage for a while. Recently major international airlines like British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are now charging anywhere from 20 pounds and up for bags that exceed their one or two free checked bags policy, depending on the route flown.
Most airlines also charge for any baggage that weighs over 50 lbs, regardless of whether it falls into the free or extra charge categories.
Are These Fees Fair?
Depends on who you ask.
According to the pro side of the argument, the more weight a plane carries, the more fuel it burns. So if your extra luggage adds another 50 lbs to the plane weight, who should pay for it? Would it be more fair if everyone has to pay higher fares on their tickets just because others show up with a cart full of luggage?
To those who routinely pack light, they say an extra $5-$25 for the checked luggage is a fair charge. After all, nobody is forcing to you travel with so much stuff. So it’s really up to you and how you pack as to whether you have to pay these charges.
Another thing to consider is with the rising amount of lost luggage being reported by flyers, it may be a good thing to learn to fly with just a carry-on bag. The extra fees may serve as additional incentive.
However, on the flipside, are you getting anything additional for these fees? Do the airlines promise to offer better tracking to avoid losing luggage? No. If they do lose you luggage or it’s delayed for any reason for arriving when you do, will you get a refund on these fees? None of the airlines are commenting.
But the consumers on many flyer message boards are saying it’s just another way for airlines to nickel and dime their customers, and they’re sick of it.
How to Avoid These Fees
The first solution is simple…pack lighter. You may think you need all those clothes, but in reality, if you pick your wardrobe carefully, you can probably get away with just a carry-on for trips of a week or less. The trick is to pack items that can mix and match, as well as be layered for different looks. You may think people will notice you wearing the same pants a second or third day, but I can assure you, they won’t.
The second is to fly airlines that don’t charge these fees. But you may not save any money if these airlines don’t have better priced tickets. You’ll simply have to do the math and see if the overall fares with and without the luggage fees makes a difference financially.
The third is to use a luggage shipping service like Luggage Express or Excess Baggage, or even normal shipping services like FedEx or UPS to ship your bags ahead to your destination.
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What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you think these luggage fees are fair? Tell us below in the Budget Vacations discussion thread.
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