And United and US Airways last week said they would start charging for a first checked bag too.
These moves are forcing many travelers to rethink the way they pack. Can I squeeze that extra pair of heels into my carry-on? If I wear my business suit onboard, can I fit my snorkel into my wheelie bag? What's more important: my hair dryer or workout clothes?
True road warriors never check a bag if they can help it, bragging about their ability to go more than a week with just three pairs of underwear and four pairs of socks. Infrequent travelers tend to over pack, stuffing suitcases full of a different outfit for every day of the week, plus a few extras - just in case. But it's possible to pack practically everything needed for a week's vacation into that one carry-on and personal item that airlines still allow onboard free.
Take it from Leah Rozen, an intrepid traveler and the movie critic for People magazine. To cover the Cannes Film Festival in May, followed by a long weekend in London, Rozen crammed four pairs of pants, one black silk skirt, four shirts, a blazer, a silk scarf, a brown belt, a cashmere sweater, sneakers, sandals, socks, and underwear, with chargers, plugs, and converters for her phone, laptop, and BlackBerry, into one standard-size carry-on.
In a shoulder bag, she had a laptop, magazines, a plastic baggie with cosmetics, and an umbrella. To help maximize packing space, she wore a layered outfit onboard consisting of jeans, a dress shirt, a beige linen blazer, a black belt, slip-on heels, and a raincoat.
"I am the queen of packing light," Rozen said in an e-mail message. But there is a tradeoff, she admitted: "Know that by packing light, you will always be dressed well enough, though you'll rarely be the best-dressed person in the room."
