Compare airline luggage fees at a glance with Cheapflights.com's Airline A La Carte Fees table

May 27, 6:20 PMLouisville Travel ExaminerZach Everson

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Cheapflights.com's handy chart helps travelers compare airlines' luggage fees.
(Photo: Flickr/sun dazed)

When is a $250 ticket cheaper than a $240 one? When the lower-priced carrier assesses a fee for checked bags and the other one does not.

Airlines' move to charge passengers for luggage and assess other fees have undercut some of the usefulness of airfare aggregators.

Cheapflights.com's Summer 2009 Traveler's Handbook's Airline A La Carte Fees table on page 12, however, makes it easier to compare costs.

The table breaks down the checked baggage costs for each major U.S. carrier, as well as information about the perks that airline offers.

"It was something we created last year actually when all the à la carte fees started hitting," said Carl Schwartz, Cheapflights.com's chief travel officer.

"What we really wanted to do was just give a resource to travelers so they can have all the information in front of them to make a decision truly based on price," Schwartz said.

Remember that if you have frequent flyer status with an airline, your costs may be lower. (Although they might be higher if you're heading back from Africa with a suitcase laden with blow and ivory.)