United Airlines announced this week that it is planning to charge passengers who travel on its cheapest nonrefundable tickets $25 for a second checked bag.  This is a change from United’s old policy, which permitted passengers to check two 50 lb. bags free of charge.  Parents and senior citizens can breathe a sigh of relief: car seats, strollers, and wheelchairs don’t count as a second checked bag.  Additionally, if you have Premier frequent flyer status or higher or you have bought a refundable ticket, you’re exempt from the $25 charge.

With the airlines’ financial woes and the ever rising cost of fuel, charging for luggage was only a matter of time.  Free food was the first victim, seat choice was next, and now luggage is the latest sacrificial lamb.  What’s next?  Probably that can of Pepsi or Mott’s apple juice that you count on to quench your thirst as you wait for hours on the runway.  However, unlike the food or seat choice, you can easily cut down on your luggage haul, and it will save you money throughout your trip.  How?  Here are some examples of what dragging around two huge suitcases will cost you:

• Tipping the skycap extra dollars for picking up all your luggage, because you can’t balance your carry-on bag, laptop and suitcases as you enter or exit the airport
• Paying the cabdriver an extra luggage fee plus additional gratuity
• Tipping the bellman more to handle all of your bags
• Instinctively buying more stuff that you really don’t need on your journey because you have so much room in your luggage
• Letting the airline handle your luggage and thus lose your luggage.  With twice as much stuff, you run twice the risk that the airline is going to send one of your bags to Omaha, Nebraska and the other to your final destination (assuming you don’t live in Omaha).  I bet that United Airlines won’t be refunding your $25 if it mishandles your suitcase. 

 Aside from the above, I’ve seen people checking in at the airport trying to balance stuff between two or three pieces of luggage because they are trying to slip under the 50 lb limit and avoid paying the overweight luggage charge.  Even if your airline doesn’t follow United’s lead and charge $25 for additional pieces of luggage, why have your underwear sprawled out for the whole airport to see because you packed so much that you busted the 50 lb limit?  Finally, not only is it cheaper to carry less luggage, your shoulders will thank you for the lighter load.