The first time I had to pay to check bags when flying was on my honeymoon. My wife and I were going away for two weeks and we were shocked when we were asked to fork over $50 to get our bags on our plane. Since then, I’ve grown accustomed to getting fleeced by airlines when checking bags. However, I’m still not happy that I often have to pay 20% above my flight cost just to go somewhere with a change of clothes.
Unless you’ve achieved elite status as a frequent flyer, the only way to avoid baggage fees is with an airline credit card. Currently, the Delta Skymiles credit card and Continental OnePass credit card offer this amenity to cardholders. Normally, I am not fond of airline credit cards with annual fees. But with both the Delta Skymiles and Continental OnePass cards, a couple that takes one trip a year comes out ahead and a family of four saves over $100 after the annual fee is taken into consideration
Unfortunately, these credit cards aren’t ideal for everyone. If you live near a major city or an airline hub where Delta or Continental are based and fly on one of these airlines at least once a year, paying $85 to $100 in annual fees is well worth it. However, if you live near a smaller airport or tend to fly on a different carrier, then you may be better off saving the annual fee and going with a different credit card to earn miles.
For additional information on credit cards mention in this article, please see the airline credit card section of CardWisdom.com
Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yurilong/4917535441/sizes/l/in/photostream/
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