I wish airlines would offer this...

[jbrinkm]

Lately I've been booking a lot of flights in the "slightly upgraded" category where I can choose my own seats and get a free carry on suitcase (in addition to the under-seat personal item). I wish airlines would offer an option to upgrade the free carry on to a checked bag for a small fee (in the $10-20 range). When I fly for cruises, I'd rather have 4 checked bags than 4 carry on bags for my family, especially because I end up having to pay for two additional checked bags to fit cruise stuff for a week (2 adults, 2 teens). So I end up with 4 "free" carry ons and 2 larger checked bags which isn't the easiest to travel with, and also doesn't seem to hold as much as the 4 big bags would.

 

Then, very often, I'm offered the option to check my 20" suitcases because the flight is full and they are trying to make room for carry ons that people really want to have with them. I don't necessarily want mine with me - I just want to use my free bags, so I always check them. So the airline ends up checking 6 bags for me that weigh slightly more than four 50lb bags would. I'd be curious to hear if any other families might take advantage of an offer like this - those who don't try to cruise for a week from a backpack worth of stuff 😂

Edited August 18, 2023 by jbrinkm
fix typo

[FlyerTalker]

Let's get this straight.  You are already checking two bags.  You'd like to be able to check 2 more for about $20 each.  Yet you are balking at checking a third or fourth bag at $40 each.

 

Seems like your issue is about the $20 differential.  Have I got it right?

 

And as for the "slightly upgraded".  The only major carrier where you can't bring a carry-on at the basic fare level is United.  DL, AA, WN, B6 and AS all allow a carry on.  Of course Spirit and Frontier charge for everything.  So not sure why you are making that distinction, unless you are talking UA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[fbgd]

So the TL;DR version:

 

”I want to pay a bit less for checked bags” 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

How many bags do two adults and two teens need for a holiday? I’ve emigrated with less than it seems you need for this trip…

[6rugrats]

And, you may bring a carryon in Basic Economy on UA if you are flying across the Pacific or Atlantic or to South America.  Or, if you are a MileagePlus member with premier status, a star alliance gold member or are the primary cardholder of a qualifying UA branded credit card, and you used that card to purchase your ticket.
If each family member checked one bag on a domestic trip, it’d be about $35 a bag.  Or, just bring less stuff, problem solved.

Edited August 19, 2023 by 6rugrats

[TayanaLorna]

On our upcoming trip to Europe i chose the slightly upgraded fare to get 1 carry on bag, one under seat item and 1 checked bag as well as the ability to chose seats in advance and flight change if necessary - all included.  Its out there.  Check each fare class.

[jbrinkm]

Holy cow that's a lot of criticism for a theoretical discussion topic.

[sambamama]

So in this era when airlines are charging more to check in at the airport than online, charging for you to pick seats ahead, where instead of a meal you get peanuts and a soda, you want an option to upgrade your carryon bag to a checked bag?? Well, I'd like to get upgraded to business class from economy, have meals on flights again, and have all flight connections be at least an hour! Airlines now sell flight connections of 30 minutes! My home airport has no flights to Cozumel where the connection is less than 40 minutes, and if you miss the flight, there is no flight on any airline until the next day! Most all the flights to Cancun have a 40  minute connection aswell.