Latest news with #checkedbaggage
New York Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Baggage Fees Are Everywhere. Here's How to Use a Credit Card to Get Around Them.
Southwest Airlines was the last big holdout. When the carrier ended its free checked-bag policy in May, it joined the other major U.S. carriers — and most airline passengers began paying at least $35 for their first checked bag. Of course, there are ways around the fees: You can spend enough with an airline to earn a loyalty status that includes a waiver, upgrade your fare to include baggage, or pack light enough to need only a carry-on. And then there's the option recommended by most travel enthusiasts: a credit card that comes with perks. Typically, travelers have two options: a general credit card used to earn rewards in various categories, including travel, or an airline-specific credit card. Here's what to know about rewards cards and how they can help offset the cost of checked baggage fees. Option 1: General travel credit cards The biggest utility of a general credit card, which allows customers to accumulate points that they can redeem for discounts on travel, is flexibility. Cardholders, particularly ones looking for a deal, are not beholden to a particular airline to find the most efficient or cost-effective routes. Customers can also use general rewards cards to earn points at grocery stores, gas stations and other eligible partners. 'If your goal is to earn more valuable rewards that you could use toward free flights down the line and other travel, you're better off with a general travel rewards card just because those rewards are a lot more flexible,' said Benji Stawski, the content director of the Daily Drop, a travel newsletter. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Airline passenger has checked bag rejected for surprising reason
An airplane passenger has shared the unusual reason their bag was unable to be checked in at the airport. On a Reddit thread, the traveller revealed that while boarding a flight in the US they encountered a rarely heard of scenario. The tourist was told that the bag they wanted to check into the hold was simply 'too light' to check in. Posting in the 'r/delta' Reddit forum, the flight passenger entitled the post: 'My checked bag was rejected for being underweight'. He then went on to explain that the holdall, a spare duffel bag that he used to accommodate souvenirs, was deemed not heavy enough to warrant going in the hold. The flyer explained what ensued, saying: 'Imagine my surprise when the agent said I couldn't check my fluffy bag because it didn't weigh enough. Is this the bizarro luggage counter?' The post continued with the passenger explaining that he was advised to take the bag on to the plane as a 'third carry-on' - but he admitted he was reluctant to do that in case the bag was refused at the gate. The solution? He decided to bulk up the bag with weightier items so it would eventually go in the hold. Others on the Reddit thread explained their theories on why it might have been turned down at check-in. One wrote: 'Might have been too lightweight and flexible to make it through the sorting machines and various belts to get from the bag check conveyor to the plane.' Another speculated that a too-light bag 'could easily be blown from the belt or from the cart.' And plenty agreed that the passenger had made the right move by not trying to board with three carry-on bags: 'Gate agents lately are super strict. Trying to get three obvious bags past them would most likely not work.' At one US airport last week, an unusual 'package' raised eyebrows after a child managed to ride the airport carousel. A two-year-old took a trip on top of Newark Liberty International Airport's baggage conveyer belt after slipping behind a ticketing counter without his parents noticing. The tot then climbed onto the ankle-high conveyer belt where passengers leave their luggage before boarding their flights. The incident occurred inside Terminal A on Wednesday, May 28th, as the child's mother was attempting to re-book a flight on Jet-Blue Airlines. The toddler rode the conveyor belt down to the checked baggage room on the lower level of the airport. Port Authority officers responded to the incident and located the child. Port Authority Police PBA President Frank Conti told Pix11 that the responding officers jumped on the conveyor belt to track down the toddler. 'The two cops were able to move fast into the system,' he told the outlet. Which was vital.' 'There was a split in the belts,' he explained. 'One officer went toward one direction, one toward the other direction.'
Fox News
06-06-2025
- Fox News
Airline passenger shocked when agent rejects checked bag for 'bizarre' reason
A flight passenger shared frustrations about a surprising issue involving a checked bag — garnering plenty of comments from other users. Posting in the "r/delta" Reddit forum with the title, "My checked bag was rejected for being underweight," the user wrote that large souvenirs from a trip would not fit in any of the person's existing bags. So "I stuffed them into the secret duffel bag that I always bring for such contingencies and tried to check it," the post said. "Imagine my surprise when the agent said I couldn't check my fluffy bag because it didn't weigh enough," read the post. "Is this the bizarro luggage counter?" the user asked. "The agent said I should go ahead and take it as a third carry-on, but I didn't want to get hassled by the gate agent,'" continued the post. The person did not want to be forced to check a backpack at the gate and ended up finding a few "heavy things" from the carry-on to add more weight. "Has this happened to anyone else?" asked the Reddit user. "What do you think is the reasoning behind this?" Users took to the comments section to discuss whether they'd ever heard of a checked bag rejected for being "underweight" and speculated about possible reasons for the rejection. "Might have been too lightweight and flexible to make it through the sorting machines and various belts to get from the bag check conveyor to the plane," suggested one user. Another Redditor wrote, "Could easily be blown from the belt or from the cart." Said another person, "I would've just checked my carry-on and taken souvenirs with me." Another user said, "Gate agents lately are super strict … Trying to get three obvious bags past them would most likely not work." "You checking helium balloons?" joked one user. Another Redditor said, "Gate checking usually results in the bag getting damaged less. It's the unknown airport bag mazes that cause trouble." Most airlines list the maximum weight of a checked bag on their website, but they do not state whether there is a minimum weight limit. Delta's website lists its price for the first and second "standard checked bag under 50 lbs." Bags on Frontier "must weigh 40 lbs or less," according to that company's website.
