The Only Ways to Actually Avoid Baggage Fees

I haven’t checked a bag in over 5 years. I don’t think I’ll ever check one again. The math just doesn’t add up.

Most of the advice out there on avoiding baggage fees is about workarounds: get the right airline credit card, earn loyalty status, book a higher fare tier that bundles the bag in. In my opinion, this is all bad advice because it requires you to spend more money to save less money.

So in this article, let’s talk about how to really save on baggage fees and avoid checking bags.

The Actual Best Way to Avoid Baggage Fees: Don’t Fly

I know. You clicked on an article about flights. Hear me out.

If you’re traveling somewhere reachable by train or bus, that is almost always the better move for your wallet. First, it’s likely to cost less to begin with. Second, you won’t have to deal with the strict weight limits and baggage fees. Whether it’s Amtrak or a bus, you can bring pretty much whatever you want for no extra fee.

I’ve written in detail about the Amtrak vs. flying comparison, which often surprises people in terms of both cost and experience. (Love Amtrak’s big seats.)

And if you’re thinking about the environmental side of things, I broke that down in my guide to sustainable airlines.

I might even take this a step further. Do you really want to go on this trip?

But if you do need to fly, here’s how to stop paying for checked bags.

The Next Best Way to Avoid Baggage Fees: Carry-On Only

Want to avoid baggage fees? Leave your baggage behind. Join the carry-on only club. There are whole subreddits about this stuff.

I haven’t checked a bag in so many years, and I don’t think I ever will again.

“I Know David, But How Do I Avoid Checking Bags?”

Okay, I know it’s not easy. But here’s how I like to explain it. Most of us pack for an imaginary trip.

We pack for the weather that might happen. The event that might come up. The outfit we might want on day six. The specific shampoo we’re convinced we can’t find anywhere else in the world and can’t go without.

Sometimes the resistance is real and legitimate. A cold-weather jacket for a January trip. Hiking boots for a hiking trip. Medications that can’t be condensed. But other times, the resistance is just a story we’ve been telling ourselves. It’s usually a story about hypothetical situations.

Here’s the framework I use for any trip length:

• Pack for 7 days max, then plan to do laundry.
• One pair of shoes that goes with everything.
• Underwear and socks are the one true non-negotiable — bring 7 of each.
• Three t-shirts, one or two bottoms, one jacket.

That’s it. I’ve done 8-week trips across multiple climates with exactly that. My girlfriend has too, and she actually cares about how she looks. If I need anything small, I can buy it there. If I have to wear a suit, either ship it beforehand, plan on buying it there, or wear it on the plane.

I dive into this psychology a little more in my ebook on how to save you hundreds of dollars on flights. There, I also talk about exactly how I pack down to my favorite socks.

I’m 90% confident your life will improve when you stop checking bags, and therefore rid baggage fees from your life.

The Hidden Costs of Checked Bags

Since I know I can’t just get you to magically give up checking bags, I think what I can do here is spell out some of the hidden costs.

The Cheap Flights You Can’t Take

Budget airlines operate on a model that assumes a lot of people will pay for baggage, and therefore that price won’t be so “budget” anymore. Often these types of airlines charge a cheap base fare, but charge a lot more for the upgrades.

The best deals in flying are almost always on airlines where checking a bag costs $50 or more. Their business model depends on most passengers not taking the cheapest offer. I fly these airlines all the time. They probably lose money on me. I’ve written a full guide to how budget airlines work and how to use their pricing structure to your advantage.

Transportation to and From the Airport

With a lot of luggage, you’re taking a taxi or rideshare. A cab from JFK to Manhattan runs $70. From Newark, easily the same.

With just a backpack and a personal item, you take the public transit, which from JFK at time of writing is $11.50. That’s almost $60 in savings each way per trip.

Time Wasted

Airlines recommend arriving 3 hours early for international flights partly because of bag drop off lines. Then there’s baggage claim on the other end. And airlines mishandle luggage on roughly 1–2% of flights globally, which sounds small until it’s your bag sitting in Chicago while you’re in Cancún.

When you stop checking bags, you walk off the plane and walk out of the airport. That’s it. Everyone else is still circling the carousel.

For Me, The Fee Is the Least Interesting Part of Packing

I love what I’ve learned from living a more “minimalist” life. At least here in America, the invisible scripts of our culture is that we always need “more more more.” Bigger house, bigger car, more clothes.

Traveling light has been a key part of teaching me how dumb all that is. And not paying baggage fees is nice too.