The kind folks over at Airfare Watchdog have updated their chart to show you just how much you’ll pay in baggage fees if you check a bag when you fly this year. How can you avoid baggage fees? You have a few options.
The simplest is to fly Southwest. As you might have noticed if you were near a television in the past year, they don’t charge for checked bags. (We’re suckers for Fee Court.) JetBlue doesn’t charge for the first checked bag, either.
Beyond that, go for elite frequent flier status on an airline; that often absolves passengers of baggage fees. Many of those same airlines also have co-branded credit cards that push cardholders most of the way to that status, or at least get them partway there on miles. They come with other perks, too. The Continental Chase card gives passengers a discount of a couple dollars for on-board food and beverage purchases if they use the card to pay.
Finally, if you can’t avoid the fees, make sure you factor it into your calculations when choosing a carrier. Check two bags on an American Airlines flight and it could set you back another $120 round-trip.
Posted by alexanderbasek (Alexander Basek)