Sure enough, US Airways' Web site (www.usairways.com) includes this open-ended provision: "Special items such as pets, surfboards, bicycles, scuba equipment, etc., are not included in the customer's free baggage allowance and are subject to an extra charge."
Perkins, who frequently hears reports of inconsistent baggage charges from puzzled passengers, says the phenomenon is probably due to decisions by individual airline staffers who waive the fees to keep the check-in line moving or to avoid a tiff with a customer.
But officials at various airlines interviewed for this article couldn't account for the inconsistencies, especially when those who apparently should have been charged weren't. US Airways spokeswoman Amy Kudwa says charging passengers like those in Schmidt's group for gear that is packed with other luggage and doesn't exceed baggage limits "was an anomaly." In response to our call, she said, the airline clarified its policy to limit charges on scuba equipment to tanks and regulators. At press time, however, the open-ended policy statement was still posted on the airline's Web site.
In general, airline officials say, travelers should expect to pay extra when their gear exceeds predetermined weight or size restrictions. These policies, set independently by each airline, are designed to accommodate most travelers' needs while taking into account a plane's storage and weight limitations.
In addition, some carriers double as freight haulers and like to keep space available for cargo. "The space required for bikes and other sporting equipment takes away from the space held for our cargo customers," said United spokeswoman Andrea Arroyo.
Most airlines post their policies online, although the info tends to be buried deep in Web sites. (See chart on Page P6 for details.)
Particulars vary with the carrier. But in general, any single piece of baggage weighing more than 50 pounds or measuring more than 62 linear inches (length plus height plus depth) is subject to a surcharge. Some airlines, including Independence Air, will double the fee if an item exceeds both the weight and size restrictions.
One-way fees for checking sports equipment that is overweight or oversize range from $25 to $160. Many larger carriers, however, complicate matters with policies that vary wildly depending on the gear and the passenger's destination. Numerous U.S. carriers, for instance, don't charge passengers to ship a bike abroad; Delta does. And while a number of airlines, such as British Airways and United, have policies that allow kayaks for a fee, others refuse. Meanwhile, some, such as Northwest, get picky about what the boat is made of and where it's going.
Meanwhile, not all airlines play nicely with others. That means a passenger who pays a baggage handling fee to one airline but then changes planes to another may be charged again by the second carrier.
In general, the airlines claim that baggage fees make up for the special handling that overweight or oversize baggage requires. "Our baggage systems are designed to accommodate luggage," says Kudwa of US Airways.
