Excess Baggage? Make An Informed Choice With Airline A La Carte

February 24, 2009 at 10:01 AM | by egw | Comments (0)

Ever try prising information out of an airline's "helpful" pre-flight tips page? Sometimes it seems like you'd be better off getting a donation for the ACLU out of Dick Cheney. A new website purports to collect all that information in one place but even its name sets us up for disappointment.

Airline A La Carte conjures up images of glorious choice, but in reality only informs you of the choices you no longer have -- say, to check a bag without paying a fee. The list of airlines' baggage allowances included is fairly comprehensive, and we liked the specificity of some of the rules they've ferreted out.

For example, did you know on Air France you can take your violin, banjo or mandolin aboard as a carryon, no questions asked? (Well, here's one question: Since when do you play the banjo?)

As frustrating as airline websites usually are, they change their rules so fast it's hard to tell whether Airline A La Carte has the chops to keep up with the changes. Their blog is, shall we say, "nascent." But if you know you're going to have an oversize piece of luggage -- a surfboard or skis, say -- then the site would definitely make flipping between different airline policies a breeze. Just don't forget to double-check height and weight limits before you go, unless you actually like doing the Baggage Crouch of Shame.

[Photo: edyson]

Jaunted

Select a Destination:

Baggage Hell / Baggage Fees / Carry-on Luggage / → All Tags