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
How Southwest's new baggage fee could backfire
The end of Southwest's much-loved free checked bags policy could have two unintended consequences. The budget airline, which announced it would be charging customers for their checked luggage earlier this year, could now face delayed departures due to longer check-in and gate lines. Gate-checking lines will also grow as Southwest planes have limited overhead locker room for carry-on bags, and will be unlikely to meet new demands. Southwest has the lowest cancellation rate among its US rivals so far this year and its on time rate is over 80 percent, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. If the airline is unable to mitigate the knock-on effects of its new policy then fliers could see a significant reduction in timely departures just as the summer travel season kicks off. Checking passengers' bags as they board the plane is a time-consuming activity and may cause flight delays as the airline and its passengers get used to the new system. On the airline's smallest planes, there tend to be five or six carry-ons that need to be checked, Justin Jones, executive vice president of operations at Southwest, told the Wall Street Journal. But as bag fees go into effect, he predicts this could surge to 25. The airline has begun deploying new technology to speed up check-in and gate waiting times. This includes an AI 'Lobby Awareness Tool' that predicts airport wait times based on flight schedules and passenger-arrival patterns. This will help the airline know when to deploy extra employees to help deal with a bottleneck and minimize delays. Another tool is the Baggage Estimation Based on Passengers, or Bebop, which will help to predict how many carry-ons will have to be checked at the gate. 'It was a curve ball that we were thrown,' Jones previously told the Airlines Confidential podcast. 'We always carry more bags than anyone else out there,' Jones said. Indeed, customers have famously taken advantage of Southwest's generous policy to transport kitchen sinks and toilets across the country. 'We're going to need to do several things,' but 'we want to make sure the customer experience is still very high,' Jones told the podcast. 'So we're going to be extremely hesitant to go out and do heavy policing on bag size like some other carriers do.' However, the policy change 'will result in more gate checked bags and fees.' 'We're dependent on everything kind of flowing,' Jones said of Southwest's business model which relies on keeping aircraft in the skies rather than wasting time on the ground. Long-term Jones said the answer will be in the introduction of new planes to Southwest's fleet with more cabin bag capacity. Customers have criticized he new rules. 'The only reason people put up with no assigned seating was because they could check free bags. This is no better than a bus, now,' one wrote on Reddit. The fees are part of Southwest's efforts to boost its bottom line.
The Independent
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Revealed: The best and worst US airlines for carry-on baggage allowance
Airline Southwest recently ditched the cherished perk of free checked luggage, causing uproar among its customers. The policy was seen as a key differentiator between the Dallas-based airline and its competitors and means that now, all the major US airlines charge for checked luggage on domestic routes. So, does anything separate them when it comes to luggage policies? We raked over the often convoluted baggage rules and fees for the nine biggest American carriers and discovered that some are definitely more generous than others when it comes to leeway with luggage. We name the two airlines to avoid if you don't want to pay for carry-on bags, the ones with especially confusing explanations around their rules and declare which carrier is No.1 overall for carry-on generosity. American Airlines In the cabin: One personal item and one carry-on for free. Your personal item, like a purse or small handbag, must fit under the seat in front of you, says American Airlines. Dimensions should not exceed 18 x 14 x 8 inches, or 45 x 35 x 20cm. The total size of your carry-on, including the handles and wheels, cannot exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches, or 56 x 36 x 23cm. Grand overhead bin total: 45 inches, or 114cm. In the hold: For travel within/between the U.S, Puerto Rico, and U.S Virgin Islands, the first checked bag fee in economy is $40 ($35 if you pay online) and the second checked bag fee is $45. For travel to/from Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and Guyana, the first checked bag fee is $35 and the second checked bag fee is $45. First checked bag is free for eligible AAdvantage credit cardholders and those with enough status; various international destinations, not including the UK. Delta Air Lines In the cabin: One personal item and one carry-on for free. Your personal item must fit under the seat in front of you. Carry-on bags for the overhead locker