Are you getting confused which airlines are now charging you for your first checked bag? I know I am, that’s why I try to fly Southwest whenever I can because they don’t charge any of this mumbo jumbo. If you’re not sure who will charge you for the benefit of checking the first bag, check out this chart at FareCompare. It includes how much it costs to buy a reservation by phone, your first and second bags, seat selections, beverage/snack packet costs, meals, alcohol, oversized bags, overweight bags, pe travel, unaccompanied minors fees, curbside check-in, and ticket change fees. Whew!

As of September 15th, the only airlines that won’t charge you for the 1st Checked Bag are Delta, AirTran, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest, Midwest, ExpressJet, Virgin America, and Sun Country. Southwest an ExpressJet are the only airlines listed that won’t charge you for a second bag.

When it comes to flying, I skip all the headaches involved with frequent flyer miles and fly with an airline that doesn’t hassle me with any of that - Southwest Airlines. They, like Airtran and several other airlines, do a points system where you get a point for a one-way ticket. During some promotional offers, they will give double points to get more passengers in on an expanding hub. Fortunately for me, Baltimore, MD’s Baltimore Washington International Airport is one of these hubs and several years ago they were offering double points (four round trips, regardless of the miles, meant a free ticket!).

Why do I stick with Southwest? Hassle-free. Some people complain about their open seating policy (they’ve since adjusted it) but I didn’t have a problem, the faster you get on, the faster we get going. They don’t ding you with fees left and right like paying for drinks or a pillow or even to check luggage. And, as it turns out, frequent fliers on other airlines now have to pay new fees to use their miles!

What happens when I have to fly other airlines? I get their cards and I accrue the miles, usually turning them into magazine subscriptions or something other meaningless little prize. Perhaps it’s not the most efficient but, to be honest, I don’t enjoy dealing with the new business model of airlines - nickel and dime-ing you to profitability.