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Frequent traveler Rich Truesdell has experienced firsthand how serious airlines are about collecting their bag-check fees.

On a recent flight from San Francisco International, an agent affiliated with United Airlines stopped him at a security checkpoint and sent him back to the ticket counter. His duffel roll-aboard, which he'd used as a carry-on for years, was slightly larger than the limit of 45 inches in combined width, length and height. He paid the required $25 fee to check it. "She was there to monitor carry-on luggage," says Truesdell, editorial director of AutomotiveTraveler.com. "I still made the flight, but not by much."

Vowing to avoid such embarrassing encounters, Truesdell promptly bought a smaller carry-on — a 21-inch-tall bag he could roll aboard. He also travels now with a copy of luggage instructions from the Transportation Security Administration and a tape measure so that "some wise person wouldn't try to stop me from taking it on the plane."

Forced by an airline industry determined to squeeze every ounce of efficiency and every dollar in fees, Americans are capitulating to the new realities of travel. Like Truesdell, they're packing lighter and smarter to cope with the realities of the domestic flying experience. Shipping heavy bags in advance is becoming more popular. So, too, are vacuum packing clothes, storing personal items at hotels, and forgoing laptops and power cords.

Luggage manufacturers, hotels and airlines also are responding. They're introducing products and services that cater to the collective pressure and a desire to get in and out of airports and planes with minimal fuss. Read Article >>

Source : http://travel.usatoday.com