may not exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches, or 56 x 35 x 23cm. Grand overhead bin total: 45 inches, or 114cm. In the hold: For travel on domestic flights within the U.S, first checked bag in economy is $35, second is $45. First checked bag is free for passengers on various international flights, including to Northern Europe; Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and select Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members. United Airlines In the cabin: One carry-on bag and one personal item for free "on most flights". Personal items must fit under the seat in front of you, so they must be 9 x 10 x 17 inches, or 22 x 25 x 43cm. Carry-on items for overhead bins must be no bigger than 22 x 14 x 9 inches, or 56 x 35 x 23cm. Grand overhead bin total: 45 inches, or 114cm. In the hold: United has a "checked bag fee calculator", which reveals that the first checked bag in economy on a domestic flight costs $40 ($35 prepaid) and must not exceed 62 linear inches, or 157cm. The first checked economy bag is free on many international flights, including to London, but a fee of $60 is charged on some routes. Southwest Airlines In the cabin: One bag and one personal item. The bag should be stowed in the overhead compartment, and the small personal item stowed under your seat. Carry-on items for overhead bins must be no bigger than 24 x 16 x 10 inches, or 60 x 40 x 25cm. Grand overhead bin total: 50 inches, or 127cm. In the hold: First checked bag in economy is $35, a second checked bag costs $45. Checked bags must not exceed a linear length of 62 inches, or 157cm. Alaska Airlines In the cabin: You're allowed one carry-on bag plus one personal item with Alaska. The carry-on bag size limit for flights on all aircraft types is 22 x 14 x 9 inches, or 56 x 35 x 23cm. Grand overhead bin total: 45 inches, or 114cm. In the hold: First checked bag in economy is $35, a second checked bag costs $45. Checked bags must not exceed a linear length of 62 inches, or 157cm. Frontier Airlines In the cabin: One personal item is included with your fare. Carry-on luggage incurs a fee of between $59 and a hefty $99 depending on your departure date and destination. Passengers must use a fee checker on the airline's website to find out what they'll be charged. Maximum size: 10 x 16 x 24 inches, or 25 x 40 x 60cm, including handles, wheels and straps. Grand overhead bin total: 50 inches, or 127cm. In the hold: Checked bags incur a fee depending on the departure date and destination (typically between $55 and $100) and must not exceed 62 linear inches, or 157cm. Hawaiian Airlines In the cabin: You're allowed one carry-on bag plus one personal item. The carry-on bag size limit for flights on all aircraft types is 22 x 14 x 9 inches, or 56 x 36 x 23cm. And bags must not exceed 25 Ibs (11kg). Grand overhead bin total: 45 inches, or 114cm. In the hold: First checked bag is $30 if flying to a neighbor island, second bag is $40. If flying to North America, first checked bag is $40 and second is $45. Checked bags are free on international flights, except to Australia and New Zealand. Hold bags must not exceed a linear size of 62 inches (157cm). JetBlue In the cabin: Each economy customer is allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item for free. Carry-on bags must not exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches, or 55 x 35 x 22cm. Grand overhead bin total: 45 inches, or 114cm. There is no weight limit. In the hold: JetBlue's checked baggage rules are quite complicated, with passengers charged different fees depending on their fare type and when they book the baggage. Within the U.S, the first checked bag is $35, the second $40. For transatlantic flights the fee is $60 for "Blue Basic" but included for seats in tiers above this. Hold bags must not exceed a linear size of 62 inches (157cm). Spirit Airlines In the cabin: All passengers can bring one personal item, and carry-ons are free for three fare types, but those on the basic "Go travel" option will have to pay a fee of between $37 and $65 depending on whether they pay online, when checking in, or at the gate. Carry-on bags must not exceed 22 x18 x10 inches, or 56 x 46 x 25cm. Grand overhead bin total: 50 inches, or 127cm. Checked bags must not exceed 80 inches or 203cm in linear size. Verdict Southwest Airlines offers the best overall carry-on allowance, allowing passengers to take 50 inches of overhead bin luggage onboard for free. Frontier and Spirit are also generous with the carry-on size allowance, matching Southwest's 50 inches for overhead locker luggage, but they both charge basic fare passengers a fee. It's more difficult to separate the airlines when it comes to checked luggage, though many will find the fee-checking tools being used on some websites, such as Frontier and United's, annoying. Southwest garners extra points here for laying out its fees clearly in a table, while JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines' and Spirit lose marks for less-than-clear baggage explanations.
