Avoiding Airline Fees
I hate annoying fees. Which is why I was not thrilled this morning to read that effective May 12, American Airlines is charging a $25 fee for checking a second bag in most cases (excluding international travel). That makes them at least the eighth carrier to make such a change. Alaska, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, and US Airways have all announced similar $25 second-bag fees. Even low-cost carrier JetBlue has announced a $20 fee for second checked bag.
When I travel, I rarely check a bag — it does not matter if I’m going on a one-day trip or a two-week trip, I can usually fit everything into my carry-on bag. Unfortunately, the only time I can’t avoid checking a bag is when I’m moving in and out from school for an extended period of time (summer), when I easily fill two bags to capacity. This means that now, in addition to trying to stay under American’s 50 lb limit, I’ll have to give careful consideration as to whether or not I’m willing to pay for an extra bag — $50 round trip.
Unfortunately, with soaring fuel costs and airlines filing for bankruptcy left-and-right (R.I.P. ATA, SkyBus, Aloha, Eos…), these added fees are becoming a common occurrence. Just last month, Delta raised or added fees for an astonishing ten different categories. Its becoming increasingly important to be aware of the changing fees when flying so that you don’t get caught at the airport.
6 Steps to Avoid Fees
- Always purchase from the airline directly if possible (up to $10 saved). Travelocity, Expedia, and Orbitz are great resources for comparing airfare — however, all three charge service fees for buying tickets through them that can range from $5 to $10 a ticket. You can usually avoid this fee if you book through the airline directly. If the itinerary is all on one airline, the airline often, if not usually, will have an equal or better price. Does your itinerary have multiple airlines? Sometimes you can still book through an airline by selecting an “All airlines” search.
- Always purchase over the internet from the airline ($10 or more saved). Most airlines are now charging fees for booking travel over the phone or at ticket counters at airports. Simply purchasing online from the carrier can avoid that fee.
- Check-In Inside ($2 or more saved). Or, better yet, check-in at a Self-Check In Kiosk. Just don’t use a skycap — several airlines now charge for curbside check-in on a per-bag basis.
- Know Your Airline’s Baggage Rules ($25, $50, or more saved). This is the big one that gets most people, and it doesn’t help that the rules are constantly changing. You need to know three different types of restrictions — limits on the number of bags, size of bags, and weight of bags.
- Number of Bags – As mentioned, the big news now is that most airlines are charging for a second checked bag. The going rate seems to be $25 each way. Some will still let you have a third bag, but that will cost you even more.
- Weight of Bag – The standard baggage limit for legacy carriers — American, United, and Delta, at least — seems to be 50 pounds, which is a surprisingly easy weight to hit, especially when you’re trying to avoid the last fee. Go over the 50 lb limit on Delta, and that will cost you $80 each way. Go over it on United, and they’d like a $100 for that 52-pound bag.
- Size of the Bag – This is a less common problem, but most carriers also limit the size of the bag. If you’re using a normal piece of luggage, you shouldn’t have a problem, but its worth checking.
It is hard to stress how quickly these fees can add up, especially given that they apply each way. On Delta, now, if you bring a third bag that weights fifty-one pounds and is oversize, round trip, those fees can add up to $610.
- Know Your Carrier’s Food Policy. Or Don’t Fly Hungry ($5 or more saved) – Only a few airlines even offer snack service these days in domestic coach (Continental being a notable example with coach meals on some domestic flights) — if you’re the type that is going to get hungry, plan ahead. Most airlines are more than happy to give you some food — but for a price. You’ll cringe when you pay $3 for a candy bar on American.Airport food is usually slightly cheaper than airplane food, but for the best value — and most healthy meal — bring it from home. Over at the Beat of Hawaii and Beyond blog, there is a very informative piece on “How To Eat Well At 30,000 Feet” that talks about how to prepare a meal for a flight.
- Know Your Change Options – Unfortunately, on most airlines, changing airline plans can be expensive after ticketing. On United, to confirm a change in advance will now cost you $150. However, these policies are not uniform and some are quite generous. On Southwest, they won’t charge you a change penalty, just the change in price (you may even get a refund if its cheaper). On American, they’ll let you make a same-day change to an earlier or later flight for $25. Even more useful on American, though, is that on most domestic fares you can standby at the airport for free same-day for an earlier flight — if there is room on an earlier flight, they’ll put you on for free.
No one likes being hit with extra fees, but with a little planning you can work to avoid them.
Anyone else have any tips for avoiding airline fees?
Subscribe to Student Scrooge
Badges
