Excess baggage valuation chart
April 20, 2011 ·
For most people who check bags when flying, the $3300 of lost baggage coverage offered by airlines (by U.S. law) on domestic flights is enough to cover any loss or damage (keep those receipts when you buy anything expensive however, and fragile or other “valuable” items such as electronics are always excluded from coverage, so [...]
10 travel tips for your back and waistline
May 21, 2010 ·
Common annoyances like bad food and cramped quarters are simply a fact of travel, whether you’re going by air or land. But you can keep them to a minimum and arrive at your destination with your health and sanity intact. Here’s how: On a plane 1. Distribute your luggage between two smaller suitcases instead of [...]
Spirit Airlines to charge up to $30 for carry-ons bags
April 6, 2010 ·
A small airline based in Florida is going to try charging as much as $30 for carry-on bags. Spirit Airlines says the charge will apply to bags in the overhead bin. Personal items that fit under the seat will still be free. The new charge begins on Aug. 1. Spirit says the charge should reduce [...]
Lost-bags compensation requires persistence
April 1, 2010 ·
If an airline loses your luggage, your first stop should be the baggage claim office to report it missing. Your next move might be to buy a change of clothes. But while airlines are required to reimburse passengers for clothing and toiletries in the event of a lost or delayed bag, according to the U.S. [...]
The end of mishandled baggage?
February 25, 2010 ·
Modern day airline passengers juggle a lot of numbers. In addition to remembering flight numbers, gate numbers, seat numbers and figuring out how many liquid ounces fit into a zippered baggie, fliers must pay attention to the fees for checked baggage and calculate the odds of that luggage arriving safely and on time. The good [...]
How to beat airline fees
February 23, 2010 ·
You could almost feel sorry for the airlines. Few people see the service on one carrier as being much different than another, so competition is all around fares — how cheaply can I get there? — and most of them lose money. Which means the carriers constantly skirt bankruptcy and have to find all kinds [...]
TSA to swab airline passengers’ hands in search for explosives
February 17, 2010 ·
To the list of instructions you hear at airport checkpoints, add this: “Put your palms forward, please.” The Transportation Security Administration soon will begin randomly swabbing passengers’ hands at checkpoints and airport gates to test them for traces of explosives. Previously, screeners swabbed some carry-on luggage and other objects as they searched for the needle [...]
