Comments on: Airline Baggage Fees are Here to Stay: How to Minimize the Damage

By: Libby Garvey

Libby Garvey — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:03:18 +0000

If only train service were better!

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:07:00 +0000

Jenny: Thanks for your thoughts and this great information. Many consumers believe fuel prices have gone down and thus the airlines were little justified in charging the baggage fees they once blamed on high fuel costs.

The fact is, they can do whatever they want: they still have a product that we need (want) to buy and, what is the expression — whatever the market will bear? Of course all these hassles and expenses make a lot of people just want to stay home, or load up the car instead.

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:02:33 +0000

Libby: I agree – snacks are such an easy way to cut down on expenses. And it usually feels much better (and of course costs much less) than anything you can buy in the airport, or airplane now.

Of course it’s fun to eat out, but I also find that my kids and I think it’s just as fun to eat in an unusual place and format — so the fact that we’ve prepared the food ourselves doesn’t matter. It’s like a picnic!

By: Libby Garvey

Libby Garvey — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 03:14:20 +0000

Thank you for all the helpful tips. I flew for the first time in quite a while and all the issues with luggage were a bit of a shock. I’ve found carrying on food, even if just snacks, a good idea. And the empty water bottle to fill later is crucial!

By: Jenny

Jenny — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:27:11 +0000

In many of the airlines we took recently, the flights were full. This meant that most people using small suitcases as carry ons. Because there wouldn’t have been room in the overhead bins for all for all of them the airlines checked the bags plane side for free, and everyone picked them up plane side after deplaning – just like they do for strollers.

I personally think the bag charges are justified as I have not noticed a huge change last year in ticket prices despite the fact that jet fuel has gone up 41% since last year. http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/economics/fuel_monitor/price_analysis.htm

No wonder the new fuel efficient Boeing Dreamliner 787 (which is made out of a lightweight carbon fiber) is selling like gangbusters.

By: Nancy West

Nancy West — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:29:48 +0000

This is great information! Here are a few items I’d like to share from my recent experience:
1) Regarding what to bring vs what to buy, my friend Allison always orders all their toiletries online from CVS.com and has them delivered to their destination.
2) Regarding food: yes and no. I’ve never bought food on a plane, but think it’s no longer universally true that airport food is bad or unhealthy, and bringing your own takes up a huge amount of carry-on space. Last summer I bought sushi at one airport and an authentic vegetable burrito at another, both healthy and tasty if admittedly not cheap. The thing is, “eating out” is such a big thrill for young children that to my mind, reducing your carry-on (sandwiches, fruit etc really do take up a lot of room) and using the dining-out as an incentive to behave well during the travel day make airport food not such a bad proposition. (Plus it can help fill the time for kids during a boring layover.) Snacks for the plane are absolutely a good idea though (or the leftovers from your airport meal).
3) When I flew last winter with my then 6-year-old, I was surprised by her wish to bypass her usual carry-on backpack in favor of a more “grown up” book bag (one of mine that a friend made). And it was one of those things where having something that looked grown up made her act more grown up. She was sashaying along with her cloth bookbag over her shoulder, no complaints whatsoever about having to carry it, and I really think it was because she felt more grown up than she would have with her old Dora backpack.