Travel Deal of the Day (January 13, 2010)

With news of recent baggage fee increases, it is becoming more important than ever to investigate the total trip price before purchasing your airline ticket to be able to compare your travel options. Certain airlines, such as Southwest, charge no baggage fees. Multiple factors influence baggages fees, including:

(1) route (some carriers charge no fees for a limited amount of baggage when flying international routes), (2) number of bags (generally, the second bag is more expensive than the first), (3) size of the bags (oversized bags are generally more expensive), (4) airline (different airlines charge different fees) and various other factors.

In many cases, elite level frequent flyers are exempt from these fees. This exemption often applies within airline alliances (so if you are elite on one airline, another airline partner may exempt you from the baggage fees). Also, some airlines offer single-trip and/or annual packages that allow you to pay a single fee and obtain multiple services such as expedited check-in, no baggage fees, better seat assignments, etc.

The bottom line is you must investigate the total cost to you before booking your trip so that the inexpensive trip you had planned does not turn out to be a disaster financially and that you can accurately compare your travel options.