In the Race
Now, here, you see, it takes all the blogging I can do to keep in the same place.
If I want to get somewhere else, I must blog twice as fast as that!
You see, I'm in
the Red Queen's Race...
I Read It and Thought, "Irrational!"
By Janet Evans
Friday, Sep 19 2008, 07:05 AM
I know, gas prices had been rising.
But then they tapered off.
If it hadn’t been for the hurricanes, they probably would have kept falling.
When I saw United Airlines was going to double its fee for a second checked bag to $50…I was shocked. That’s each way!
You know, you can mail a decent sized box of clothing to just about any state for $15, insured. Maybe that’s the way to go. If you can plan ahead for a trip, just pack up the wardrobe you need fro your vacation, and ship it off to your destination.
Extra bags or ones that weigh too much can add
hundreds of dollars to the price of flying. Kitchen/Getty
Extra bags or ones that weigh too much can add hundreds of dollars to the price of flying.
United has already made $700 million from the additional fees they have imposed. So it's not "irrational" for them to want to hike their fees more. They'll do it until passengers stop bringing the extra baggage and paying the higher fees.
Skyrocketing fuel prices prompted that trend, but on Thursday there was already one sign that competition may push it back: Air Canada said it would stop charging for a second checked bag. It had not added a fee for the first checked bag.
So if you want to do all you can to try and keep your luggage to one suitcase, what should you do?
Suitcase savvy
Battle those new luggage fees by adapting your packing habits.
1. Use soft-sided luggage or duffle bags. Some hardshell suitcases weigh up to 15 pounds when empty.
2. Select luggage that has multiple compartments, allowing suits to stay wrinkle-free and be kept separate from shoes and toiletries.
3. Instead of packing coordinated outfits that can be worn just once, choose clothing that can be mixed and matched to create multiple outfits.
4. Consider rolling jeans and T-shirts instead of folding them. This will save space and keep the clothes wrinkle-free.
5. Weigh your suitcase before leaving home. (Get on a scale with the bag, then without, then subtract.) If the bag is more than 50 pounds, remove a few items or use a second suitcase.
Checking a second bag is typically cheaper than the fee for overweight luggage.
Combat new airline luggage fees
