Air France Adds Second Checked Bag Fee

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

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Travelers flying from the U.S. to Europe on Air France will soon have to pay $50 for the second checked bag, while passenger on the return flight will pay €50 (a whopping $75, see XE.com for current exchange rates). The policy change affects all tickets purchased on or after November 1.

It’s pretty easy to fill two bags when traveling to Europe, especially during the chillier months. European vacations often last 10 days or more, and, at least in my case, I pack additional more formal clothes to make sure I’m dressed properly at restaurants and so forth. As such, my sense is this fee will snare a lot of travelers, and should bring in a significant amount of money for Air France.

Of course, Air France isn’t the first carrier to add fees for traveling overseas. Aer Lingus, American, British Airways, Continental, Delta, United, US Airways, and Virgin Atlantic all have fees in the same neighborhood as Air France’s, with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic topping the list at $60, though each charges less when you pay online.

In case you didn’t know, you can now track fees for 23 airlines flying to and within Europe with our Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees (Europe Edition). It’s just like our Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees, except multi-lingual (not really—it’s in English).

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