A customer drops off her bag at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport earlier this year. Airlines in the United States collected more than $1.7 billion in baggage fees during the first half of the year, the largest amount ever collected in that six-month period.
Elaine Thompson, AP
Checked baggage and other 'insulting fees' bother Stacy Johnson enough that she has discovered a way to get around them, according to her article on Money Talk News.
Johnson, a financial writer for Money Talk News offers five insulting fees and ways to save money on them.
Checked Baggage
For one checked suitcase that is not overweight or over-sized, major airlines generally charge $25. Two major airlines don't charge the luggage fee: Southwest and JetBlue. Some airlines allow a baggage fee waiver when using their branded credit card.
Lap and pet fees
Domestic flights allow children under 2 to sit on your lap free, but when going international 10 percent of the ticket cost is charged for a lap fee. When shopping for a ticket, check what the fees for dogs or children are. Shop around if they are high.
Collision Damage Waiver
Rental car liability coverage can cost $25 per day and when they add extra liability coverage it can cost $40. If you have full-coverage insurance on a personal car it usually covers rentals. Credit card protection plans are available through some card services, but pickups and vans are not included.
Foreign transaction fees
This fee is charge when purchases are made outside of the country. If you know you are traveling outside the United States, look up which cards don't charge this fee, because several don't.
Overdraft fees
Overdraft fees average from $30 to $34 nationwide, which makes an annual rate of 5,000 percent. To avoid this, link the savings and checking account together for overdraft protection. It may create a transfer fee, but that is lower than an overdraft.
EMAIL: alovell@deseretnews.com
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Hutterite, how about letting the free market work, as is suggested by this article? If you don't like the luggage fees on Delta, fly Southwest or don't fly at all. If enough people avoid Delta in order to avoid luggage fees, then I will More..
What there needs to be is consumer protection legislation that defines, especially in the airline industry, what services an airline ticket should include which applies to all airlines. The way things are going with their outbundling of prices soon More..
@David
I'm glad you pointed this out. People get so offended by fees, but that's how capitalism works, and it's the system that we have in place in this country. I, for one, actually appreciate the checked baggage fee, More..