Promotions to Ease New Checked Bag Fees
On Monday, the nation’s major carriers implement new fees for checked baggage (you can get the lowdown on which airlines are charging what fees with our Checked Bag Airline Surcharge Chart).
Not surprisingly, other travel companies are seeing the new fees as an opportunity to woo travelers with special luggage-related perks. Here are two:
From May 22 through Sept. 9, Kimpton Hotels will issue a $25 room credit to guests of its 43 U.S. and Canadian hotels when they produce an airline-issued receipt showing their extra baggage charges. You can find out more at Kimpton We Got Your Bag.
In Las Vegas, McCarran Airport (the nation’s 7th busiest) is anticipating longer check-in lines on Monday, thanks to the new checked baggage fees that take effect that day. For travelers who wish to avoid the airport mayhem that may arise when droves of travelers show up to the airport and realize they’ll have to fork over extra cash before they fly, McCarran is getting the word out about its Speed Check Advance by Bags to Go, a service that allows airline passengers to check bags at locations along the Strip (Luxor, The Venetian, Las Vegas Convention Center) and several rental car outlets prior to arriving at the airport. Because there’s a $20 fee per passenger (not per bag) associated with the service, it’s more likely to appeal to those willing to pay a premium to avoid airport hassles. The service is available for passengers on Southwest, United, Delta, AirTran, US Airways and Frontier.