Airline Luggage Restrictions to Remember

Buying a plane ticket can be stressful enough. If it is a major trip, you watch the prices for weeks to find that perfect moment when they drop. Most national flights have some hidden fees, especially when it comes to baggage. We grit our teeth and accept them, or try to cram all of our possessions into a carry-on.

For international travel, however, it has been assumed for a long while passengers would have to take at least one checked bag and this would be part of the ticket price. This assumption can no longer be made. In January 2018, Bloomberg reported Delta Air Lines and its European partners would now be charging for luggage in conjunction with a new class of economy ticketing. This new economy class has become popular with most major airlines, including Air France, Alitalia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa and United Airlines, among others. The fare for these “light economy” tickets is different from other economy tickets that usually include a checked bag in the price. Light fares may be slightly cheaper, but it will cost you about $120 to a check a bag for a round-trip ticket.

If you purchase directly from an airline, read the baggage policies closely, it will become clear what is and what is not included in the price. One challenge to look out for is if you are purchasing through Kayak, Vayama or any other site that aggregates the cheapest flights. Most of these sites will give you great fares, but you will need to pay attention to whether bags are included or not. If they are not, you will not usually be able to purchase this amenity through the site, but will have to go separately through the carrier. It is clear there is officially no hope trans-Atlantic flights bring back the free socks and toothbrush.