New Checked Baggage Rules at United Airlines
I heard last week that United Airlines has made some changes to its Baggage Check-in policy for passengers with nonrefundable tickets. If you’re flying after May 5, 2008, and you bought your ticket after February 4, you will now have to pay $25 to check a second bag. This is a significant change for us golfers. It means that traveling with golf bags will now cost us an extra $50. Fortunately, there are some notable exceptions to the new rules: car seats, wheelchairs and strollers can still be checked for free, and United's Premier Mileage Plus and Silver Star Alliance members are exempt from the fees. One more thing: you’d better be careful how much you cram into those checked bags. Go over the 50 pound limit and it will cost you $100 per bag.
Personally, I rarely check any bags. I try to travel light whenever I can. I long ago decided that I would rather rent clubs than have to go through the hassle of dragging my own set from one airport to the next. Most golf clubs and resorts offer fairly decent rental clubs, so what’s the point of putting oneself through the agony of traveling loaded with clubs, luggage, computer and, in my case, camera equipment? What do YOU think?
For more and up-to-date information, visit United’s Domestic Baggage FAQ page.
Comments
My hard-shell golf case measures 65″ (L+W+H), and with 14 clubs and a few balls weighs 54 lbs. (i.e., just barely over the United limits on size and weight). I plan to fly within the US in June. I’m told by the United people this will cost an additional $150 each way (= $300). That is, an extra $100 ea. way for the weight + $50 for the size. Looks like United picked the size and weight restrictions to catch anyone who bought a hard-shell travel case. Aren’t they clever. You can bet I’ll quit flying United.
Its actually much cheaper to ship your clubs via UPS or FedEx than to check them. I shipped a hard case across the country last summer and it wasnt bad at all.
The travel agent didn’t say anything about a fee for golf clubs when she booked my domestic flight to Phoenix on United Airlines. When I called them to check, they told be the fee was $175 each way.
When I complained about the price and said Southwest did not charge, they told me fly Southwest and hung up.
When I called back to cancel the United Tickets, they said there was a $60 cancellation fee.
I’m still working on getting that fee canceled as well. If nothing else the travel agency should have known about the extra airline charges.