Don't get carried away with airline baggage

By Thurston Hatcher
CNN

(CNN) -- You've got an overpacked duffel, a laptop, golf clubs and a big brown shopping bag to haul back on the plane. Oh, and there's that 5-foot stuffed giraffe for, um, your kid.

You'd probably like to carry a lot of that into the cabin, but just how much can you get away with? And if you can't bring it on board, how much can you check without shelling out the equivalent of another round-trip fare?

Simply put, it all depends on what airline you're flying, where you're going, how packed the plane is and, quite possibly, what kind of mood your gate attendant is in.

Airlines have slightly varying rules on what they'll allow and where, with the dizzying details posted on their Web sites.

Many of the major airlines, including Delta, American and US Airways, use a formula allowing passengers on domestic flights to check a combined total of three checked and carry-on bags at no extra charge.

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That means you can have three checked bags and no carry-on, two checked bags and one carry-on, or one checked bag and two carry-ons. (Forget about three carry-ons and no checked bags -- that won't work.)

Airline rules vary

But not every airline does it that way. United allows two "free" checked bags and two carry-on bags. On Southwest, it's three checked bags and two carry-ons. AirTran allows three checked pieces, but only one carry-on.

On international flights, you get a little less leeway. On Delta, for example, you get two checked bags and one carry-on, or vice versa. With Continental, it's just two checked bags and one carry-on.

If you're worried about paying for excess baggage, don't just think about how many pieces you've got. Think about what you're stuffing in them.

For many of the airlines, anything over 70 pounds counts as excess, so even if it's your only checked bag, you'll have to pay extra. The same goes for pieces exceeding 62 linear inches, which is the length plus the depth plus the height.

In excess

So just how much will you have to spend if you need to venture into excess baggage territory? Once again, it depends.

AirTran's excess baggage fee is $20 per bag. American, on the other hand, charges $75 per bag for the first three excess pieces and $100 per piece for the next three. United says its fees vary by destination.

Requirements for carry-on bags also vary by airline, but a common denominator is that they must be 45 linear inches and fit under the seat in front of you, or in the overhead bin.

Often exempt from the carry-on rule are coats and small pocketbooks, briefcases, laptop computers and canes or crutches.

Sporting equipment often can count as part of your regular checked baggage allotment, but be sure to check with the airline to see what qualifies.

On Delta, a snowboard, a bike under 62 inches overall, a pair of skis, a golf bag with no more than 14 clubs and two fishing rods each count as one piece of free checked baggage. But a larger bike or a surfboard cost extra, and a kayak or a canoe will have to make their way via cargo.

Leave it at home

Finally, there are a few things that won't make it on the plane anywhere, anyhow.

Some of the obvious forbidden items include fireworks, fuel, paint, paint thinners and lighter fluid.

But you also can't pack mace or pepper spray, more than 16 ounces per container of perfume, or pressurized containers such as hair spray cans.

Firearms may never be carried onboard, but unloaded firearms may be transported in checked baggage if declared to the agent and packed in a suitable container.