Northwest Coast Native American Art

Air Travel: Beware Excess Baggage Fees

by Larry West,About.com
Airlines Attempt to Increase Revenue by Imposing Extra Fees on Passengers As the airline industry continues to struggle financially, many carriers are trying to boost revenue by collecting more fees from passengers. Among the largest fees most often encountered by passengers in recent years are those imposed for excess baggage. The airlines define excess baggage as bags that are too heavy or too big, or which exceed the number of checked and carry-on bags that each passenger is allowed to take on a flight.
Excess Baggage Fees Increase Airline Revenue According to U.S. government figures, airline revenue from excess baggage charges has grown steadily since 1990. An especially big increase occurred in 2001, when leisure travel surpassed business travel.
As leisure travelers began to dominate air travel, airline revenue from excess baggage charges started to skyrocket, because the fees are most often imposed on people traveling for pleasure.
The reasons are simple: business travelers take shorter trips, need fewer items when they travel, and tend to pack light to avoid long lines at check-in and baggage claim. U.S. airlines collected more than $259 million in excess baggage fees in 2003, up from nearly $153 million in 2001. That’s an increase of nearly 70 percent in just two years.
What is Allowed? Policies vary from airline to airline, of course, but on domestic flights most carriers allow the following before imposing extra charges: two checked bags, each weighing 50 pounds or less and conforming to certain size restrictions; one carry-on bag; plus a purse, briefcase or laptop computer case. Baggage allowances on international flights are usually much more restrictive.
How Much Do Airlines Charge for Excess Baggage?
Typical excess baggage fees on domestic flights are $25 to $80 for bags that weigh too much or exceed established size limits, and $40 to $80 for each extra piece of luggage. Those figures vary among different airlines and are subject to change at any time.
Be Prepared
If you happen to have a couple of suitcases that creep up over the 50-pound limit or happen to be an inch or two larger than the size limit, the extra fees may add substantially to the cost of your trip – both coming and going. Buy a few extra souvenirs while you’re on vacation, and luggage that easily passed the test when you left home may suddenly exceed the weight limit on your return trip. If you don’t realize that until you’re checking your bags at the airport, all you can do is hand over your credit card and pay the extra fee.
Before you leave home, check your airline’s Web site for current baggage rules, make sure your luggage conforms to all of the regulations, and allow for the weight of anything new you may want to pack for your return trip.

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