Travel Deal of the Day (January 10, 2008)

You may not have noticed, but it has become expensive to check extremely heavy luggage or to check a third bag. There are a few good ways to avoid paying these fees when traveling:

(1) Travel with only a carry-on bag. You avoid having to wait for checked-in luggage and you know that your bag will make it to your destination (since your bag is always with you). You also avoid any hidden extra fees for checking heavy luggage.

(2) If you are checking a bag, pack a small suitcase with only the essentials and leave some extra space for a few souvenirs. By using a small suitcase, you avoid the temptation to bring along too many items which may cause your bag to incur overweight fees. Also, extra space can allow you to accommodate a few extra items that you purchase while on your trip.

(3) Ship items home from your vacation destination. If you do run into a situation where your carry-on bag will not accommodate your souvenirs or your checked bag is too small for items you pick up while away, use a ground shipping company or the postal service to ship items back home. The price for shipping a reasonable sized package home is very low and usually is much less than the fees tacked on by an airline when your bag is oversized. You may also ship liquid items home if you choose to purchase such items while away and you only use a carry-on bag (since liquid containers over 3 oz. must be in checked baggage on commercial aircraft in the US).