7 Tips to Avoid Baggage Fees while Flying Internationally

Take Time to Pack

Start packing your travel bag a week before your flight. Don’t pack at the last minute because you think you won’t have time to choose your outfits. Give yourself a little time to pack your bag. Make a packing list that you can use every time you fly. Or open your bag a week before your flight date and begin collecting things in your suitcase when you think of them. Dinner, dancing, hiking, and swimming? Plan, plan, plan! If you do, there’s no other way you can over-pack and get hit with those tricky baggage fees. Also, reconsider getting a home baggage scale if you’re a regular over-packer.

Multi-Use Items

Why not carry a dress that converts into a beach cover-up, that turns into a sleeper? It can be done. Bring a plain black shift dress (or another solid neutral color) or a button-down shirt you can dress up or down – they will seem to be several different outfits but will only use a small amount of space. There are also several reversible shorts, pants, and shirts on the market for tourists.

Get a Lightweight Suitcase

Our suitcase is added to the last weight of your baggage, something obvious to forget. If you’re permitted 50 pounds weight in a marked bag, and the bag is already 10 pounds, (no this isn’t a math problem), and you will hardly have 40 pounds left. That’s 20 percent of your baggage allotment now gone! So do your analysis if you’re in the store to buy a new bag. Some brands are claiming lightweight tour bags.

Carry-On Ideas

You may have to pay for your baggage carry-on item on some flights these days, but you yet can travel with a backpack, messenger bag, or carryall bag at no additional cost. There are limitations to sizing on some planes, and it does have to fit under your front seat.

Buy After You Fly

It is one of my flying commandments for emphasizing about overlooking something when I’m flying. Just buy it when you land at your destination. But it also makes sense as a way to avoid luggage fees. I’m not telling you should buy your wintertime coat when you visit or anything hard to purchase.

Enroll in an Airline Credit Card

One exceptional airline credit card perk is they reserve baggage fees if you book your flight with that card. Gift: if you book your companion’s trip, the airline will ordinarily waive that baggage fee as well. But look into that before booking, since all credit cards have various limitations in the fine print.

Ship it

If you have a few fat bags, shipping your baggage pre-travel may be an excellent decision for saving money on additional baggage fees. This decision may take a few more efforts, but in the end, it may be the most cost-effective option when flying with a lot of gear or a large family.