Airline fees are on the increase and many, including Delta, charge $25 for passengers' first checked bag abnd $35 for the second one. There are a few ways to get around the fee if you plan ahead.
- Consider a credit card that includes free checked luggage as a bonus. The American Express Delta Skymiles Card allows you to check one bag free for each flight you take. There's no annual fee the first year and $95 a year after that. Spouse's bags are not included so a husband and wife would each have to apply for an individual card.
- Style Expert Kam Thomas Throckmorton says there is often no need to check your bag. She can fit a four or five day trip into a small carry on suitcase. Throckmorton iis a consultant for metro Atlanta women who seek help editing and organizing their closets, shopping, packing for trips and planning weddings. She said the first step is to have a plan. "We're going to start with a jersey dress, which won't wrinkle," she said to Dunwoody client Jenny Eid as she helped her pack for a four day conference.
"You don't have to wear something different every single day, especially if you have pieces that you can mix up to get a different look," she said. She paired the same dress with different jewelry and scarves, and transformed the scarf into a blouse by knotting two corners together, draping it around Eid's neck, and tying it in a second knot around the back. She then belted it and added the same jacket Eid will wear on the plane.
Throckmorton packed a total of seven garments plus accessories into a small carry on bag. She prefers to roll clothing items instead of folding them. For more of Kam Throckmorton's travel fashion tips go to her website, GlamKam.com.
- A third way to avoid carry on fees is a bit of a gamble. If your bag meets carry on regulations but the overhead bins are in danger of filling up, Delta often allows free baggage checks just before boarding.