Mitchell Wekey
It can be tough to find affordable air travel fares. It can become even tougher when you have to deal with surprising fees. For instance, you can often end up having to pay a lot more than you initially expected because of extra baggage fees. Obviously, you could pack light but why would you do that? There are ways to avoid the extra baggage fees as you fly so you should be aware of the following.
Carefully choose the airline you fly with. Some will overcharge you a lot for your bags, especially the extra ones. It is always better to go for the traveler-friendly airlines. In the event that the airline charges for a single checked bag, you are better off not booking. Usually, when you want to save like $20, you end up paying a lot more in the long run in extra fees for extra baggage.
Remember that even airlines that have great deals still have very complex rules. Allowances tend to vary based on operating carrier, class of service, and destination. There are situations in which not even the staff is aware of all the rules. With transfers and stopovers, everything becomes more complicated. Take the time you need to read the online policies of the airline and then print out all the relevant pages. This will help you to clarify the agents that are misinformed.
It only costs you around $20 to buy a good electronic hanging scale. Do so and simulate the entire weigh-in experience in the comfort of your own home. When you do this, you can leave after you know that you meet the baggage weight requirements.
When you know the policies of the airline and you know the weight of your luggage, you can take full advantage of all the deals available with free bags. You do not need to add unique items to every bag. You can spread the heavy items and properly distribute all the weight. In this way, you will not have a bag that will exceed the limit.
The last thing you should do is invest in properly-sized, lightweight luggage. This helps you to maximize carry-on allowance and the checked bags allowance. Remember that really heavy luggage can easily make up a large part of the weight allowance. By spending a little more on the lightweight luggage, you save money in the long run.
