How to reduce — or avoid — airline fees for checked bags

Checking a bag on the airport has gotten pricier for vacationers — and tougher to keep away from.

A checked bag is one saved in a airplane’s cargo maintain throughout a flight. Whereas that service was free in years previous, it is now customary for main airways to cost for checked baggage, consultants mentioned.

Main U.S. airways began doing so in 2008, levying round $15 a bag, mentioned Katy Nastro, journey skilled at low cost flight alert platform Going.

As we speak, it is about double: $30 to $35 for one checked bag, Nastro mentioned. Which means vacationers who verify a bag on every leg of a round-trip itinerary can add an additional $60 to $70 to the full price of their primary fare. Charges typically improve for every further checked bag.

Passengers paid about $6.8 billion in complete baggage charges in 2022, the final full yr for which knowledge is on the market, in response to the Bureau of Transportation. That is up 17% from roughly $5.8 billion in 2019, regardless that fewer passengers flew on U.S. carriers in 2022, Bureau of Transportation knowledge exhibits.

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“Except baggage is included in a higher-class (premium economic system, first, enterprise class, and so forth.) ticket, passengers ought to count on to pay a payment,” Eric Napoli, vice chairman of authorized technique at AirHelp, which helps passengers file claims for airline compensation, defined in an electronic mail.

Here is some recommendation from journey consultants on cut back these charges, and maybe keep away from them altogether.

There are just a few airways that also do not cost for a checked bag.

Southwest, for instance, is the one outlier within the U.S., consultants mentioned. The service permits two free checked baggage.

The “Large Three” Gulf Airways — Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates — nonetheless provide free baggage, as does Air India, in response to Aiden Higgins, senior editor of The Broke Backpacker web site.

These carriers could have sure restrictions, together with for baggage dimension and weight.

In fact, simply because they might not cost for baggage does not imply their fares are cheaper than others when assessing general price. In addition they could not fly routes that work for vacationers’ itineraries.

Journey companions may contemplate combining suitcases.

A household of 4 could possibly condense 4 baggage into two, probably reducing checked-bag charges in half, consultants mentioned.

There’s one caveat, although. Passengers want to think about airways’ weight necessities for baggage and whether or not consolidating suitcases may set off further charges.

Touring gentle — solely with a private merchandise and/or carry-on bag, relying on what your airline and fare class allow without spending a dime — is “the one fool-proof approach” to keep away from paying a checked-bag payment, Napoli mentioned.

In fact, this may not be potential for everybody.

However passengers “can sneak fairly a bit into the cabin” inside airline limits, particularly with a well-packed backpack — aided by packing cubes — mixed with a sling bag and/or a tote bag, Higgins mentioned.

Passengers with softer, duffel-bag-type baggage that is extra pliable could have a neater time assembly carry-on dimension necessities versus these with a tough case, Nastro mentioned.

Even the foremost carriers typically cost for carry-ons on primary economic system fares, consultants mentioned.

The next-tier ticket for the next price would possibly embody a baggage allowance, through which case passengers could wind up paying the identical complete worth in comparison with a lower-cost fare whereas additionally getting some further advantages corresponding to the flexibility to decide on a seat or make flight modifications, consultants mentioned.

“In case you are utilizing an aggregator like Skyscanner, it could actually typically work out cheaper to go together with the 2nd or third costliest flight if the airline is [also] providing baggage,” Higgins mentioned.

Vacationers ought to learn the effective print to discern what baggage is included of their ticket, which varies from airline to airline and ticket class, Napoli mentioned.

Whether or not you are checking a bag or carrying one on for a payment, declaring that early can prevent cash.

For instance, a regular passenger flying Spirit Airways from New York to Los Angeles this week would pay $39 for a carry-on, in response to the service’s worth chart. A checked bag is cheaper at $34.

However these costs assume passengers add their baggage through the preliminary on-line reserving course of. Those that wait to pay till arriving on the gate, for instance, would pay $99 for a checked bag or carry-on, the chart signifies.

For individuals who know they will want so as to add a bag, “9 occasions out of 10 it is all the time cheaper to do it upon reserving” as an alternative of deferring till later, Nastro mentioned.

Comparatively excessive charges for “add ons” corresponding to baggage imply a finances service might not be the most cost effective possibility when assessing complete price and worth, she mentioned.

Shopping for and utilizing a baggage scale earlier than touring may help vacationers keep away from shock charges on the airport resulting from exceeding a weight restrict on checked baggage.

“No less than weigh your suitcase earlier than you even guide the flight,” Higgins mentioned. “As soon as upon a time, airways might need turned a blind eye” to further weight, however not anymore, he mentioned.

Vacationers may put money into ultralight baggage, Higgins mentioned.

“You’ll be able to simply save 1 or 2 [kilograms] by shopping for specifically designed ultralight journey gear,” he mentioned. Nevertheless, such baggage could be expensive and might not be as sturdy as sturdier packs, he mentioned.

“Many bank cards, particularly airline-branded playing cards, provide free checked baggage as a perk,” mentioned Napoli.

In fact, vacationers should not essentially open a bank card account only for this perk, consultants mentioned. Some playing cards may also carry an annual payment, although vacationers would possibly come out forward if their annual advantages (e.g., financial savings on bag charges) eclipse that expense.

“It varies bank card to bank card and airline to airline,” Nastro mentioned.

Becoming a member of an airline’s frequent flier program may include perks for vacationers corresponding to free or further baggage, Higgins mentioned.

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