I have to pay how much for checked luggage?!?!?

[nicki.momof3]

We have a Delta AmEx which gives us free bags. .

How much do you pay a year for your Delta Amex. I checked into it last year and it is a pretty high fee (close to $90). They do offer one year free sometimes.

So if you are paying an annual fee for your credit card you may be actually spending more for your bags than those of us that pay at the gate.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

Those fees do sound crazy, but I admit that I too like having the fees paid by the ones who pack everything and the kitchen sink and I'll stick with my one carry-on and my small purse. It is so nice not to have to wait in baggage claim and not to have to worry that my bags got lost.

I read a tip online a long time ago on a cruising website that said to lay out all of your clothes for your trip and then cut the lot in half, and then cut it in half again and that is all you need to bring. It works for us so that is what we do.

That isn't always an option. When you are traveling with a toddler for 12 days away from home you can't always cut in half and then cut in half again. I am packing 7 outfits. Cut that in half...3.5 outfits, cut in half again.....1.75 outfits for a 12 day trip??? Not going to work at all. She will go through that everyday.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

LOL. This is my serious downfall. traveling with me is like traveling on Cleopatra's barge. I need stuff. I seriously admire people who can go to Europe for 2 weeks on 1 bag. I actually think they are really aliens that work for MIB.

Op,
Can you ship some of your stuff? hotels will hold packages now.

There really isn't anything else I can ship. I mean it is clothes, meds, toiletries. I am hoping that I can cram it and reduce the amount of bags we need.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

My family and I went down on August 2-10, 2010. I had to pay $100.00 in bag fees with AirTran. Worst part was the attitude from one of the attendants at White Plains, NY Airport....flat out rude and unprofessional. Complaining got me a $25.00 voucher but still, the fees are absurd. However, I live in Connecticut and although it's farther for us than the NY metro airports, Southwest has non-stop flights to Orlando from Hartford, CT. and they don't charge bag fees. I may look into that for next year.

I spoke to some people while at WDW as they complained about baggage fees and some said that they packed very light for their trip. Very hard with small children or teenage girls!!!

Good luck!!

Jose
Norwalk, CT.

You are right....it is hard with a small child. We will figure it out.

 

[ccgirl]

I have travelled with a toddler often. I would pack no more than 5 outfits total for the length of trip you are mentioning. I am so used to flying with children that I pack very minimal now (compared to some). Will you have a rental car? If she is still in diapers you can either ship those down or pack what you will consume down there. Then, you will have the extra space in your luggage for the consummables. Do you or your DH plan to use a carry on? You can very easily stick to 2 checked bags with 2 carry ons in that case.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

As others have suggested; you can pack much lighter. We are a family of 4 and we only have 2 bags going down and 2 coming back. Use spacesaver bags or ziplocs to pack more into your bag. Just don't go over the weight limit because that's another fee. There is no need for a complete outfit every day. You could always do laundry mid week if needed. In addition, you might want to look into shipping a box down. Not sure of the age of your child but if diapers are still needed you can ship those down and save a lot of room in the luggage. My DH and myself are travelling to FL for 4 days and are each only carrying a bag on the plane. We will purchase shampoo when we get down there to save the money.

Good luck.

Part of the problem is that we are allergic to a lot of soaps, etc, so we have to bring our own soap, shampoo and stuff. Some we are going to order from Garden Grocer and have delivered to the hotel, but others we have to bring from home.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

I have travelled with a toddler often. I would pack no more than 5 outfits total for the length of trip you are mentioning. I am so used to flying with children that I pack very minimal now (compared to some). Will you have a rental car? If she is still in diapers you can either ship those down or pack what you will consume down there. Then, you will have the extra space in your luggage for the consummables. Do you or your DH plan to use a carry on? You can very easily stick to 2 checked bags with 2 carry ons in that case.

No rental car, no diapers either so that helps. We are using a carry on backpack but we are bringing our meds, DVD player and some things for her on the plane. I am hoping we can condense to 2 checked bags with maybe a 3 on the way home. I am thinking about putting the small suitcase inside one of the large ones for the ride down so that we have it if we need it for the ride back home but don't have to pay for it, KWIM?

 

[surfgirl]

The prices for the seats are the same as what they were a few years ago, they have just added all these extra fees so really what you are saying doesn't apply to this.

Actually, other costs have increased from 5-10 years ago:
- fuel
- benefits for employees
- landing taxes at airports

etc.

So, yes, while they have added additional sources of revenue, they aren't necessarily profitable, they are just moving the buckets around. Instead of it being "all in" airfare, it is essentially "a la carte". If you don't check bags, don't eat their (overpriced nasty) food, then you are actually paying less than you would have 5 years ago due to inflation and higher costs.

