Secrets to Avoiding Paying Airline Bag Fees

Oct. 20, 2010 — -- Have you seen the new TV ad skewering airline bag fees? It features a smiling New York cabbie hustling his fares' luggage into the trunk of his taxi, then surprising them with a special charge. Some sample dialog:

Taxi Driver: "Just so you know, I need another $25 for putting the bag in the trunk."

Passenger #1: "No you don't."

Taxi Driver: "You know, carry-ons are free, but when you put it in the trunk..."

Passenger #2: "No, no, no, no, this is not right!"

Passenger #3: "Open your trunk, we're out of here."

No, it's not an ad from a passenger rights group; it's from JetBlue. The airline wants to be sure you know that they don't charge for a first checked bag. Interestingly, they haven't been promoting that freebie much until now.

Perhaps the carrier was weighing the advantages of the money a first checked-bag fee could bring in versus the good will and hopefully bigger market share that a non-fee would bring -- as demonstrated by Southwest.

For more air travel news and insights visit Rick's blog at: http://farecompare.com

Flying JetBlue or Southwest is one way to avoid a fee most travelers despise, and there are other fee-avoidance methods as well. In fact, you might be surprised at some of the companies who are begging for the privilege paying your bag fees. Yep, you heard right.

Checked-bag fees really add up; these days, many carriers charge $25 for the first bag and as much as $35 for a second -- and these prices are just one-way. So let's say a family of four each checks a bag -- that's $200 roundtrip. If the family is foolish enough to check two bags each, the cost of the trip jumps by $480. Now that's "staycation" territory, if you ask me.

But fear not; I'm here to help -- or least to let you know about your alternatives. It's up to you to decide if they will work for you.

Hotel Bag Freebies -- Pros and Cons

Did you know some hotels want to pay your bag fees? They do indeed.

It has nothing to do with the goodness of their hearts and everything to do with marketing; the economy in recent years has been rough on everyone and the hospitality business is no exception. They want you, and are willing to offer enticements like bag fee reimbursement.

So you might want to stay at a Kimpton Hotel on your next vacation. Not familiar with this high-end coast-to-coast chain? You may recognize some of their brands like Hotel Palomar and Hotel Monaco, but other properties go under a variety of names.

Anyway, Kimpton recently began a new promotion called "We've got your bag," which gives you cash back to cover your bag fees. To an extent.

What you should know: You pay the first checked-bag fee (if any) and they pay for your second bag, up to $25. Much better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but -- do you travel with two suitcases?

Plus, Kimpton properties cannot be confused with, say, a Motel 6 (and this is no knock on the latter, believe me -- both chains serve different needs). I recently looked online for the "best rate" for a one night stay in Kimpton's Hotel Palomar in Los Angeles later this month and it will run you just a hair under $300. So if a bag fee is going to make or break your trip, this might not be the right accommodation for you.

Maybe a Holiday Inn is more your speed. The good news is, Holiday Inns and hotels like the Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Candlewood Suites -- properties under the IHG umbrella of brands -- is offering to reimburse you for the roundtrip cost of any bag fee, up to $50 per person.

The catch: you have to stay with them for two consecutive weekend nights, and apply for what is essentially a rebate. Plus, you don't get cash back; you get one of those pre-paid Visa cards, so watch those expiration dates.

Credit Cards Pick Up Bag Fees

Some of the lodging places on Florida's Amelia Island are participating in a similar special called "Pack your bags," in which air travelers can receive up to an $80 room credit on stays of three or more nights, and you can find deals like this elsewhere.

One way is to find them is to follow your favorite properties (or restaurants or airlines) on Twitter and Facebook. Companies promote deals on these social networks that are not available anywhere else, so give it a try.

Credit Cards and Bag Fees

You know about some of the airline credit cards, right? Delta's SkyMiles branded American Express card, for instance, allows you and up to eight others on the same reservation to each check a bag for free all year long (cost of the card is $95, but free for the first year).

And now, the American Express Business Platinum card covers $200 in incidental airline charges a year, for any airline. This could be a good deal for a business traveler who usually gets bag fees waived due to his or her elite miles status, since that 200 bucks can be used to cover the dreaded (and expensive) airline change fee.

Bonus: the Business Platinum card also covers airline VIP lounge memberships, a perk that can be worth up to $950 a year, which makes the card's $400-plus annual fee a little easier to swallow.

Airlines Eat the Fees, Too

At least they do on JetBlue -- as noted, the carrier gives you a first checked-bag for free -- while Southwest gives you two (plus no change fee on Southwest, and they are now promoting this perk aggressively along with "bags fly free"). And don't forget United's Premier Baggage -- for $249 a year, nine people can travel on the same reservation and get two free bags all year long. Depending on how much you travel and how much you pack, you could save hundreds.

The Do-It-Yourself Bag Fee Saver

This one's my favorite: use a carryon every time you travel and pay zip. Well, except on Spirit -- the only airline to charge you for this "privilege."

Oh, and if you see a certain smiling cabbie in New York who seems extra-happy to dump your bag in his trunk, you might want to ask him if there's a fee for that...

This work is the opinion of the columnist and does not reflect the opinion of ABC News.

Rick Seaney is one of the country's leading experts on airfare, giving interviews and analysis to news organizations that include ABC News, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, the Associated Press and Bloomberg. His website, FareCompare.com, offers consumers free, new-generation software, combined with expert insider tips to find the best airline ticket deals.