Traveling Smart – and Cheap(er)
One good thing about the bad economy is that there are bargains when it comes to airfares. Even without a lot of notice, one can find a good priced ticket to most destinations. However, that bargain can quickly add up to a lot of money when paying for check on baggage. Many photographers need to travel with 2-4 bags of equipment with each bag costing more on a steep sliding scale.
However, many times it ends up being cheaper to purchase an extra ticket. This not only gives you an empty seat next to you, it also gives you two extra bags to check on. I am a Continental Elite member, so I can fly with two checked bags, each up to 70 lbs. for no additional money. But, if I had two additional bags, (4 total) I would pay extra for each bag on each leg of the trip. This can quickly add up. For example, anything over the two bags would cost me $80 each additional bag, each leg. So those two extra bags would come to $320 for a roundtrip. So, if my ticket cost me only $198 then I’m better off by buying an extra ticket than I am paying for excess baggage. It’s perfectly legal – musicians do it all the time because they don’t want to check in their instruments and buy the extra seat for that purpose.
So, do the math when planning your itinerary – you may end up with a savings plus more mileage in your frequent flier account.
4 Responses to 'Traveling Smart – and Cheap(er)'
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Most people know that flying Southwest is cheap. What they don’t know is how great they are for photographers. They do three things very well for us:
1. You can rebook tickets at a moments notice without a change fee or a penalty. That can save you hundreds of $$$ (and thousands over the years).
2. They allow professional photographers to preboard – ensuring your carry-ons have space. Dig in their website and print out the policy for professional photographers.
3. They often have direct flights because they don’t work on the hub-and spoke system. It all depends on where you live and fly to but definitely helps us out on the East Coast.
But the question is – what do they charge per check ons?
That quickly adds up with each piece – one being more costly than the next. Weigh the difference between the extra baggage costs as opposed to an extra ticket.
http://www.southwest.com/swamedia/media_cameras.html
Credentialed media only though.
Forgot to mention about Southwest:
#4 – no checked baggage fee for first two bags (50lbs. each). 3rd bag is only $25 each way.
When we fly, our carry-on rolling ThinkTank bag always weighs more than our checked luggage and nobody has ever weighed it.
I have never been asked to show media credentials. They see the gear. If you show an ASMP or a NPPA card and have pro gear, you will probably be fine.
A lot of commercial shooters use their Southwest Cargo to ship a LOT of equipment.