64 KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE^ 02/2020REWARDS
on when you check in, so the farther
back you are, the less likely you’ll get
the seat you want. (The EarlyBird
boarding fee of $15 to $25 per f light
gives you priority.) Check in to your
f light online as early as possible to
help boost your boarding position.Airline baggage fees
Typical amount: $30 for the first
checked bag and $40 for the second
with major U.S. airlines
How to beat them: If you regularly f ly
with a certain airline, consider open-
ing one of its credit cards. The Citi/
AAdvantage Platinum Select card
($99 annual fee, waived the first year),
United Explorer card ($95, waived the
first year) and Gold Delta SkyMiles card
($99, waived the first year) offer the
first checked bag free on their respec-
tive airlines. Plus, at least one of the
cardholder’s travel companions on the
reservation gets a free bag, too. Ordi-
narily, if you and a travel companion
both check a bag on a round-trip f light,
you’ll pay a total $120 in baggage fees—
or more than the annual fee on any of
those cards. Southwest Airlines passen-
gers can check two bags free of charge.
Generally, carry-on bags are free
with the biggest U.S. airlines. But
note that if you have a basic economy
ticket with United, you may be charged
a checked-bag fee plus a $25 “gate
handling charge” if you bring a full-
size carry-on bag to the gate. Discount
carriers such as Frontier and Spirit
charge for carry-on bags, and the
fees are often lowest if you pay them
when you book. Plus, you may pay
more to take a bag into the cabin than
to check it. For a mid-February f light
from Atlanta to New York City, for
example, Spirit recently charged
$33 if you paid for a carry-
on bag when reserving
your f light but $28 for
a checked bag.Hotel resort fees
Typical amount: About
$23 per day, according to
ResortFeeChecker.comWith a standard ticket, you’ll choose
from the widest selection of free seats
if you book months in advance. But the
earlier you book, the more likely your
itinerary will undergo a scheduling or
aircraft change, so it’s wise to review
your reservation online periodically
and to update your seat choice if the
airline notifies you of a change, says
Scott Mayerowitz, of travel website
The Points Guy. If you have elite status
with an airline, you’ll likely get a desir-
able seat at no extra charge even if you
book at the last minute.
Southwest Airlines doesn’t charge
seat-selection fees and lets passengers
choose their seats as they board. But the
airline assigns your place in line basedTRAVEL
Airline seat-selection fees
Typical amount: About $5 to $40 per
seat—but the most-coveted seats may
cost you even more
How to beat them: If you let the airline
assign you a seat, you won’t pay a fee.
Beyond that, the best way to sidestep
a seat-selection fee depends on the
reason it’s being charged. If you have
a basic-economy ticket, you’ll pay a
fee to choose any seat—or you may
not have the option to pick a seat at all.
Booking a ticket in a higher-level fare
class may be worthwhile if, say, you
want to sit near travel companions
or if extra legroom is nonnegotiable.