Sun Country Levies First Bag Fee

Add discount airline Sun Country (Web site: www.suncountry.com) to the growing roster of carriers charging to check a first bag. The fee is $12.

The new levy applies to all coach cabin domestic and international tickets purchased after today (Friday, September 5) for travel on or after October 1. The fee to check a second piece of luggage remains at $25.

If you’re checking three or more bags, oversized or overweight luggage, you’ll have to ante up $75 per piece. Sun Country says you can prepay for return trip luggage when you check-in for the initial — or outbound — leg of your trip if you’d like to.

Exempt from the new policy are First-Class flyers, active United States military personnel, and unaccompanied minors.

How to cope: pack really light. Then carry on your bag. That means wearing your coat. Keep it in your lap while flying. It won’t get as wrinkled that way. Pack just one extra pair of pants, one blouse, or one shirt. Buy small packs of detergent at your hotel destination, and wash your clothes there. Even consider buying your toiletries when you get to your destination. Buy small sizes. Use them up so you don’t have to pack them for the trip home. If you pick up souvenirs on your trip, ship them back. All these tactics — taken in aggregate — can help you travel cheaper, and less encumbered.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler