The Good, The Bad, and The Luggage
It All Depends on What the Meaning of Low-Cost Is

In my earlier post, Caveat Aviator, How Do 20 Euro Cents Become 68 —even 79— Euros? I wrote of unknown unknowns when flying low-cost airlines. And like Donald Rumsfeld, I didn't know the half of it, literally.

I made all the connections according to plan, but I'd significantly underestimated the cost. Instead of 79 Euros, the Madrid-Marseille round trip added up to over 200 Euros, more than $300, thanks to Ryanair's checked luggage policy. That this was still half the next lowest fare I could find for the trip was small consolation.

The information is surely buried somewhere on the airline's cluttered website, but little did I know on arrival at the spartan Ryanair counter in Madrid that they impose a charge for exceeding their weight limit on checked baggage. The limit is low and the charge is stiff : 8 Euros per kilogram —about $5.50 a pound at today's exchange rates — beyond 15 kg. / 33 pounds. I was dinged 40 Euros going to Marseille, and thanks to my purchase of a bottle of wine and a couple of books, they hit me up for another 80 on the return.

Surcharges and extra fees seem to have become a way of life with everything travel-related. Looking over at the website of Ryanair's major European competitor, EasyJet, I see they have similar, if slightly less confiscatory baggage limits. And this is a harbinger of things to come at home. United Airlines has just announced that passengers —with exemptions for "Premier" frequent-flyer status or higher and those flying first or business class or on military and government fares— will be allowed only one free checked bag. The US low-cost leader, Southwest, has also tightened up but still allows passengers to check two bags at no charge.

It thus appears the old rule of taking half the luggage you think you'll need and twice the money applies now more than ever. Except, I suppose, in the case of Jason Bourne. [Half his luggage, if I recall, is cash, anyhow.] So unless your trip has been scripted in Hollywood, Caveat voyager.