 

[LuLuO]

That isn't always an option. When you are traveling with a toddler for 12 days away from home you can't always cut in half and then cut in half again. I am packing 7 outfits. Cut that in half...3.5 outfits, cut in half again.....1.75 outfits for a 12 day trip??? Not going to work at all. She will go through that everyday.

Well for toddlers you do have to pack a bit more. We are going for ten days and our kids (DD3 and DS1.5) will have four outfits each in the bag plus their swimwear and swim shoes. Even with our clothes and thier clothes we only have one bag for clothing and toiletries. So seven outfits for one toddler isn't very much at all and doesn't take up a lot of room. What is in the other 2 bags?

I bet you could cut back on at least one bag. If you are bringing diapers and food and such too then maybe it would be less expensive to purchase there through a grocery delivery service and then to mail back your souvies instead of paying the baggage fees.

 

[monarchsfan16]

Part of the problem is that we are allergic to a lot of soaps, etc, so we have to bring our own soap, shampoo and stuff. Some we are going to order from Garden Grocer and have delivered to the hotel, but others we have to bring from home.

For 99 cents, Target sells travel sized empty bottles intended for shampoos, etc. Go buy a few. Pour some of the shampoo, etc from your regular bottle into a travel sized one. A LOT of room will be saved. If you don't have Target near you, I think Walmart sells the same type of thing.

 

[ecatzippy]

I am a notorious overpacker so I empathize. My son was allergic to the soaps and detergents used in the room so I even had to pack his own sheet, soaps and laundry soap. I felt silly but when your child is covered with hives after they touch the bed what else can you do? I did learn a few survival skills along the way.

I highly recommend packing your child's outfits rolled up in gallon size plastic bags. It takes up so much less room and less time to get them dressed once you are there. I can now fit 2 kids for 10 days in one suitcase because of the bags. My husband and I each carry on a backpack which helps as well.

Also, I often pack an inexpensive soft sided duffle bag inside the front pocket of the large suitcase in case I need it. Sometimes we use it to pack laundry in to make room for souvenirs in the suitcase and sometimes we don't use it. I like knowing it is there though.

Good luck and have a great trip!

Erica

 

[Fly4free]

Well for toddlers you do have to pack a bit more. We are going for ten days and our kids (DD3 and DS1.5) will have four outfits each in the bag plus their swimwear and swim shoes. Even with our clothes and thier clothes we only have one bag for clothing and toiletries. So seven outfits for one toddler isn't very much at all and doesn't take up a lot of room. What is in the other 2 bags?

I bet you could cut back on at least one bag. If you are bringing diapers and food and such too then maybe it would be less expensive to purchase there through a grocery delivery service and then to mail back your souvies instead of paying the baggage fees.

It's true. Airfare prices are one of the few things that have not kept up with inflation. Ticket prices are actually, in some cases, (certain markets) lower than they were 20 + years ago.

Charging passengers for only the services they use are keeping airfares down for those of us who don't need to check luggage. If I can't carry it on I really don't need it. And yes I travel with kids. We just came back from 2 weeks in Europe and only took carry on size luggage. One small suitcase and one backpack per person. This included clothes for hot and cool weather. It can be done if you are willing to wash.

 

[nicki.momof3]

For 99 cents, Target sells travel sized empty bottles intended for shampoos, etc. Go buy a few. Pour some of the shampoo, etc from your regular bottle into a travel sized one. A LOT of room will be saved. If you don't have Target near you, I think Walmart sells the same type of thing.

You can buy these empty bottles at any store for about .99 (dollar store, walmart, target, cvs) and fill them with anything you like. Even with sensitive skin you can pack small bottle.

 

[mjkacmom]

That isn't always an option. When you are traveling with a toddler for 12 days away from home you can't always cut in half and then cut in half again. I am packing 7 outfits. Cut that in half...3.5 outfits, cut in half again.....1.75 outfits for a 12 day trip??? Not going to work at all. She will go through that everyday.

I took a 10 day WDW vacation with 5 kids, and just did some laundry a few times - no biggie.

 

[mnrose]

I'm going to agree with others that if you need 3 bags for 4 people, it's too much. And, you need to either trim your luggage needs or be prepared to pay.

