Note-If you use Southwest to travel to college

Parents Forum
1

<p>They just posted this baggage allowance change. I am disappointed. We used the 3 bag limit when we moved DD into her dorm last summer. Planned to use it coming home. At least it is just $25 for now. </p>

<p>Southwest</a> Airlines - Baggage
We're Making a Change to Our Checked Bag Allowance.
If you're planning to check your bags the next time you travel, make sure you know about the changes to our Checked Bag Allowance. Starting January 29, 2008, you will now be able to check up to two bags (up to 50 pounds each) for free. A third bag, not exceeding 50 pounds, will be accepted for a $25 charge. Additional items or items heavier than 50 pounds are subject to higher excess and/or overweight charges.</p>

2

<p>Welcome to crude oil breaks the $100 barrier.</p>

3

<p>Pity those of us going on long trips abroad. Two checked bags, each one not more than 50lbs. When I traveled last year (before oil prices rose) after a long trip overseas, I was told my single (large) duffel bag exceeded the weight limit by one lb and I would be charged an extra $20. I'd thought to spare myself having to lug two bags through customs and immigration and transferring from one airline to another. But that did not work. I removed some items of clothing from the bag to avoid the extra $20.</p>

4

<p>Well, this is good, in my opinion. It makes a lot of sense to charge a higher rate to the passengers who are using more space on the airplane. Pay for what you use -- don't pay for what you don't. Southwest has shown itself to be the most rational airline once again.</p>

5

<p>Got my kids each a suitcase scale for their Christmas stockings after S2 got hit with a big fee last year. He made the same mistake marite did - opted for one suitcase, for easier handling. </p>

<p>When we went to Germany a couple weeks ago, US Air charged the lady in front of us for a suitcase that was just a couple pounds over. Actually, she had 3 suitcases, and two of them were over by a pound or so, I think. But they only charged her for one, which was nice of them. (She seemed like a novice traveler, and I wondered why she didn't move things around. They didn't suggest it, either.)</p>

<p>I keep waiting for someone to come out with some hard-backed, ultralight (and affordable) suitcases. A heavy bag eats up a lot of the allotment before we even begin packing. But I don't like using duffles because of the difficulty carrying fragile things.</p>

6

<p>They said 3 bags up to 50lbs for free the last time my sister flew with them. I guess it's better than Virgin America....one bag, up to 70lbs. Although my bag only weighed in at a hefty 53.5lbs.</p>

<p>Actually, I like that better, since it's more convenient for me to carry one big suitcase than 2 little ones.</p>

7

<p>the Southwest change will not affect travel abroad students since Southwest doesn't have international flights.</p>

<p>Traveled by SWA a couple of weeks ago, with a change of planes in St. Louis. Our plane was 45 minutes late in arriving to St. Louis, and there were maybe a dozen of us trying to make the same connecting flight. They held the plane for us (we were all eternally grateful), which wasn't too big of a deal because we only had to go two gates away to the second flight. From the time we got on the second plane, it was less than 10 minutes before we left the gate. I thought for sure our luggage would never make it, but somehow it did. Was waiting for us in Houston when we arrived.</p>

<p>While my H and daughters have never particularly been a big fan of SWA (but since I'm the official family travel agent, they have no choice), they are coming around now that they've changed the boarding process.</p>

8

<p>It seems that Southwest is falling in line with most other airlines. </p>

<p>What bugged me last year was that I had a single bag, weighing 52lbs. I could have had two bags for a total of 100lbs and would have been within the limits and not be threatened with a $20 excess charge. So it's not really an issue of weight. From now one, I'm bringing two bags and will cheerfully carry more than 50lbs worth of luggage.</p>

9

<p>When one of my sons started college, he told me he had gone over the 50 lb. limit. So, I asked him what he did. He told me that he told them he didn't have any money and they didn't press the issue and allowed it. Guess they felt sorry for him . . .</p>

10

<p>I think the 50-lb limit is dictated by some OSHA rules the (usually outsourced) baggage handlers' union adheres to, but I could be totally wrong on this one.</p>

11

<p>Recently we took our D to the Greyhound station where a representative announced a new fee for "overweight bags." </p>

<p>H asked (loudly with humor) whether this included us passengers or just our suitcases.</p>

12

<p>ohhhh few things are more frustrating than this one! here's what i would recommend (i did a bunch of jet-setting around the US last spring for college/scholarship stuff and have quite a little method!)</p>

<p>1) never pack memory foam pillows: one weighs over 7 pounds! carry it on with you instead (i have yet to get one confiscated...) and wash the cover when you land.</p>

<p>2) have enough extra room in your carry-on for a few bulky items to stuff</p>

<p>3) pack non-fragile, easy to move things in an outside pocket. that way, if you have to move stuff around, it will be easier than unzipping the whole darn thing and trying to cram it shut again. it's also quicker when you know where your movable things are. when it comes to movables, i usually choose jeans, sweatshirts, and t-shirts because they are easy to unpack and re-pack, wrinkle nicely, and can be useful in your seat (hello extra neck cushioning!)</p>

