Luggage can put heavy hit on wallet
By Tom Parsons, Los Angeles Times
Lots of people still carry on their bags, but a heavy, big bag more than likely will need to go down below.
And that’s going to cost you.
The overweight and oversize fees are in addition to your checked-bag fees. If your bag is overweight and oversize, you could pay as much as $325 for one checked bag, by the time you add up a checked-bag fee and maximum charges for overweight and oversize bags.
The overweight fee, in many cases, is now $100 for a bag weighing 51 to 70 pounds on American, US Airways, Delta and United. You pay that rate whether the bag is 55 pounds or 69 pounds, so if you have a bag that’s only slightly heavier, unpack a few heavy items, such as shoes, or bring a second bag because it can be cheaper to check two bags within the limits than one overweight bag.
Oversize luggage can also be expensive. If your bag is over 62 linear inches (length, plus width, plus depth), you will have to pay $200 on American, Delta, United and US Airways. On most airlines, the maximum size of bag you can check is 80 linear inches.
