Blogs

by Ed Wetschler

Ryanair started charging for checked luggage before American Airlines, but blame American for having made nickel-and-diming safe for other U.S.-based carriers. Today all the major U.S. carriers – Delta, Continental, United, U.S. Airlines – charge $25* for the first checked bag on domestic flights and $35 for the second (checking in online only saves a couple of dollars). And for the final insult, on August 1st Spirit Airlines initiated fees for carry-on luggage.

The major airlines have a lot of nerve to charge for the luggage that's most likely to get damaged or lost. What's more, these fees are a game-changer for people who travel to different climates or to places where they have to dress up. And if you're a skier – or a golfer, scuba diver, trekker – the fees really add up.

Bear in mind, JetBlue and Southwest don't charge anything for that first bag, but what can you do if you're flying one of the other airlines? Here's what some of us travel writers, a notoriously cheap group, have learned to do.

Choose Seats in the Rear: For years you booked seats near the front so you could get disembark faster after landing, right? Today, however, people with seats in the rear are stashing their bags in the overhead compartments near the front seats. That way, they know they've found space for their bag and they don't have to drag it to the back. But the passengers up front get shafted.

Solution: Reserve a seat in the back. The overhead compartments are more likely to have empty spaces, and although you'll wait 10 minutes longer to leave the plane, you won't wait 25 minutes for your luggage.

Pack Fast-Drying Poly Garments: Travelers used to pack cotton and wool clothes, which are bulky to begin with. Moreover, if you were changing hotels every few nights (or staying put in a humid region like the British Isles and great swaths of Africa, Asia, and the Americas), you couldn't easily wash these clothes and hang them in your room, because they'd take forever to dry. So travelers often packed a week's worth of clothes, which meant either a second piece of luggage or one bag that was too big for carry-on. Today, naturally, you're penalized for that.

Solution: I pack just three poly T-shirts and underpants, one poly shirt (I wear the other one), a fleece, and one pair of poly pants, because I can wash and dry these items overnight. And the look and feel of quick-dry garments have improved dramatically, so Magellan's is selling a lot of them. If you're really smart, you'll do your (virtual) window-shopping at Magellan's but your actual buying at Sierra Trading Post, where markdowns of 30% to 60% are the norm.

Dress for Success: While packing for a charter flight from West Africa to JFK, everyone in my tour group realized we'd bought so much stuff that we'd all have to pay fees. Solution: We wore several layers of shirts and African shell necklaces, and we walked on board looking like the Michelin man. Once on board, of course, we stripped.

These days I carry a tote bag in my computer case so I can board the plane wearing several bulky layers, then disrobe and stuff them in the extra bag. If you fly often enough, it might even pay for you to buy a parka from Debenham with a zillion pockets for just this purpose.

Don't Pack Extra Sports Gear: Until recently, I never visited the Caribbean without my snorkeling gear, but nowadays, I only bring my mask and snorkel; the fins take up too much space, so I just borrow or rent fins. I used to take my own skis on planes, too, and I still encourage skiers to bring their own boots (stuff socks in them to use the space efficiently -- but skis?

Depends where and how long you're skiing, what the resort charges for rentals, and what your airline charges per ski bag. By the way, some people ship their skis or golf bags separately. Convenient, but it doesn't really save you any money.

You could buy an annual all-you-can-check pass from United for about $250, or use a Continental or Delta credit card, for which they'll waive extra baggage fees. But do your math before you take the bait, because you have to fly a lot to make these things pay.

Tame Your Inner Gearhead: The airline rules aren't onerous enough to make you go out and buy smaller equipment, but do you really need extra lenses on every trip? Henri Cartier-Bresson, merely the greatest photographer of all time, carried one simple, 55 mm lens. I now leave my tripod home, too, opting instead for an easier-to-pack, stick-shaped monopod.

Pack Less by Doing the Little Things:

• Pack as few colors as you can. Two different-patterned scarves or shirts can go a long way.

• If it's a longish trip, buy toothpaste, sunscreen, cough drops, shaving lotion, etc., over there.

• For short stays, bring bathroom items and medications in the smallest bottles possible.

• For men only: For short hotel-based trips, leave that can of shaving lotion home, because the conditioner in the hotel bathroom amenity basket will do the trick. Trust me.

• If you packed cotton T-shirts (tsk-tsk) and you're in a poor country, consider giving them away (and freeing up space in your bag).
  

Above all, use common sense: I know a woman who buys two weeks' worth of underwear for each vacation, throwing each piece out after one wearing. That's so wasteful, I wish she'd just pay the carry-on fee.

*For equivalents in other currencies, see Tripatini’s Currency Desk.