Pack Light--or Pay

On April 28, American Airlines became the last of the domestic legacy carriers to begin charging passengers a fee to check a second bag. (In American's case, it's $25; on jetBlue, it's $20.)

Less than a month later, American dropped a bombshell: On June 15, it started charging for the first bag, too. The fee is $15 each way for passengers flying on a discounted fare. Full-fare passengers don't have to pay--for now, anyway.

Charges for checked bags are among the latest fees beleaguered airlines have tacked onto ticket prices, along with fuel surcharges, which can cost an additional $25 to $30 per flight leg as energy prices skyrocket. (Yes, that means up to $120 round-trip if you have a connection each way.)

Spirit Airlines, following the lead of Europe's low-fare carrier Ryanair and presaging American's move, also charges a fee for every bag you check. In Spirit's case, it's $10 and up per bag, with the total based on weight. On Ryanair, you're charged about $13 for each bag, plus about $10 for every 2 lbs. in excess of 33 lbs.

It's small consolation that the first bag is still free on most carriers, especially when baggage mishaps are at the highest levels ever.

Think you can get around this new policy by checking a huge suitcase, stuffed to the gills? Forget it. Some carriers, including British Airways, won't check any bag weighing more than 51 pounds.

And if you think you can shift some weight from your checked bag to your carry-on, you may be out of luck there, too. Carry-ons are falling under more intense scrutiny than ever. Gate agents are getting intractably tough about anything larger than 22 by 14 by 9 inches, no matter how little it weighs. You may also get grief if you plan to carry on a small, rolling suitcase, a laptop case or a handbag.

This all adds up to a whole new reason to pack light.

So where can you trim a few extra pounds?

The obvious solution is to reduce the amount you pack. That not only means getting creative with your wardrobe but also thinking about everything else you're toting. Do you need to schlep a hairdryer and a travel iron when your hotel room will likely have both? Can you wear your heaviest shoes and pack the lighter ones, even if it means you look a little frumpy on your flight? Do you have time to do laundry (by hand or in a laundromat) at your destination, or will your expense account (or bank account) allow dry cleaning during your trip?  Here are some other ideas to reduce your luggage's avoirdupois:

• Put your suitcase on a diet. Hard cases can weigh 15 lbs. empty. Stick to soft-sided cases, and look for ones with aluminum or graphite frames.

• Pack an empty duffel bag. After years of pointless schlepping, I'm now a devoted underpacker. The problem for me is not what I take for my business meetings but what I buy while on the road. I like shopping only when I don't have to do it, and for some reason it's more fun to shop when you're away from home--it's all part of the sightseeing/cultural experience. always pack an empty Adidas duffel bag in my suitcase. It's made of rip stop nylon--light but tough. It's big enough to fit my computer case, plus my purse, plus whatever I buy on the road, plus whatever reading material I pick up at meetings or trade shows. That means I can check my suitcase and carry the duffel bag on board without coming anywhere near breaking the rules. If I don't end up buying anything, I use the duffel bag to hold dirty laundry.
  
  
• Go multipurpose. Bring a sarong. It's featherweight and does multiple duty as a beach cover-up, a comforter on chilly flights, a nightgown, a skirt, a picnic blanket or even a laundry bag. I also like the reversible garments (skirt, jacket, dresses, tops) from TravelSmith, Orvis, the Territory Ahead and UbU . They're comfortable and wash easily. While they aren't exactly fashion forward, they're serviceable enough for most business meetings.

• Consider a shipping service. These are invaluable if you're bringing golf clubs or skis, traveling with samples for a trade show, or on a multi-leg trip that crosses multiple climates.

  Four providers to note: Luggage Free, Luggage Forward, The Luggage Club and Sports Express.

They're pricey; depending on the weight, distance, timetable and supplier, shipping a single suitcase can cost $99 to $250 or more. For some items, it may make more sense to use FedEx or UPS, which are cheaper but a lot less convenient than the door-to-door service the forwarders offer.

For the ultimate resource on packing light, check out www.onebag.com. It's a marvel--well-written, sensible, and filled with useful reviews and links.