This is a hot topic because changes are coming – yet again.  The reason it’s become a hot topic is because of passenger abuse brought on by the extra baggage fees imposed by the airlines.  (Not that abuse hadn’t gone on before this.)

An empty airplane soon to be crammed full with passengers and cary-on baggage

An increase in baggage fees was announced in early January 2010 for tickets bought for travel within the US/Canada and Territories on or after the 5^th of January 2010 for travel after the 12^th January 2010.  The first checked bag will now cost $25.00 ($15.00 old fee).  The second bag is now $35.00 ($25.00 old fee).  (A fee reduction is available if you check your bags in on-line in advance, $23. and $32.00)  For international travel two checked bags are included in the ticket price EXCEPT the second bag in economy to Europe.  Make sure you check with your individual airline before booking or packing for a trip.  On many airlines, these fees are waved with Mileage Program status.  This is yet another reason why frequent travelers need to work on acquiring and maintaining Airline status.

Because of the originally imposed baggage fees and now the increase, passengers are abusing the carry-on policy because they are carrying on bags that are bigger than allowed.

On every one of my recent flights I have seen gross abuses of carry-on bags allowances mainly because airline staff doesn’t enforce it.  Passengers are bringing aboard garment bags that are bursting, plus a carry-on, and a personal item.

Under Seat Space for your Personal Carry-On Bag and this is the Exit Row!

Read on for the policy from United Airlines →

Here are the Delta Airlines Policy for Carry-On baggage:

All Delta passengers are allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item that meet the criteria below. See Security Check-in for liquid and gel restrictions.

Size and Weight Restrictions

If your carry-on bag doesn’t meet these size restrictions it must be checked, and all checked baggage rules will apply. Your bag must:

Not exceed 45 inches (length + width + height), or 115 cm.

Fit easily in our SizeCheck® unit (approximately 22″x14″x9″, or 56x36x23 cm).

Fit in an overhead bin or underneath the seat in front of you.

Personal Items

You’re allowed one personal item from this sample list:

• Purses, briefcases, camera cases, and diaper bags
• Laptop computers (can’t be checked and must be carried on)
• Items of a similar or smaller size to those above

Other Carry-on Items Allowed

You may also bring these items onboard. They do not count toward your personal item.

• Food items for immediate consumption
• Assistive devices such as wheelchairs or crutches
• One box or bag of duty free merchandise

Carry-on baggage policies for all United travel

For worldwide travel on any United or United Express flight, you may carry on one bag and one personal item such as a purse, briefcase or laptop computer. Your carry-on bag…

• must fit under your seat or in the overhead bin;
• should not be more than 9 x 14 x 22 inches (23 x 35 x 56 cm) or 45 linear inches* (114 linear cm); and
• may be required to travel as checked baggage if the bag cannot be safely stowed on a particular flight.

The following personal items are not counted toward your one bag and one personal item limit:

• Assistive devices (canes, crutches, etc.)
• Child safety seats for ticketed children
• Infant restraint devices (infant seat with or without stroller, front pouch or back carrier)
• Outer garments (coats, hats, etc.)
• Reading material (a reasonable amount)
• Umbrellas (one per passenger)
• Food and beverages to be consumed onboard
• One musical instrument not exceeding a size of 45 linear inches*
• A coat, jacket, or umbrella

• Please note that items must be stowed in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you. They may not be stowed in the seat back pocket

With so many people not respecting and staff not enforcing the carry-on policies, you need to have a plan before boarding.  Short of tattling on passengers to staff (how tempting) you need to do the following to assure you’ll have space for your items:

Maximize your airline status before booking your ticket.  Check previous Blog Posts for tips on doing this.

At your terminal gate, get in line to board your flight well in advance.

Do not book a bulkhead seat.  There is not space in front of you to store any bags or personal items.  So, they will need to be stored in the overhead bins.

Once boarded, immediately store your items in the overhead bin.  After everyone is boarded and has stowed there carry-on, then remove your items you want with you from your carry-on bag.  But beware don’t turn your back!  We have seen passengers (creeps) jump up and slip their bag in when you’re not looking!  Can you say “confrontation”?

Of course, by now, everyone must know about the “3-1-1” liquid restrictions for carry-ons.  You can find the details HERE.

It may be worth it for you to travel with more outer garments than you need for the flight.  Just make sure that the garment has lots of pockets to store medications, electronic cords, portable external hard drives, jewelry, cameras, etc.  Also, make sure the pockets zip or snap shut so you don’t lose any items in transit.  You can maximize your allowances and work with or around any new restrictions imposed by the TSA or airlines.

Happy Tripping,

Carter

It's a Big Wonderful World (And it's yours free) Well, almost . . .

The holidays are over, you’ve sobered up, the gift cards have been spent, and you’ve completed your holiday travel.  Well, if you’re planning on using frequent flyer miles for next year’s holiday travel, you’d better get on it now.

Most airline seats for booking are released 11 months and one day before the flight is scheduled to depart.  So, if you’re planning on award travel for Christmas it’s already time to get on it.  Here’s the rub: you won’t be able to book your complete itinerary if you are planning on returning after Christmas – it’s too early.  So, for those of you that are planning to return before Christmas, you’d better book away.  You may already be too late!

The Wall Street Journal has a good primer on what to do to maximize your odds of being able to book award travel.

