Travel Deal of the Day (August 25, 2010)

Hotels run by the Intercontinental Hotels group (including, but not limited to, Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza hotels) will reimburse your checked luggage fees (up to $50) when you stay for a two-night weekend stay at a participating hotel.  Stays must occur between September 1, 2010 and December 30, 2010.  You must pay for your stay using a Visa card, and you must submit a rebate form as well as hotel and checked baggage receipts by January 31, 2011.  Additional restrictions apply - full rules can be found here.  Though you should not choose an Intercontinental Hotel just because of this promotion, you certainly should take advantage of the promotion if you are eligible.

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.

Travel Deal of the Day (June 18, 2008)

If you are looking to save money, you may want to start re-thinking about the way you pack for your next vacation.

The Deal:
Many US airlines have begun or will begin imposing fees for checked luggage – even (on some airlines) for the first checked bag. Here are my rules for checked baggage in light of the new fees:

(1) Try not to check a bag at all. I have not checked a bag in years. I simply fit all belongings into a carry-on bag – it reduces the amount of excess “stuff” I take on a trip, it reduces the risk that my belongings will be lost and it helps me avoid any excess baggage charges. (There are various books and online articles that teach “rolling” techniques to allow you to fit quite a bit of clothing in a carry-on bag that fits in an overhead bin – you may want to read one of these resources (such as the article at this link) as it can dramatically expand the storage capacity of your bag.) Note that once airlines impose the new increased baggage charges, you are likely to encounter more competition for overhead bins so boarding early will be important. You also should ensure that your carry-on bag meets the airline’s carry-on restrictions – as more people try to bring large/heavy/full carry-on bags onto planes, I would imagine that airlines will increase their enforcement of carry-on bag rules.

(2) If you must check a bag, research the carrier’s fees before you book your ticket. The total cost of a trip, including any fees, should be considered. Just looking at the fare (without any fees) can be misleading if you are going to check bags.

(3) As mentioned in previous posts, research freight forwarding options for heavy bags or bags with ultra-important contents. These services are convenient, allow you to track the progress of your shipment and may actually be cheaper than checking a bag (if you have multiple bags or if the bag is quite heavy).

Travel Deal Of The Day (April 10, 2008)

Many airlines are now charging to check more than one bag. In some cases, the first checked bag will incur a charge if it is over a certain weight or size limit. My answer to all these fees is to avoid checking bags.

The Deal:
The best way to avoid excess or oversize baggage fees is to avoid checking luggage. If you are used to checking luggage, this idea may seem impossible to implement. But, in reality, it is quite often possible to have only one carry-on (and one small additional personal item such as a laptop bag or purse) per person. Next time you travel, mark down which items in your suitcase you actually used on your trip or those items which you used and you felt were essential. When you get home, verify if those “necessities” would actually fit in a carry-on bag – most likely, the answer is yes.

Even if you find you cannot fit everything into a checked bag, consider sending your “checked” items ahead using a ground expedited shipper (UPS Ground, Fed Ex Ground, DHL…). It is often cheaper to use such an expediter instead of checking the bag – and you can track your bag and know that it has arrived at your expected destination.