- in Cinematography by Pascal Depuhl
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How to save 1000 bucks on baggage fees
Spend 5 minutes – save a 1000 bucks
Traveling with gear is not only tough on your gear, but can get very expensive–especially when you’re flying. Airlines charge fees for checked bags already and those fees can get very steep even for a regular passenger. They can easily add up to more than your ticket price, once you add a few hundred pounds of gear.
Save money by cutting your checked bag fee by over 90%
An overweight or oversize bag can cost $600.- per flight and that adds up quickly. I’ll show you how to significantly save a few hundred bucks and cut that cost (by over 90% ) on every flight you take from now on.
A few weeks I flew from Miami to Panama City Beach on Delta. Normally it’s $25.- for the first bag (as long as it’s under 50 pounds and smaller than 62 inches all around) and $35.- for the second bag. Once you add oversize and overweight you can get charged 3 fees! Per bag. Per flight. Yikes!
- First for an extra bag fee ($150 for the 3rd bag and $200 for a 4th)
- Secondly an overweight fee, for being over the allowable weight limit (up to $200 per bag). Some airlines make this a flat fee, others charge by the pound.
- Third an oversize fee, when your bag is larger than the allowable dimensions (another $200).
You see how that can get expensive in a heartbeat: one bag can cost you between $425 to $600. And you’ll get to pay that twice–once to go to work and again on your flight home.
My secret weapon to save…
However when you’re flying on a media rate (and yes you do need an ID that shows you’re a professional media photographer/cinematographer like the one that ASMP offers their members – make sure you double check the airlines ID requirements), each bag is a flat rate of –wait for it …
