You Better Be Traveling Light

Summer travelers, beware! Suspiciously, fees are being applied at around the same time – during this month of May. ( See: “You’re charging me for what?!” by Kate Hamman – SmarterTravel.com)

I remember feeling appalled last year when I made the move to New York from California after learning that Virgin America charges extra ($10) for a second baggage. Weren’t travelers always allowed two complementary baggage spaces? For someone who is moving across the country, being limited to one is considerably restrictive. Thinking back, I could have shelled out extra (after all, it was only $10) and saved my new roommate and me a lot of sweat and pain lugging that 60-pound piece up 4 flights of stairs – if only I knew the trend, the standard, now: extra fees for that second bag. According to SmarterTravel.com, major airlines including United, American, Continental and Delta are charging up to $25. Virgin America is also hiking it up to $25. At least JetBlue’s fees are only $20?

Personally, I figure as long as the air fares are not dramatically increased, second-baggage fees are no big deal. Yet, we find out that airlines are not making profit due to sky-high fuel prices, except Southwest. We can certainly expect fuel surcharges like Delta’s. A month ago, I was weeping over high fares for New York/California flights. Now I feel that I should be content that I nabbed a round-trip for $339 via Priceline on American (for late June-July). But, compare that to my round-trip to Sweden for merely $514 in mid-February. I might as well give myself another vacation abroad.