All but lost in this time of escalating fuel prices and airfare hikes is that leading airlines have seen fit, first, to impose fees for first and/or second checked bags and, more recently, double those fees to as much as $50 per bag each way.
Much of this happened in roughly the time it takes to get through a TSA check point, meaning, oh, about the last six to nine months. (There’s a joke in there.)
And I’m slightly surprised golfers haven’t risen, in chorus, to voice some mild protest. Or are we such a gilded lot that we will willingly absorb this new cost?
If you’re counting at home, your fee for traveling round-trip with your clubs (assuming they are a second checked bag) just jumped by $100 on Delta. If you’re on American, the first checked bag is $15, the second $25. So that’s $80 both ways for two checked bags.
There are a number of caveats that work in the frequent traveler’s favor, but there’s also one cautionary note that golfers might heed, and it regards the double whammy of oversize fees. (More on that in a minute.)
First, the caveats: Travelers with first-class tickets or status (Business Elite or Medallion level on Delta, One Pass Elite on Continental,et al.) will have the fees on second bags waived. On American, a full-fare economy ticket will cancel the fee.
Last year I was traveling a good bit out of Newark and have "status" on Continental at least through the end of the year. So I first experienced the surcharge when I checked my bag on the middle leg (aboard USAir) of a Newark-Scottsdale-San Diego-Newark itinerary. "How would you like to pay for your second bag today, sir?" the attendant at the USAir counter asked.
If you lack status, and you travel a number of airlines and pack your clubs, the fees can add up. Some golf travel bag manufacturers, including Club Glove and Ogio, tout the size of their bags as being roomy enough to hold additional clothes. While Club Glove’s Last Bag and Ogio’s Mammoth are impressive pieces of luggage, I find the inducement to pack non-golf belongings in the golf bag to be somewhat specious.
I’m all for a travel bag that fits shoes, some rainwear and outerwear and a few sundries. But as someone who doesn’t enjoy rotating two pair of underwear over four days on the road, I still see the need for a separate checked bag to get through a trip of three or more days.
Finally, there is the issue of size. The good news is that golfers appear safe for now, even though the dimensions of a travel bag would normally qualify it as over-sized.
Continental’s website breaks out baggage policies for all manner of sports equipment and says that suitable golf equipment — meaning a golf travel case — will be assessed at current checked baggage charges.That means you won’t be additionally charged for an over-sized bag.
So it appears golfers are getting a break. Most of the over-size bag fees kick in at 63 linear inches, meaning they’re calculated at height + width + length. A Burton VX travel cover measures 53 inches high and 15" by 16" at the base. The total is 84 linear inches, meaning it should be whacked with an oversize charge but, alas, won’t be for the time being.Cyclists whose boxed bicycles exceed the 62 linear inches have no such luck and are hit with a $100 fee.
Under styledtoatee.com’s favorite heading: "Unintended Consequences," it will be interesting to see if business travelers can simply expense the added fees.
Bean counter in accounting: "Mr. Wilson, I’m sorry but company policy does not pick up fees for second checked bags."
Wilson in sales: "But my second checked bag was my golf clubs and I only brought them because I play business golf. Of the three client meetings I had on that trip, two were on the golf course."
With the advent of the new fees, resorts, daily-fee destination courses, and private clubs frequented by business golfers might be pressed to increase and upgrade the inventory of rental sets. Golf club manufacturers might see a small uptick in sales, but travel bag manufacturers might feel some pain. — Robert Lohrer