How to Take Extra Things With You Without Paying
Gone are the days when checked baggage was automatically included in economy class tickets for domestic flights. Or when there weren’t airlines charging for carry-on luggage because, well, it’s carry-on. The airlines have taken the time to get the essentials (and non-essentials) on the flight at a much higher cost, not to mention allowing passengers to carry the excess, as some of us tend to do. (I am one of us.) However, there are two easy ways to get more things on the plane – no additional fees.
Use airline shops
Have you ever noticed how many people have multiple or huge duty free bags full of goodies? If so, you will also notice that these passengers do not charge additional fees for carrying items purchased at the airport on the plane. And smart, you have to take that line and run with it.
If you need to put a couple of extra items on the plane free of charge, just ask at the airport bookstore, duty free shops, Starbucks, etc. for a bag and toss your stuff in there. In fact, no one ever verifies whether these items were purchased at the airport.
Be grateful if you are a parent or traveling with one
If you are a parent who has to travel with a stroller and / or car seat, you are the best candidate to get more stuff on your flight at no extra cost.
Airlines allow parents to bring strollers and car seats to the boarding gate prior to checking. That being said, it’s always best to have special checked baggage ( like this one ) that they can enter. With these bags, any additional items you have can also be stored inside and will travel with your car seat or stroller – before being lifted after landing.