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Are you booked on a Continental flight? Do you need to check heavy baggage? If so, there is a good chance that you will incur an overweight baggage fee. While this is an extra cost to you, it is something that many people have to deal with when flying.

On a Continental flight you are allowed to check bags that weigh less than 50 pounds without being charged an additional fee.

If your bag weighs between 50 and 70 pounds you will be charged at the rate of $50 per piece. For this reason, you would be much better off making sure that your bags weigh less than 50 pounds before you head to the airport.

Bags that weigh more than 70 pounds are not allowed to be checked. If you are worried about this you can either reduce the weight of your luggage, or get in touch with Continental to determine the process for transporting your bag.

If you need to check heavy baggage Continental will charge you an additional fee. This is known as an overweight bag fee. You should do whatever you can to avoid these fees. If this is not possible, you will want to be aware of these excess charges before arriving at the airport.

photo credit: Jef Poskanzer

Continental has baggage restrictions, luggage charges, and a carry on luggage policy just like every airline. That being said, you need to be aware of the governing details of these policies.

Effective October 7, 2008, Continental has new baggage restrictions and fees in place. Every passenger is subject to a $15 charge for the first checked bag. Customers checking a second bag will be assessed a $25 fee. The airline does not charge to check car seats, wheelchairs, and strollers.

Continental also charges fees for excess baggage, as well as oversized and overweight bags. It is important to be aware of these restrictions when packing for your trip.

When traveling Continental, each passenger is allowed to carry on one bag and one personal item. Bags must not exceed 45 linear inches when adding the length, width, and height. Additionally, bags in excess of 40 pounds are not permissible as carry on luggage. Personal items include a purse, briefcase, laptop computer, camera case, personal entertainment device, or other like items.

This is a basic breakdown of Continental’s restrictions, fees, and policies. If you are booking a trip on this airline you need to be aware of these details and how they will affect the way you travel.

photo credit: Cubbie_n_Vegas

On January 29, 2008, Southwest implemented a new baggage allowance policy. Each passenger is allowed to check two pieces of baggage. If you need to check a third bag, you will be charged a fee of $25. For bags four through nine, you will be charged $50 per piece. Any item in addition to this limit will be assessed a $110 fee.

Southwest also has weight and size allowance restrictions to be aware of. Items that weigh between 51 and 70 pounds are assessed a $25 fee. Those weighing between 71 and 100 pounds cost $50 to check. Items over 100 pounds must be shipped as air cargo. That being said, passengers cannot use Southwest air cargo unless classified as a known shipper by the TSA.

Many of these policies went into place in January 2008 due to the struggling airline industry. Although Southwest does place fees on certain types of luggage, their restrictions are a bit more lenient than other airlines. This is sure to help them to steal business from the competition.

photo credit: Cubbie_n_Vegas

United recently updated their checked baggage policy. If you are going to be flying on this airline, it is important to be aware of these changes. While they will not affect every traveler, many will be faced with additional fees as well as restrictions on what can be checked.

First things first, you should know that traveling on an economy ticket will result in a service charge of $15 for the first checked bag. The second bag will cost $25.

Anybody flying United, with the exception of those in the frequent flier program, will be allowed to check one bag free of charge. A second bag is accompanied by a fee of $25.

Excess, overweight, or oversized baggage may incur additional fees. The oversize baggage fee is $125 per bag. For excess baggage, you will be charged up to $250 per bag depending on your flying status and the nature of your luggage. Overweight baggage, or the maximum weight per bag, is once again determined by your flying status. For instance, a mileage plus member is allowed to check a bag with a maximum of 50 pounds. For anything over this, a fee of $125 is assessed.

United recently implemented many of the details and fees associated with their luggage policy. For now, expect things to stay the same at United. If you are unsure of any detail, it would be in your best interest to call the airline before heading to the airport.

 photo credit: mpd01605

Just like most airlines, Jet Blue has recently updated their luggage policy. If you are going to be flying as a Jet Blue passenger in the near future, you will want to be aware of the current luggage policy as well as any changes that are scheduled for the future.

Jet Blue allows each passenger to check one bag for free. While this may change, for the time being it is one of the better policies in the airline industry. That being said, if you need to check an additional bag you should be ready to pay a $20 fee. For three or more bags, each one is accompanied by a fee of $75.

Overweight and oversized baggage will be assessed an additional fee. Overweight bags weighing between 51 and 70 pounds are assessed a $50 fee. Those that are 71 to 99 pounds are charged $100. Anything over 99 pounds is not permitted to be checked.

Any bag between 63 and 80 inches will be charged a fee of $75. At this time, Jet Blue does not accept bags larger than 80 inches. 

Jet Blue does allow each passenger to check one bag for free, but after that they begin to tack on a $20 fee or more. As noted above, you may also incur fees for overweight or oversized baggage. For the time being, expect Jet Blue to keep these policies in place.

photo credit: Cubbie_n_Vegas

If you are going to fly United, it is important that you are first aware of the baggage restrictions, luggage charges, and carry on policy. After all, one or all of these three details may pertain to you and the luggage that you need to take with you on your trip.

United does assess a special handling charge for some checked items due to fragility, size, or other specific requirements. Some equipment that may be charged an additional fee includes kennel, bicycle, scuba equipment, kayak, and surfboard. Of course, there are many other items that may fit into this category.

At this time, United, like many airlines, charge $25 to check a second piece of luggage. The only exception to this rule is if you are part of the United frequent flier program. Fortunately, they are still allowing each passenger to check one bag free of charge.

When traveling United, each passenger can carry on one bag and one personal item such as a purse, laptop, or briefcase. That being said, the carry on bag must meet the following requirements:

1. Dimensions should not be more than 9 x 14 x 22 inches (length x width x height) or 45 linear inches.

2. A carry on bag must fit in the overhead storage or under your seat.

The above is a basic breakdown of United’s baggage restrictions, luggage charges, and carry on policy.

photo credit: Cubbie_n_Vegas

If you are planning to travel on Labor Day weekend, you may be surprised by the lack of crowds at airports. According to numerous reports, Labor Day weekend travel by air is expected to drop by almost 6% when compared to the 2007 numbers. Within the United States, the decrease could be as high as 8-10%.

Labor Day weekend in terms of travel is actually judged for the whole week. This year Labor Day is on Monday, September 1. Therefore, travel from August 27-September 3rd is not expected to be as hectic for travelers as this time of year is historically. While travelers should still head to the airport in plenty of time, they should also expect to find quicker than usual lines once in the airport.

Many factors are coming into play that will limit the Labor Day weekend travel. First of all, the skyrocketing fuel prices are forcing airlines to charge more per ticket. Fuel prices are up almost 80% from last year at this time and with most people having less disposable income, that isn’t a good combination. In addition to fuel prices, airlines simply aren’t traveling to as many destinations as they were this time last year.

If you can afford to travel during Labor Day weekend, this year would actually be a good year to travel. With less traffic at the airports and on the planes, you should be able to enjoy your airport experience much more than in recent years.