Luggage and the airlines

[SPIDERMAN]

It is now going to cost us over $400 before we even take off from Logan Airport in Boston. Flying on USAir, they are charging a crazy amount of money for checked luggage. I can understand them charging a fee, but unless you pack everything into your backpack and take is as carry on you are in trouble. I have my wife and two daughters travelling to Aruba and every year we try to take only what we need. But you would rather have too much than not enough especially since we are there for two weeks. Plus to cut down on grocery shopping, we take one suitcase of food, to stock the kitchen at our timeshare.

[Andrea J.]

i hear you spiderman.
maybe you could eliminate the bag of groceries.
if you visit aruba at least once a year i would recommend storing stuff at timeshare storage. if you are willing to not have some summer clothes at home, timeshare storage would be an option to save on luggage fees.
http://www.aruba.com/forum/f7/storage-40118/

andrea

Originally Posted by SPIDERMAN

It is now going to cost us over $400 before we even take off from Logan Airport in Boston. Flying on USAir, they are charging a crazy amount of money for checked luggage. I can understand them charging a fee, but unless you pack everything into your backpack and take is as carry on you are in trouble. I have my wife and two daughters travelling to Aruba and every year we try to take only what we need. But you would rather have too much than not enough especially since we are there for two weeks. Plus to cut down on grocery shopping, we take one suitcase of food, to stock the kitchen at our timeshare.

[Kenny Maine]

The last time we flew US Air we decided " US Air does not care" was our motto. They charged extra fees while the check in agent right next to us was not charging. Same airline - go figure. During the flight the attendants were more worried about selling duty free items than taking care of any one on board! It was very frustrating.

[Chadd]

Originally Posted by Kenny Maine

They charged extra fees while the check in agent right next to us was not charging.

People with higher levels of frequent flier membership and employees are not subject to baggage fees on all of the airlines that charge for bags.

[danadog56]

Originally Posted by SPIDERMAN

It is now going to cost us over $400 before we even take off from Logan Airport in Boston. Flying on USAir, they are charging a crazy amount of money for checked luggage. I can understand them charging a fee, but unless you pack everything into your backpack and take is as carry on you are in trouble. I have my wife and two daughters travelling to Aruba and every year we try to take only what we need. But you would rather have too much than not enough especially since we are there for two weeks. Plus to cut down on grocery shopping, we take one suitcase of food, to stock the kitchen at our timeshare.

spiderman...if I am not mistaken on caribbean flights USAir waves the baggage fee for at least the 1st bag on a per person basis...so if 4 of you are going the 1st 4 bags should be free....double check to make sure..

[~Amy~®]

Originally Posted by danadog56

spiderman...if I am not mistaken on caribbean flights USAir waves the baggage fee for at least the 1st bag on a per person basis...so if 4 of you are going the 1st 4 bags should be free....double check to make sure..

Nope. USAir does charge $15 for the first bag on Caribbean flights.

http://www.usairways.com/awa/content...epolicies.aspx

You should also pay for your checked bags online and not at the airport to save some money - from USAir's website:
Pay for your checked bags online when you check in

You can pay for your checked bags when you check in online and save a few. Customers who choose to pay for checked bags at the airport will be charged an additional $5 service fee (effective July 9, 2009).

[danadog56]

Amy, sorry I swear there was no fee...must have added it after I looked on their website last vacation....although in honesty I am a FF and have enough status that I do not have to pay the fee, so I may have assumed that Caribbean/International flights were exempt.....should have known better....

[Karen in NYC]

Why take the food. When you get your rental car (or car service), have them stop at the grocery store. The fee for the extra stop would be most likely less than paying for extra suitcase.

If you all stick to a 26" suitcase and keep it about 47 lbs (I believe limit is 50), AND pack your carry-on carefully, you should be fine.

I've had issues (not going to Aruba) with airlines "trying" to charge for excess weight when I knew that I was not overweight. Once I fell for it (La Romana, DR), and next time I KNEW the case, and refused to pay. Another time in Cancun they tried to tell me overwieght, turns out they "conveniently" had not zeroed out the scale from last Pax.

I now carry an ACCURATE hand-scale (within 8 oz) and make sure nothing goes over 47 lbs. I take the scale WITH ME, and weigh cases again when I'm ready to come home. They wont get me again for that.

Also it's cheaper to pay for a second suitcase than pay overweight for one.