Babies Travel Lite - Travel Guide

From the Los Angeles Times
Bag limits force fliers to watch their weight

By Jane Engle
Times Staff Writer
Published April 24, 2005

Tom and Jean Craft received quite a shocker last summer when they checked in at Rome 's Da Vinci airport for a post-cruise flight to
Paris : a $332 charge for excess baggage.

Volare Airlines, one of Europe 's many low-cost carriers, allowed each passenger only 33 pounds (15 kilograms) of free baggage, including carry-ons, Tom said. Toting two roll-aboards each plus two carry-ons, the Thousand Oaks , Calif. , couple were way over the limit for Volare, which has since stopped flying.

Tom has been left with this lesson: "Be careful with whom you book. Next time we have flights, luggage restrictions are high on my list to check."

They should be high on your list, too, especially when flying to and within Europe . The rules are changing, even within the U.S. , and violating them can cost you hundreds of dollars.

Among things to watch for:

The dozens of low-cost carriers that swarm the skies of Europe set different luggage limits. Complicating matters, those limits usually are expressed in kilograms; 1 kilogram is about 2.2 pounds.

Although Volare's limits appear extreme, the free baggage allowance for Ireland 's Dublin-based Ryanair, for instance, is about 33 pounds (15 kilograms) total for all checked bags and 22 pounds (10 kilograms) for a carry-on. Its excess fees are about $2.63 per pound.

London-based EasyJet limits free checked baggage to 44 pounds (20 kilograms); excess fees are about $3.40 per pound.

Major European carriers tend to be more generous-but not always. Ireland 's Aer Lingus, for instance, limits Coach passengers to 44 pounds of free checked baggage, except on trans-Atlantic routes. On those flights, following common industry practice, it allows up to two bags, within certain size limits, providing none weighs more than 70 pounds (32 kilograms). Excess fees are $2.93 per pound; on trans-Atlantic routes, they're $70 for each extra bag.

British Airways has a similar trans-Atlantic policy. On its other international routes, Coach passengers can check 51 pounds (23 kilograms) of luggage for free; on flights within Britain , they can check one piece, up to 70 pounds. Excess fees vary by route and fare.

European airports also are starting to restrict the weight of checked bags. London 's Heathrow Airport last year began rejecting checked bags heavier than 70 pounds (32 kilograms). England 's Manchester Airport , citing an increasing rate of injuries to baggage handlers, did the same April 1.

Some U.S. carriers are cracking down too. American Airlines last month dropped its weight limit for free checked bags on international flights from 70 to 50 pounds per bag, matching its domestic limit. (It bans bags heavier than 70 pounds from flights to Europe and Asia .)

Fees for overweight bags start at $25. Fees for checking more than two bags start at $80 per bag.

On April 1, Southwest, which does not fly internationally, dropped its free allowance from 70 to 50 pounds per checked bag. Fees for overweight bags start at $25. Southwest still allows up to three free checked bags per person-more than many competitors do; each extra bag, up to nine, costs $50.

Airlines and industry observers cite several reasons for tough luggage limits. Extra-heavy bags, they say, injure baggage handlers and flight attendants, hurt fuel economy by adding weight, and slow turnaround times because they require special handling.

Although it's hard to find statistics on the number of pieces of baggage and their weight, many industry insiders say they're seeing more and heavier luggage at airports as leisure travel increases and wheeled bags proliferate.

As for carry-ons, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) recommends that the combined length, width and depth of the bag be limited to 45 inches. Many but not all carriers follow this.

Airlines commonly set weight as well as size limits. But only foreign carriers seem inclined to reject carry-ons based on weight. Within Europe and when flying internationally anywhere, the limit can be as little as 13 pounds, or about 6 kilograms.

Not so in the U.S. , in my experience. I've never had an airline put my carry-on on a scale.

"We do not routinely weigh carry-ons," said American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith, even though the airline's official limit for these is 40 pounds per bag.

Even experts can't keep up with the changing rules. A spokesman for the European division of the industry's Airports Council International hadn't heard about Manchester Airport 's new limit. A Southwest spokeswoman was grateful to learn about American's change; she was flying that airline the next day.

Don't expect the confusion to end soon. Saying baggage limits are a commercial matter, government regulators in the U.S. and Europe let airlines set their own rules. The IATA recommends but doesn't enforce guidelines.

"It's the Wild West" on bag rules, an IATA spokesman said.

Here's how to avoid a showdown at the ticket counter:

Know before you go: Consult the airline's Web site or call the airline. The IATA site offers handy links to nearly 100 airlines' policies; go to visit www.iata.org/ps/services/bags/links.htm .

Divide and conquer: Split your belongings between two bags. Just because you can wheel it to the ticket counter doesn't mean your bag will fly.

Devise a Plan B: What will you do if the airline makes you check your only piece of luggage, which you had planned to carry with you on a 17-hour journey?

That happened to my partner and me on a recent trip, when we ran afoul of a 15-pound carry-on limit on China Airlines. We frantically repacked in line at the LAX ticket counter, cramming inflatable pillows, eyeshades and more into our shoulder purses. I already had put needed medicines in my purse. What if I had forgotten them?

Take less stuff: There's no substitute for traveling light. For tips on how and what to pack, go to www.travelsense.org (American Society of Travel Agents); click on "Travel Tips" and "Packing." Also good is www.ricksteves.com (Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door tour company); click on "Plan Your Trip" and "Travel Tips."