Outrageous

Sometimes it is necessary to take a stand. Last week was one of those times.

My husband and I were getting ready to visit our family in California for four days when we discovered that Frontier Airlines now charges for all carry on bags. The airline’s explanation for this new fee is “you get to choose the extra services you want.” Our view of the change is that we get to pay $100 to take a few clothes, clean underwear and two toothbrushes round trip. We were outraged.

We are both minimalists. One small carry on bag each has seen us through Japan, Central America, Alaska and Europe. A new plan of action was clearly needed.

The goddess of travel smiled down on me. I found a new, commodious eighty dollar handbag at Goodwill for $3.99. Two days later, St. Vincent’s provided a mint condition Samsonite briefcase for $1.99. Both items fit the 18 x 14 x 8 inch airline size limit for a “personal item”.

Choosing  clothes, toiletries and books that would fit in our personal items did require thought and planning. In addition, we had to find space for a small pumpkin. We have spent many previous Halloweens out west and know that finding a pumpkin in a desert state isn’t guaranteed. Neither one of us wanted to be jack-o-lantern less on Halloween.

My husband’s bag got yanked off the belt at the airport for a security check. The TSA man fished through my guy’s meager belongings, held the pumpkin aloft and wryly said, “you’re my first pumpkin of the day.”

When we arrived at the Frontier gate, nobody was smiling. About one hundred angry customers were in a long line waiting to jam their carry on bags and personal items into the wooden sizers. A flight attendant kept announcing in a prison warden’s voice that if your bag didn’t fit, you would not be allowed on the plane. Her information did not match the info on Frontier’s computer site which said that each bag that flunked its test would cost $50.

Our personal items fit: we had measured them three times before we left home. But in case Frontier used their own rulers, I was prepared. I would have simply given them my bag. After all, San Diego has plenty of thrift stores, and I could have replaced my bag and its contents for under twenty-five dollars.

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14 thoughts on “Outrageous”

  1. Several years ago during a transitional weather season, I traveled light to France with the idea that I could buy a coat and sweater or two there. At the time, I weighted 140 pounds (skinny compared to today) and discovered that I was way too hefty for clothing sold in Paris or the Loire Valley. I mean, I looked in their version of the “super size” racks and could not find anything that fit over my belly! Also, the prices! Oy! For the first part of our trip, I purchased and wore 5 pashmina scarves. On the second part, I finally found a light-weight coat in a very Parisian style, which I later grew out of. Mary, your idea of shopping resale is great. People of “weight” might have a problem finding anything in their size, however. I’m used to picking up a few things at Sam’s Club (or TJ Maxx). If neither of those stores is nearby, I get clothing sticker shock! Ah, to be Lady Godiva . . . (no role model here for my husband, however).

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  2. This is only Frontier and if you buy their expensive tickets you get one
    free carry on. If you buy the economy ticket which we always do, all items
    that would need to go in the overhead bin have a $25 fee if purchased at
    the same time as the ticket. That fee goes up to $50 for one carry on if
    you check it in at the gate. I sincerely hope other airlines don’t follow
    this greedy system.

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  3. That is incredible! My carryon is devoted to photography and computer-related gear and I usually carry a large handbag that contains a small “actual” handbag. So my question is, are they allowing only women’s handbags? And should men now carry a woman’s handbag? … I don’t mind checking a bag with my husband and I sharing. Both of us, however, rely on carry-on for equipment. If an airline is going to charge for the privilege of taking expensive equipment which they won’t securely transport in baggage, we are going to have to re-think our strategy.

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