We are also a family of 4. We take one large size bag (it's as big as we can make it without going over 50 pounds), and then the kids each have a backpack carryon. DH has a bit larger than a back pack (it even is a back pack...just a bit larger) for his carry on. And, I generally have a larger handbag type thing. That's it. We do stay off site, and I wash every day. For us, we need one long pants/long sleeved outfit per person extra (we also wear this, as we originate in MN and it's COLD whenever we go to Disney), and two shorts/short sleeved shirts per person extra. Swimsuit. PJs. Under garments for three days. That's it. What else do you need? Seriously? As I say, it definitely helps that we can wash clothes every day.

Of course, I am also the same person who went to Europe for three weeks with ONLY a back pack carry on. I travel light.

 

[mamaLori05]

That isn't always an option. When you are traveling with a toddler for 12 days away from home you can't always cut in half and then cut in half again. I am packing 7 outfits. Cut that in half...3.5 outfits, cut in half again.....1.75 outfits for a 12 day trip??? Not going to work at all. She will go through that everyday.

Definately try the gallon size ziploc bags for your toddler. We take 1 outfit per day per child (a 5 yr old and a 3 yr old) plus a spare or two and a pair or two of pants and sweatshirts. So that is roughly 14 outfits for a 10 day trip per kid (20 total). Putting them in ziplocs I have been able to fit all of that into rougly 1/2 of a large suitcase. Then my dh and I get the other half (with roughly an outfit per day for us, maybe reusing pants/shorts once.) We also bring all of our own soaps and toiletries, but put them in small travel size containers. I usually have 2 shampoo containers, 2 conditioner containers, 1 body wash container, and a face wash container. Then I buy the mini travel size deoderants and toothpasts, and travel fold up toothbrushes that we toss on our last day. Then my normal makeup, hairdryer, and we each get a pair of sandles and tennis shoes. By using the space saver bags and ziplock's we usually fill just one large suitcase. Sometimes 2, but the 2nd is half empy if we need the 2nd one. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the space savers and ziplocks!!!

oops, forgot to add there are 3 princess dresses and one pirate costume in there too.

 

[sk!mom]

We are a family of four and we do not check bags. Each person takes one carryon bag and a large bag or backpack as our personal item. We can pack enough for 10 days without doing laundry. For two weeks in Europe, DH and I did laundry at the half way point.

I did have to spend an extra $120 for DD14 to fly this summer. I hated it but she was going to be away and staying in a dorm for 5 weeks. Between bedding and dorm stuff, clothes, and dance stuff checking 2 bags both ways was a must.

I, also, choose SW or JetBlue whenever possible.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

These days, if you absolutely need to check bags, you just need to budget in the bag fees into the price of the ticket when you are shopping around for airfare. Extra fees are not fun, but they are allowed to make a profit. As long as your carry-on looks like it will reasonably fit into the overhead space, they will let you take it on board. If it doesn't fit or there isn't room (due to so many other people also doing carry-ons with the bag fees) they let you check it for free-this has been my experience and I travel twice a month. However, if I'm bringing a large carry on, I do everything possible to board the plane as soon as I can, as I have run into a few encounters where my "gate-checked" bag did not make it and I did not get my bag until the next day. In the event that there is not space for my carry on, I take out m essentials (makeup, pills, one change of clothes, etc.) before they take my bag, just in case.

 

[pezheadmeg]

As an overpacker I feel for you. I also have a history of delayed flights, it's much more pleasant wandering an airport when not trekking luggage.

I do laundry most vacations. The Purex 3-1 sheets make it a breeze. I do have to say that there was quite a crowd at the Poly laundry room 2 weeks ago. Pack in 2 suitcases. Target sells fold down duffle bags for about $15--much lighter than packing an extra suitcase. I did that the last trip, it took up less room and weight than my cosmetic bag.


I fly SW whenever possible--I'll pay more than Delta is charging, the fact that it's flying out of a 20 gate airport instead of 1 of the major NY metro ones is the main reason. Not paying for bags is just another plus.

 

[Taja]

Well, this is my rule for me only - but I don't carry on anything I can't lift over my head without assistance. Thus, my carry on luggage is restricted to one cross-body bag (purse/personal item) and one TravelOn underseat wedge-shaped roller bag that's designed to fit under the seat in front of me... and still leave room for the purse . It's large enough for what it needs to carry, but small enough that I can't fill it to a weight I can't lift.

That's my rule, too! I have to be able to lift the carry-on into and out of the overhead compartment. I generally use my laptop case (with laptop, of course!) and tuck in a couple of sets of undies, sleepwear, one set of clothing and a pair of Birks (to use as slippers and around the resort).

Thank goodness for SWA! I pack a 24" or 25" bag for 10 to 12 nights at WDW and do laundry once or twice, as needed. We visit WDW in December, so if it's particularly warm or cool, laundry may come into play an extra time or two! *LOL*