Visits: 3
“In general, airline credit cards are best in allowing you to avoid checked-bag fees,” said Brian Kelly, the founder and chief executive of ThePointsGuy.com, a website that advises on maximizing credit card points. “Airline cards are rich on perks, but generally not the best when it comes to earning miles.”
For everything else, Mr. Kelly recommends cards like Chase Sapphire that reward more points per dollar spent that can be used to get free tickets on a number of airlines, rather than restricting card carriers to one airline, as airline cards do.
Rely on Carry-On
While some low-cost airlines, including Spirit and Wow, tack on fees for carry-ons, in most cases fliers can avoid checked-bag fees altogether by traveling solely with a carry-on. New airplane designs are helping. American Airlines’s new 737 MAX planes have enough space to allow one bag aloft per passenger, and the carrier is in the midst of retrofitting its older 737s, about 250 of them, with the larger bins.
Besides saving money, there are other advantages to relying on carry-on bags. Since airlines require passengers to fly on the plane with their checked bag, those with stowed luggage can’t standby for an earlier flight. “When you check a bag, it really cramps your style with flight changes,” Mr. Kelly said.
And there’s always the mail to help out with the extras. “If I’ve acquired stuff on a trip that doesn’t fit, I’ll go to the post office and mail it back home,” said George Hobica, the founder of AirfareWatchdog.com. He also uses United Parcel Service. “You have better tracking and insurance and you don’t have to wait to check in or at the baggage carousel on the other end.”
Julie Falconer, author of the travel blog A Lady in London, has only used carry-on luggage for 11 years to 111 countries. She recommends miniature versions not just of bath products, which are required in order to take aboard, but mini travel hairbrush, deodorant and sunscreen. She rolls all clothing — a capsule wardrobe in which everything goes together — to save space, and takes only one pair of shoes.
“If you’re going to travel with just a carry-on, you have to make a couple of sacrifices, and if I’m not wearing the exact right shoes, then that’s one of those sacrifices,” Ms. Falconer said. “I have a lot of black, and I wear jeans with everything.”