My current 12-day trip from Oakland, California to Barcelona, Warsaw, Gdansk, Krakow, Stockholm and London was an itinerary created with the purchase of five separate one-way airline tickets on Level, Vueling, Ryanair, LOT Polish, Norwegian.
The problem with flying low cost carriers like Level, Vueling, Ryanair and Norwegian are the fees for a checked bag and a self-selected seat assignment can often be more than the price of the airfare ticket itself.
As a frequent traveler, I keep the cost of low cost carrier tickets low by packing light and small. I rarely pay bag fees on my tickets, despite traveling at times with more weight or larger size bags than officially allowed by the stated rules for my ticket type.
My typical carry-on and hand baggage for low cost airline flights.
Eddie Bauer backpack 17in x 13 in x 6 in. (BUT can expand to 9 inches deep when stuffed). Flight weight this trip 4.6 kg.
Jansport roller bag 20 in x 14 in x 8 in. (Can expand to 11 inches when outer pocket filled). Flight weight this trip 8.3 kg.
Level Airlines (Iberia)
Oakland OAK – Barcelona, Spain BCN
$149.10 one way ticket.
Carry On and Hand Baggage Allowances
You can take one carry-on bag and one personal item.
Maximum size per piece of baggage:
56 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm (22 in x 18 in x 10 in).
Personal item:
What else can I take on board besides the permitted baggage items?
- A handbag or small briefcase.
- A laptop computer or camera.
- A baby bag with food, drink and materials for the flight.
Jansport roller bag is my carry on and Eddie Bauer backpack is my personal item. I keep my computer and camera in the backpack and it can fit under my seat, when necessary.
I keep clothing and non-fragile items in the roller bag, so it can be checked in baggage hold for free, and on the spot, if necessary.
My wife’s checked bag fee was $85, but I intend to dispute that charge.
Level Airlines $149 one way ticket Oakland to Barcelona trip report
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Vueling Airlines
Barcelona, Spain – Warsaw, Poland
$82.14 one way
Carry On and Hand Baggage Allowances
- You can carry one piece of hand luggage no heavier than 10 kg and no larger than 55x40x20 cm.
- You can also carry another smaller bag or case measuring no more than 35x20x20 cm and one additional bag containing any purchases made at the airport. They must both fit under the front seat.
http://www.vueling.com/en/vueling-services/prepare-your-trip/luggage/hand-luggage
My two carry on bags met weight restrictions for Vueling, but technically my Eddie Bauer backpack is quite a bit wider than 20 cm / 8 inches. Still, it fits under a seat easily and no questions asked.
My wife’s checked bag fee was 13 EUR or $14.50 USD.
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Ryanair
Warsaw, Poland – Gdansk Poland
$23.60 one way
Carry On and Hand Baggage Allowances
You may carry one cabin bag per passenger (no allowance for infants travelling on their parents lap) weighing up to 10kg with maximum dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, plus 1 small bag up to 35 x 20 x 20 cms.
Technically, my Eddie Bauer backpack is larger than 17 in x 8 in x 8 in personal item size allowed, however, I have never had a problem taking two bags on a Ryanair flight. They often ask me if I will check my larger bag for free at check-in. I gladly comply.
Ryanair also states:
What you CAN’T bring on board
- Any bag which does not fit in the sizerÂ
- A second bag which does not fit under the seat in front of you
Oversized cabin baggage will be refused at the boarding gate, or where available, placed in the hold of the aircraft for a fee of £50/€50 (fee subject to VAT on domestic flights at applicable government rates).
My backpack fits under the seat.
My wife’s checked bag fee was 22.68 zlotys or $5.98 USD.
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LOT Polish
Gdansk, Poland – Krakow, Poland
$56.14 one way
I purchased a Standard Fare ticket including one checked bag and seat assignment for this flight rather than a domestic saver fare for $17 less. I carried both of my bags on the flight.
Carry-on baggage
LOT Economy Class – 1 piece up to 8 kg
LOT Economy Simple – 1 piece up to 8 kg
Hand luggage must fit in the overhead shelf on board or under the preceding front passenger’s seat.
Note: In case of exceeding the allowed limit of hand baggage an excess baggage charge will be applied.
In addition to the above cabin baggage allowance, the following items may be carried free of charge:
- ladies handbag or shoulder-strapped bag or laptop bag (40 cm x 35 cm x 12 cm)
- food and collapsible baby stroller or push chair for a child
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Norwegian Airlines
Krakow, Poland – Stockholm, Sweden ARN
$40.87 one way.
Cabin Baggage
Passengers are permitted to carry one item of hand baggage in addition to one small personal item onboard the aircraft. Personal item (e.g. small handbag or laptopcase) must fit comfortably under the seat in front.
- Max. dimensions on carry-on bag: 55x40x23 cm
- Max. dimensions on personal item: 25x33x20 cm
- Max. combined weight: 10 kg (Lowfare, Lowfare+, Premium), 15 kg (Flex, PremiumFlex)
https://agent.norwegian.com/uk/travel-info-and-how-to-book/baggage-policy/cabin-baggage/
I have flown Norwegian more than a dozen times with two bags without ever needing to pay a checked bag fee.
My wife’s checked bag cost 15 EUR ($16.60).
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Oakland – Barcelona – Warsaw – Gdansk – Krakow – Stockholm
My tickets with no bag or seat fees = $310.98.
Kelley’s tickets with checked bag fees = $433.08 or 40% more total ticket price with checked bag fees.
The secret to flying low cost carriers at truly low cost is travel with only carry on cabin bags. Kelley’s limitation are more clothes and weight, primarily due to a couple dozen cosmetic items adding several more kg to her baggage and too large in liquid volume to travel in carry on bags. She says it keeps her looking young and pretty. She has good looking skin for a 58 year old woman.
I simply travel cheap and ugly.
As far as seat assignments, I don’t pay. As two people traveling together, She gets the window or aisle and I am frequently stuck in the middle seat anyway, if there is a 3 seat row. Many flights I end up with an aisle or window too and an empty seat between us.
When I travel solo, I am a quick change seat artist when the announcement is made ‘boarding is complete’.
Low cost airlines are truly inexpensive to fly, as long as you avoid the checked bag and seat assignment fees.
Oneworld Onelove to London and home to California
Today we are leaving Stockholm on British Airways for London LHR with a 22.5 hour layover before flying back to San Jose, California SJC on Saturday.
That ticket cost $557 round trip and puts us back in London for Christmas.
I am American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum elite with Oneworld Sapphire benefits. We will be hanging out in the T-5 British Airways galleries Lounge Saturday.
No need to always fly low cost airlines when the major alliance airlines can be low cost tickets too.
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