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Our “must read” on credit cards: The Pros and Cons of Credit Cards
I’m a sucker for a good airline clickbait headline, so when I saw this article about how much money airlines made selling “one simple thing,” I clicked on it, even though I knew what the answer would be. Let us now look into how to avoid checked bag fees.
Introduced in 2008 by American, checked bag fees charge you for checking luggage. You know, in case you want clothes or anything when you arrive at your destination. It has led to increased boarding times and mad rushes at the gate, as passengers try to shove everything they own into an overhead compartment.
The article implies two ideas that I disagree with:
- That airlines charge checked baggage fees primarily for the tax benefit. Nonsense. They charge for bags because they can. Not having to pay taxes is just an added bonus.
- That Congress should have blocked charges for checked luggage, or that it the fees are somehow “bad.” Nope. As much as the nickel and diming annoys me, they can ask for whatever they want. Will I pay it? That’s another matter.
In theory, it doesn’t matter whether you buy a $250 ticket with no bag fee or a $225 one with a $25 ancillary charge. Dollars are dollars. But if you can get the $225 ticket and avoid extra $25, then you’re best off. So here are my four favorite ways to avoid a charge for your checked luggage.
Avoid Airline Bag Fees – A Few Options
Earn Elite Status on Your Favorite Airline
Passengers who fly frequently and spend money on a particular airline can earn elite status with that carrier. Status gives you additional benefits that make your flight just a little bit more comfortable. Airlines offer different levels of status, based on your spending and travel, but the most basic level almost always includes at least one free bag for you and anyone flying on your reservation. This is one of the best ways to avoid airline checked bag fees, often for yourself and your traveling companions.
Elite status requirements vary based on the airline but, for the three major network carriers (United, Delta, American), it’s generally 25,000 qualifying miles and $3,000 in spend during a calendar year.
Never sign up for an airline card if it is offering a standard bonus
Get An Airline’s Credit Card
The last paragraph in this section is the most important, so please read it.
Credit cards are big business for the airlines, and they’ll do what they can to earn yours. They’ll usually give you bonus miles if you spend on the carrier, priority boarding and other goodies. The cards generally have a $90-100 annual fee, which is usually waived for the first year.
One of those extras is a free first checked bag for you and up to four companions. With the big three network carriers charging $30 for the first bag, you’re ahead once you’ve checked four bags, whether they belong to you or a companion.
Every airline offers several different cards, with the hopes of up-selling you. I am only going to discuss the basic ones that you need to get fees waived.*
American Airlines: Citibank AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard. It comes with a 60,000 miles sign-up bonus (limited time extra bonus). The $99 annual fee is waived the first year.
Delta Airlines: Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express. It also comes with a 60,000 miles sign-up bonus (limited time extra bonus). The $95 annual fee is waived the first year.
United Airlines: United Explorer Card. There’s a 40,000 miles sign-up bonus and the $95 annual fee is waived the first year.
Okay, the important paragraph: Never sign up for an airline card if it is offering a standard bonus, which is usually 30,000 — 40,000 miles. Wait for one of the frequent promotions that they run throughout the year which boosts that number to 50,000 — 60,000. The bolded cards above are a good value right now. The United card isn’t, but fear not: their time will come, too.
Buy A First Class Ticket
I know, if you’re here, you’re probably looking to save money, but hear me out.
When you are checking fares, particularly for domestic flights, you should always take a look at the first class fare, just in case. Remember, prices are based on supply and demand, so for flights that are short (New York — Boston, for instance), competitive routes or holiday flights (when business travelers stay home), the difference may be a lot less than you think.
First class offers a number of free perks that coach doesn’t. On top of the extra miles, you’ll get a free seat assignment (possibly saving $10-20), free bags ($30 for one bag, $60-70 for two), a meal (whatever you would have paid otherwise) and other benefits. If the difference between first and coach is $100-$150 each way (which it frequently is), you may actually only be paying a little more for the added comfort.
Fly Southwest Airlines
And then, of course, there’s the simple option to avoid checked bag fees: Fly Southwest. Two free checked bags, no seat assignment fees (or seat assignments at all) and friendly folks make our friends from Love Field one of the best options no matter what the reason is.
Southwest is similar to what I tell my kids: You get what you get and you don’t get upset. They don’t have many routes out of some major cities. The cattle car boarding can be frustrating. And you won’t be able to fly them to Europe, Asia or any continent other than North America. But you’ll get good service, and it won’t cost a bundle.
*If you want the more expensive ones, which generally offer lounge access and, in some cases, a companion pass or two, please leave a comment or visit the LVA Travel Forum. We’ll point you in the right direction.