Even though recession-weary consumers may want to cash in frequent-flier miles to get free trips and upgrades more than ever these days, it’s gotten harder to snare those awards. Even though recession-weary consumers may want to cash in frequent-flier miles to get free trips and upgrades more than ever these days, it’s gotten harder to snare those awards.

Read on →

If you haven’t booked an award travel for several years, be ready for a shock.  Airlines have increased the amount of miles you need from each seat.  In 2003 on-United Airlines, the required frequent flier miles, in economy, was 50,000 miles.  In 2010, the Saver Award in Economy is 55,000 miles and the Standard Award is 110,000 miles!

I’ve already booked my summer award travel to Europe.  I booked that travel last November and it was already slim pickings.  I didn’t get my ideal times and ideal cities.  I wasn’t able to book any first class seats (for 2, singles were available) and settled for business on a partnered airline.  Note: The intra-European flights are easy to book; the “over-the-water” flights are the problem.  There are only so many flights “over-the-water”.

I enjoy traveling during the December holidays and since I am unable to book the return portion of my trip (post Christmas) at this time, I have to be poised to jump on the seats for the date the moment they become available.  The problem I will find, by then, is that the departure seats will be slim pickings.

Be diligent and it will pay off.  Remember, to keep working hard and keenly to get those miles.  You deserve the flights you want for that dream holiday.

Happy Tripping,

Carter

Hey Trippers,

One of my tenets of travel is that having proper rest if paramount.  I don’t believe you can have a full day and absorb all the wonders you uncover unless you have a good nights rest.

That’s why quiet accommodation is important.  It’s easy enough to contact your accommodation and make sure they reserve you a room to the back of the hotel, off the busy street.  Just make sure their isn’t a subway line in the back!

Before you even get to your destination, you need your rest.  Which means you have to get it on the plane ride over.  When I lived in London, anyone who came to visit had to endure a tough first day when arriving from overseas.  You need to reset your body clock ASAP to get the most out of your travel you forked out some good money for.  Typically, either you can’t sleep on a noisy plane, you want to enjoy the meal/movies, or there’s only time for a couple hours rest.

Then, you find your way in a strange atmosphere coming at you a hundred miles an hour on a couple hours rest.  The worst mistake you can make is to get to your hotel room and take a nap – further throwing your body clock out of whack.  It could take days to reset and by then your trip is half over!

Alternatively, you could explore the option of taking a sleep medication.  I’m a big fan of zolpidem (generic for Ambien).  It will give you a good 4 to 6 hours sleep and the best part – no hangover.  Drugs in the valium class have a half life of 12 – 24 hours.  So, you drag and feel tired.  Zolpidem has a much shorter half life, so typically you feel awake and refreshed.

Now, fair warning: I do not have a thing to do with any drug company, you should take it under a doctors supervision, there may be side effects, and do NOT take it with alcohol.  Taking it with alcohol is the biggest mistake you can make.  We know friends who first hand have taken zolpidem on a plane with alcohol and then done some bizarre things.

I went to a website to check out the side effects and found testimonials from many – good and bad.  I’d like to share some of the more bizarre ones.  Enjoy: Ambien Testimonials

Hey Trippers,

Here’s a heads up to the new TSA airline passenger screening.  They want yet more information.  They will be asking you for your birth date and sex.  Redundant if you ask me.  I can’t be issued a ticket without my ID being approved anyway.  Washington Post article HERE.

Just a reminder:  When you book a ticket, always but the ticket using you name exactly as it is written on your ID.   This means same spelling, no nicknames, and middle initials.  If it isn’t the same you WILL NOT be allowed to travel.

Happy Tripping, Carter

Crammed in like sardines

Does the title tell you how mad I am?  And I know the ins and outs of the game.  I got a call from a good friend of mine asking about his seat selection for a flight he’s taking next week.  I told him to go on line to his airline’s website, enter in his Flight Confirmation Code, and change his seat.  He couldn’t do it!  The airline wouldn’t let him do it.  Three reasons:

Capacity - When your flight has reached 80% capacity all seat assignments defer to the airport check-in.  Even if you arrive very early, chances are the highly desirable seats won’t be available.   So, it is crucial you book the seats you want immediately when you book your flight.

Status – Your status with the airline is not high enough to allow you to make the changes.  Yesterday, I booked a trip to the East Coast and because of my status with the airline and my membership in the Mileage Program; I was assigned my seat preferences as default.  I prefer aisle seats so I can mover about the cabin easily and without disturbing anyone.  My seat preferences are in my profile with the airlines mileage program.  If you are traveling with someone who has a higher status and you book your travel together, you can tether to their status for better seat selection.

Revenue - Your Airlines hold back prime seating to SELL to passengers at the airport.  It’s come to the point where you have to pay through the nose for 5 MORE measly inches!  But to someone who’s overweight that could be the difference between agony and comfort.  If I had higher status with my airline I’m flying, I would have been defaulted to these seats at no extra charge.

All of this is a reminder for you to select your seating carefully when you book your flight – otherwise you can expect an elbow in both your sides or someone sleeping on your shoulder.

Seat Configuration Websites – Consult the following websites to help you with the process:

Seat Guru

Seat Expert

For more on an iPhone App to use as resource for seating information on-the-go.  CLICK HERE

Happy Tripping,
Carter