<p>4) but before you jostle everything around, and before you even put your somewhat heavy bag on that scale, start by being extra nice and polite to the people at the counter. a short anecdote: i was traveling alone (for the first time!) a few summers back and was waiting to check my luggage. the woman in front of me made a huge stink about the lines and was being generally rude to the people helping her. when her bag weighed 52lbs, she was slapped with a $25 fine. i, on the other hand, cheerfully said hello and how are you to the girl at the gate, chatted about the leadership conference i was on my way to, and about how i was slightly nervous about flying alone. my bag (which weighed 49.5lbs on my home scale...not a lot of wiggle room!) was shoved right over the scale and onto the conveyor belt. she didn't even look at the number! i thanked her and wished her well. </p>

<p>just goes to show that a few manners and a polite, easy going disposition can do more for you than just make someone else smile!</p>

<p>and, fyi, it was american airlines, who to me has never been known for exceptional service. how refreshing!</p>

<p>bon voyage,
kristin</p>

13

<p>I can't understand why so much stuff? I remember, DS, has a overprotective mother.</p>

14

<p>^^hope she wasn't in the suitcase..</p>

15

<p>Maybe this is old news to you experienced parents, but what I learned this year (mom of college freshman) is that you never really lose your money on Southwest. Even their non-refundable tickets are creditable towards any other ticket purchased by the credit card holder. Thus I can buy tickets for my daughter well in advance when the price is low, and if it turns out that she needs to come home a couple of days earlier or later, I can cancel that ticket and credit the purchase price towards her new ticket. In fact, recently, I read in the newspaper that Southwest was having a sale, so I went on line and checked the prices on her flights back to school from winter break and round trip for spring break. I ended up canceling and re-booking 2 of the 3 flights and I now have $130 credit on Southwest, which I will put towards her ticket home in May. They have no charge for changes at this time. They also allow you to purchase a one way ticket for half the price of a round trip, so you can send the kid off to college in August without knowing when she is going to return and not pay a fortune for the ticket. This flexibility, together with their relatively low prices, will keep me booking Southwest for my daughter.</p>

16

<p>We just returned from South America with our D who had finished her semester abroad. Even with her extra stuff distributed among our things (total of five bags), one of the bags was slightly over the weight limit. The agent just put everything on the conveyor belt even though we were willing to open up an extra duffel bag we had brought along just in case.</p>

<p>Another student returning had an extra bag that was also overweight. He tried to pay for it using a combination of US dollars and local currency. The agent just waived the fee since it seems that the airlines can't accept combined currencies.</p>

17

<p>I slide a lightweight medium sized duffle bag in an outer pocket of the suitcase, or in D's if she is travelling overseas without me. The duffle needs to be bigger than the carryon you are using. </p>

<p>If you buy something heavy, or if the airline says your suitcase is overweight, turn the duffle into your carry on by putting the heavy purchase (or a couple of 2-pound things from the suitcase) into the duffle and then put your carry on into the duffle, so you have just one carry on.</p>

18

<p>Most of the major airlines have had a 2 bag - 50 pound limit for some time. SW was generous as long as they could be. IF you are transporting any books or other heavy items, pack them in outside pockets or on top ready to remove.<br>
If you are flying on a small regional jet, be ready for even more drastic baggage restrictions depending on the heat and altitude. You do want to be able to take off!
The advice of being polite and just plain nice to the person at the check in counter is golden. They have a difficult job and few people treat them well. Even if your bags aren't overweight, be nice to them.<br>
On the flip side, remember that being nasty to the gate agent can get you put off the plane. I witnessed that this summer - people who had been waiting at original gate and missed a gate change came running up after the door had closed and plane was ready to pull back. Irritated, they made what could be taken as threatening comments about how the airline had better let them on "or else". Typical "I'm a bigwig and you aren't" stuff... Gate agent sits them down and the next folks they are talking to wear badges and carry guns. Polite wins in a high security situation like an airport.</p>

19

<p>Wow, I didn't know that any airlines allowed more than 2 bags for economy. Wonder how SW was able to allow three bags for so long? </p>

<p>Some International airlines still allow 70-75 pounds to a bag, but it isn't worth the bother of schlepping bags that heavy. I try to hold it to 50-60 pounds, which is manageable. We use hockey equipment duffle bags, and usually run out of weight before we run out of space.</p>

20

<p>Being nice at the gate can go along way--have to agree with a previous poster about weight limit and bags. Son was home for Fall Break '07 and as he checked in with a Delta Ticket agent, we found that his bag was over limit by a couple of lbs. We were polite and I suppose I looked like the sad parent that was sending child off far away--he was not charged for the extra poundage!! He was warned however, about weight limits. My only fear was how many other people were they being nice to? Was the plane going to be overloaded because of "nice" people? But, hey, it pays to be polite to everyone, people, ticket agents, etc. Keep that in mind!</p>