OMG I lost my mind! I am going to..

[Byte Me]

Had a long chat with the Continental rep at DEMA and have many FF miles with them! On sports vacations they give you your dive gear to 50lbs as your first bag per person free, over 50lbs to 70lbs an extra 25 dollars. The second bag is 25 dollars up to 50lbs. So if you have two bags per person up to 50lbs each it will be an extra 25 dollars and that's each way! Make sure you let them know at the ticket counter it is a SCUBA vacation!

We're probably gonna end up on Delta to RTB and based on their website we get to take TWO checked bags per person for free:

Checked Baggage

* When traveling within the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico you can check one bag, per passenger, free of charge.
* When traveling to or from cities outside the United States you can check two bags, per passenger, free of charge.

If you have additional bags to check, you may be charged excess baggage fees.

Each bag must:

* Weigh 50 pounds (22.5 kg) or less.
* Not exceed 62 inches when you total length + width + height.​

So in addition to the fact that Delta is currently cheaper from either MKE or ORD and the flight times are better for us (arrive RTB 11:15 v 1:03) we'll also save another $50 for not having to pay $25 for an additional checked bag (my scuba gear only as my wife doesn't dive). Although I'm under the impression I could probably get away w/ a carry on for my cloths since all I'll need are undergarments, shorts and t-shirts!!

We're leaving next Thursday for Jamaica for a long weekend which we booked back in January, maybe December, before all this charging for a checked bag sillyness. Flying Northwest, so I call to check with them and we can take up to THREE checked bags each no charge on the way TO Jamaica, but on the way back we're going to be charged for 2nd or more checked bag since the return flight doesn't count as being booked prior to their change in policy??!? That strikes me as odd and I would have pushed (still might) if they weren't booked w/ FF miles. I still think I can get away w/ one checked and a carry on though.

 

[John_B]

Doesn't Continental have more lenient checked luggage policies for travel outside the US of A?

 

[marcoa]

It's going to be a great 50th birthday. During the financial melt down, I've been diving and loving it. Now you get to do it with your family. There is something about these bay islands indeed. Now you get to experience that as well.

Here's to the brave... and have an insanely great 50