Flights add to bag blues

Airlines reach for wallets of passengers with second checked baggage.

Planning to check two bags on your next flight to London, Rome or Paris? Pay up. In a little-publicised trend, many airlines are cracking down on transatlantic luggage, dinging coach flyers $50 (Dh183 ) or more each way for a second checked bag - about twice the going rate of domestic flights.

Four of the five airlines that fly nonstop between Los Angeles International Airport and London, for instance, will be charging the new fee. Only Air New Zealand, as of last week, was still honouring the treasured two-bag tradition on that route, with "no plans that I know of" to change, said spokeswoman Sarah Miller-Reeves.

As for the rest, well, talk about Scrooges. The new fees arrive just in time for the end-of-year holidays, when passengers board jets bearing gifts for loved ones. Or not, once they calculate the costs.

"It's just another slap in the face of consumers," said Michael Clewer, vice-president of the Continental Travel Shop, a Santa Monica, California, travel agency that caters to British expatriates.

Because few clients seem to know about the changes, he predicted "a lot of surprises" for holiday flyers.

Insult or not, the fees address a crisis in the airline business, which is bleeding red ink.

Last month, the industry's International Air Transport Association more than doubled its forecast of losses for European and North American airlines to $6.4 billion (Dh23.5 billion) for 2009. It blamed the shortfall on falling demand, lower fares and recent increases in fuel prices.

"With the state of the world economy, we're looking at ways to enhance our revenue," said Tim Wagner, spokesman for American Airlines, which on September 14 began charging coach customers $50 (Dh183) for a second checked bag on most transatlantic flights. Wagner said American expected to earn "a significant amount" from the new fees but declined to give a figure.

The International Air Transport Association also predicts financial losses for next year, so you're likely to see more baggage fees to more long-haul destinations, such as Africa and Asia, that frequently still allow coach flyers to check two bags for free.

So, transatlantic flyers, it's time to get real about your baggage. Steps that might cut your costs include packing lighter, carrying on more, choosing another airline, getting an upgrade or paying fees online. Each has its upsides and downsides.

One strategy that's a sure loser: shipping your stuff overseas. Even using rates that allow five business days for delivery, the cost to ship a 40-pound bag from Los Angeles to London hovered around $300 (Dh1,102) based on recent FedEx and UPS website prices.

Hands-free and other options

A closer look at your choices:

Lighten up: When told about the second-bag fees, Gillian Neufeld, 77, of Santa Monica, who spends nearly three months in England every year, said: “That's all right with me because I don't take much.'' She travels with one medium-sized suitcase and a large handbag, she said.

Neufeld's secret: She keeps clothes at her cottage in Yorkshire.

Travellers who lack an English cottage would be wise to make do with less stuff. Many sources offer tips on packing light. Search for “travel packing'' on websites such as www.ehow.com and travel guru Rick Steves' www.ricksteves.com. If you pack lightly and your companion doesn't, consider taking some of his/her stuff in your bag. But watch the dimensions and weight: Airlines typically limit checked bags to 50 pounds each on trans-Atlantic routes.

Carry on: Take more on-board and check less. Sounds simple. But besides the usual size restrictions and one-bag limit, some carriers strictly restrict carry-on weight for overseas travel. For transatlantic coach passengers, the limit on Virgin Atlantic, for instance, is 13 pounds; on Lufthansa, it's 8 kilograms, or a little more than 17 1/2 pounds.

Be prepared to convert kilograms into pounds and, sometimes, centimetres into inches to calculate your allowance, and be sure to weigh your carry-on before leaving home.

And, of course, the overhead bins may fill up, forcing you to check your intended carry-on bag at the last minute. The upside: You may be spared a second-bag fee, some fliers report. The downside: For various reasons, the bag in this case may be more apt to be misrouted, luggage experts say.

Choose another airline: Well, there's Air New Zealand, at least for now, to London out of Los Angeles. But even with multiple airlines flying transatlantic routes, the list of those that allow a second checked bag for free is dwindling.

Get an upgrade: Typically, you won't pay a fee for a second checked bag if you're flying in first or business class or a premium economy class that has more legroom or other perks.

Policies vary by airline. High-mileage frequent fliers may be exempt, and even some coach fliers who buy full-fare, refundable tickets, which often cost hundreds more than the cheapest fares. However you get an exemption, it's likely to cost more than the bag fees.

For instance, for random October dates checked on British Airways' website, the lowest Los Angeles to London round-trip fare was $963 (Dh3,537), compared with $1,847 (Dh6,784) for World Traveller, a premium economy class that is exempt from the second-bag fee.

If you plan to use frequent-flier miles to upgrade, getting to check two bags for free is a nice bonus.

Pay online: Some airlines charge less for the second bag if you check in for your flight and pay the fee online instead of waiting until you arrive at the airport. United Airlines, for instance, discounts its $50 (Dh183) fee by $5 (Dh18), and British Airways and Virgin Atlantic take $12 (Dh44) off their $60 (Dh220) fees.

It's a small blessing. But when flying across the Pond these days, I'll take anything I can get.