encouraged anyone with questions
about seating to call Delta reservations.
United referred us to Airlines for
America, an industry trade group.
“Every efort is made to make surefamilies sit together,” says Alison
McAfee, Airlines for America’s
managing director of communications.
“But many variables contribute to
individual cases—speciically, how far
in advance a booking was made and
how many seats are needed together,”
McAfee says.
“This is a not just some convenience
issue,” says Consumers Union’s McGee.
“It’s about safety, and it should not be
treated by the airlines as yet another
opportunity to nickel-and-dime
passengers,” he says.
The DOT website notes that basic-
economy tickets “may not meet
the needs of families with young
children.” If you’re lying with your
family and need to sit together, you
may want to avoid basic economy
entirely and book seats in standard4 Strategize Your
Suitcase Space
Use every inch of available
space. That means flattening
scarves and belts and placing
them along the perimeter and
filling a half-empty shaving
kit with rolled-up underwear
or socks in a small plastic
bag. Pack shoes toe to heel,
and don’t leave them empty.
“The inside of your shoes is
a great place for things like
sunglasses in a case,” says
Jennifer Snyder, a certified
professional organizer.
Packing experts also
recommend using compression
bags or cubes to squeeze even
more into your carry-on (although
they won’t reduce the weight of
your suitcase) and make items
easier to organize and find.5
Think Outside
the Bag
Most airlines limit passengers
to one carry-on bag and one
personal item, such as a purse
or computer bag. To maximize
what you can carry onboard
while staying within the airlines’
two-item limit, use a tote bag or
backpack that will fit under the
seat in front of you. You can fill
it with items that you couldn’t
squeeze into your carry-on and
still have room left over for a
purse or laptop bag.
—Beth Bravermanyou can wear as many pieces
as possible more than once.
Anne McAlpin, author of
“Pack It Up: The Essential
Guide to Smart Travel”
(Flying Cloud Publishing,
2016), recommends limiting
yourself to three pairs of
shoes and packing three
tops for every bottom.
“The bottoms should be
neutral colors like dark navy,
denim, and khaki,” she says.
“Then you can pair any color
top with those bottoms.”
3 Pack in the
Right Order
Start by consulting the website
of the airline you’ll be flying
to make sure your carry-on is
within the maximum acceptable
dimensions. These change from
time to time and can differ
among airlines.
Place heavier items at the
base of the suitcase, near the
wheels, to keep it stable and
help to prevent it from tipping
over, McAlpin says. Next, fill
the suitcase with your clothes.
Rolling soft items that don’t
wrinkle easily will free up
more space. (They take up
less volume than folded
garments.) Slide wrinkle-prone
items into a dry-cleaning bag
or a large trash bag and lay
them flat across the top,
McAlpin says.
economy. It’s more expensive,
but the peace of mind it provides
may be worth it.Do you carry an airline-
branded credit card?
These cards can ofer liers perks
such as a free checked bag or priority
boarding (more on that later). But
read the ine print. Basic-economy
ticketholders are often ineligible
for upgrades.- Choose the Best Seat
at the Best Price
Before you to pay more for a
so-called preferred seat, research
all the available options. In some
cases, the cheaper seats on a plane
can be as comfortable as, or better
located than, those the airlines
charge extra for, says Tracy Stewart,
editor of Airfarewatchdog. More
expensive seats could have a
misaligned window (meaning you’ll
have no view of the clouds) or they
might be in brighter, louder areas
of the plane, such as across from
the bathroom or galley.
Once you’ve decided on a light
(but before you’ve chosen your seats)
check SeatGuru, a website that ofers
its own analysis of how much
legroom and recline each seat ofers.
The site might also alert you to
any undesirable attributes. - Choose a
Top-Rated Airline
In our latest airline ratings survey,
CR members identiied a few carriers
that deliver consistently good travel
experiences (see ratings, on page 38).
Of the 10 airlines in the survey,
Southwest landed at the top of the
ratings for overall satisfaction by
passengers on economy lights.
It earned high scores for service,
ease of check-in, cabin cleanliness,
pricing transparency, and keeping
passengers informed of light status.
This no-frills carrier lists its fees
DECEMBER 2018 CR.ORG 33