The Luggage Blog

Tall flier? Used your knees as a bumper on a plane before? Knee Defender to the rescue! Knee Defender is a compact set of rubber grips that attach to the seat-back tray in front of you. They prevent the seat in front of you from reclining back crushing your knees or even your laptop.

According to the Knee Defender website the device doesn’t break any FAA regulations as it is only used during the flight and not during take offs and landings—when your tray table must be up and locked. Knee Defender is available directly from the manufacturer at the link be below at a cost of $14.95 per pair.

Ever have this issue on a plane? Would you use this device on the plane? Write us back below and let us know about your experience.

Knee Defender

Delta Airlines has announced it will charge a $50 fee for checking a second bag on international flights. This new fee will apply to all new bookings as of Tuesday for international travel July 1 or later. Business class, elite frequent fliers, active duty military traveling on orders and full-fare Y-class passengers won’t have to pay the fee. Delta already charges fees to check bags on domestic flights.

In the wake of this, Southwest still holds strong on refusing to charge any fees for checked baggage, stating that they don’t want to be another airline that nickels and dimes their customers.

Click here for an updated chart on checked airlines baggage fees, courtesy of Dan’s Deals.

We also have an airline baggage fee chart on LuggageOnline.com.

Source- here, here & here.

Who would have ever thought that you might need to pay to use the restroom? Especially on an airplane!!!!??? I guess since all airlines are charging for certain fees now…

European airline, Ryanair’s head of budget, revealed some potty humor, when he suggested that future passengers might be obligated to insert a British pound coin for access to the lavatory to get some in-flight relief.

This somehow makes Ryanair come to the conclusion that adding these lavatory fees would somehow lower the price of tickets? How could this be? Can you believe it, is this a joke?

What happens if you really need “to go” and you don’t have a Quid? Will there be restroom “cops” that won’t let you use the lavatory? Or will the doors not open if you don’t insert a coin? Maybe someone will invent a type of portable diaper to use, so no “accidents occur”. Hahaha, this is silly if you ask me!

Photo by twm1340

Delta Airlines has introduced a new pink plane to their fleet in order to raise awareness with their partner, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

Delta and Northwest Airlines will also team up to kick off breast cancer awareness month with this special event on Oct 1st.  Breast cancer survivors and company executives from both airlines will fly on Delta’s pink plane from LaGuardia to Minneapolis/St. Paul where a ceremony will be held.  Donations will also be accepted and Delta’s Pink Mini-Cooper will make an appearance at the ceremony.  What a great way to show support of Breast Cancer Awareness!

When you pick up your baggage from the airlines, you are usually tired and grateful to be at your destination. Most people don’t look over their bags to make sure they’re OK. Then, when they go to unpack they find something missing or torn. Unfortunately the airlines loathe taking responsibility for what they do to your bags, even though we have all watched the handlers toss our bags around and wonder why they don’t all spill open on the tarmac.

The most important thing about putting in a claim for a damaged bag is to know the game before you need to know it. The airlines will spout policy to you, if you accept that you will get nowhere. Remember, you do have the right to say, “No, that is not acceptable.”

Know what to expect:

• All airlines expect that you file a claim while you are still at the airport (no matter what time of day or night it is).
• There is not always someone available to take your claim at the airport.
• Most airlines allow up to 24 hours to file a claim, but you often are required to come into the airport.
• International travelers usually have 7 days to file a claim.
• Know your airline’s policy! US Airways, for example only allows 4 hours to file a claim.

The “customer service” agent is not always helpful in these matters. With the financial state of the airlines these days their policies have gotten stricter. Therefore it can be [Read more →]