Worried About Overpacking? Here’s How to Avoid Baggage Fees on Your Next Flight! CheapOair Staff April 22, 2022 Budget Travel, Travel Tips 4 Comments It seems like pretty much every airline these days is charging for checked bags. After a spike in fuel costs caused airlines to raise their fares years ago, many passengers favored the “staycation” instead of flying. With fewer passengers in the sky, airlines needed to find new ways to “nickel and dime” customers. After testing the waters with charging for checked bags, it looks like the idea of charging fees for handing over your luggage is here to stay. But, there are in fact a few ways to avoid these pesky fees when traveling. Here’s how to avoid baggage fees once and for all! Travel Under Special Circumstances There are a few special circumstances that may allow you to avoid baggage fees. For example, if you’ve booked cheap domestic flights to travel with a child under two, you usually don’t have to pay for their checked bag. Besides, most airlines allow free baggage for premium or first-class flight tickets. So, if you have a trip coming up, be sure to check for any special circumstances that might apply to your flight. This can help you avoid paying baggage fees unnecessarily! Weigh Your Carry-On While it might sound a little crazy at first, weighing your carry-on can save you time and money at the airport. Since airlines all have luggage weight restrictions — Delta’s limit, for example, is 40lbs. — it’s a good idea to check with your carrier before heading to the airport. So lose the useless extra pair of shoes and wear your heavy winter jacket to the airport to avoid having to check in your bag. Be Loyal and Be Fee-Free Did you know that if you’re an elite member of an airline you won’t have to pay for checked baggage? So, try to stick with one airline (if possible) and rack up those frequent flyer miles. Not only will you have accumulated enough miles for a free flight, but so will your bags! Let Your Hotel Pay For It Believe it or not, some hotels are actually paying customers’ checked baggage fees in order to attract more bookings. Big names like Loews and Kimpton have offered to cover the fees over the last few years, so don’t feel weird about asking your hotel if they offer the same policy as well. You never know! You may also like: Struggling With Your Luggage? Try These Hyper Efficient Packing Hacks! Mail Your Luggage Depending on where you’re headed, it sometimes makes more sense financially speaking to pack up your goods and ship them via the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx. Always compare delivery rates and the airlines’ checked baggage fees before doing so and you might wind up saving some cash and stress at the airport! Pack Light! One way to avoid baggage fees is to simply pack less. This might mean traveling with only a carry-on bag or packing fewer items in your checked bag. If you can get away with bringing less, you’ll save money on baggage fees. Of course, this isn’t always possible. If you’re going on a long trip or need to bring certain items with you, packing light might not be an option. In this case, you’ll have to either pay the baggage fee or find another way to avoid it. Avoid Basic Economy If your airline offers a basic economy ticket, know that this will likely come with baggage fees. A basic economy ticket is the least expensive option offered by an airline, but it also comes with several restrictions. One of these restrictions is usually no free checked bags. If you need to check a bag, you’ll have to pay for it. Thus, before you book your flight, be sure to check what type of ticket you’re buying. If it’s a basic economy ticket, you might want to look for a different flight or airline that doesn’t have this restriction. Otherwise, you’ll want to pay for a premium ticket where you can choose your seat and have a free checked bag. Pick the Right Credit Card If you have a rewards credit card, check to see if it offers any perks for travelers. Some cards will give you a free checked bag when you use them to book your flight. Others might give you a statement credit to offset the cost of baggage fees. If you don’t have a rewards credit card, consider getting one before your next trip. This can help you save on baggage fees and earn rewards that can be used for future travel. Fly With Airlines That Check Baggage Free Another way to avoid baggage fees is to fly with an airline that doesn’t charge for checked baggage. Unfortunately, these carriers are becoming increasingly rare. However, there are still a few out there, so it’s worth checking before you book your flight. For instance, American Airlines offers free checked bags on most premium flights. Delta also doesn’t charge for checked baggage on most flights, though there are some exceptions. If you’re flying premium economy or first class, you might also be able to avoid baggage fees. Some airlines offer free checked baggage for these ticket types, so be sure to check before you book. Do you have any other tips for avoiding baggage fees? Tell us in the comments section below!
