Six reasons why I don't like to check my luggage

In the past week, we've posted a lot about the upcoming carry-on fee being introduced on Spirit Airlines. In that discussion, a lot of commenters pointed out that too many people carry too much stuff on their flights.

I am guilty of refusing to check my bags (when possible), but I don't feel like I'm cheating on the airlines - if anything, I think the airlines have been cheating us for years. Here are my top reasons to refuse checking bags:


Security has made checking bags a major hassle

 
The airport experience is a pretty lousy one. In the past, you'd walk up to a check-in desk, hand over your ticket to a smiling airline employee, and drop your bags on the scales. That was the last you'd see of them until you landed and retrieved them from the baggage carousel.

American Airlines delays start of Chicago-Beijing flights

Yesterday, American Airlines was scheduled to start a new non-stop route from Chicago O'Hare to Beijing - but a last minute snag has forced them to delay the launch. American had requested a preferential take-off and landing slot from the Chinese Government, but was handed slots for a 2:20am arrival, and a 4:40am departure - making the whole thing pretty useless.

American Airlines is working behind the scenes to negotiate a better schedule, and as of right now, the first Chicago-Beijing flight should leave on Tuesday May 4.

Customers who were supposed to be on the inaugural flight are being offered a full refund or free date change to the later flights. Of course, nobody knows yet whether those dates will stay put, or what the final departure and arrival times are, so keep checking AA.com for updates.

Travel chaos continues in Europe

Hundreds of thousands of travelers remain stranded for a third day as flights stay canceled across northern Europe. Ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland continues to blow eastward and numerous countries have limited flights or have closed their airspace entirely.

The following countries have no flights operating: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

These countries have limited service with severe delays and numerous cancellations: Belarus, Croatia, France, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, and Serbia.

Questions are arising about how this is going to affect an already struggling airline industry. Some sources are estimating that the airlines are losing $200 million a day, with several companies already talking about laying off employees or putting them on unpaid leave. There has been no public discussion of reducing executive bonuses.

The Eyjafjallajoekull volcano in southern Iceland is still spewing out ash, although Icelandic vulcanologists are saying at a lower rate. Clouds of ash are hazardous to jets because they can make their engines stall, as happened with two flights in the 1980s.

Ferries and trains such as the Eurostar are reporting record ticket sales as people look for other modes of transport.

As I mentioned in the post about delays on Friday, my wife Almudena, who took many of the best photos in my Ethiopia travel series, is trapped in the UK. Her story is typical of countless other travelers. On Friday, British Airways told her they had rescheduled her flight for Saturday morning, but a few hours later the flight was canceled. UK airspace is now closed until at least 1 am local time Sunday. So at the moment I'm a single dad, she's given up hope of getting to her meeting in Toronto and went to visit friends in Oxford, and our son is drawing pictures of mom flying over an erupting volcano. I have a feeling a lot of European kids are drawing pictures like that right now.

Amsterdam Airport makes being stranded a little less horrible

Because of the Icelandic volcanic ash, pretty much every airport in Europe has been shut down. Some passengers at Schiphol have been stranded at the airport for two days, and since the volcanic eruption can't be blamed on the airlines, nobody is getting any free hotel rooms.

So - the terminals have been transformed into one massive bedroom. Thankfully, Schiphol has put a lot of effort into trying to provide a little comfort for their temporary guests - free food and drinks and free beds with a sleep kit. Parts of the terminal even have free live music, massage therapy and Internet terminals.

The airport has even lifted its ban on public consumption of alcohol, allowing the duty free stores to sell alcohol till 9:30pm. With over 100 shops and a casino, there are worst places to be stranded. So, if you are stranded abroad because of the volcano, best of luck - try and make the best of it, and fingers crossed that the skies clear up tomorrow.

(Apologies for the Dutch spoken video clip - but the images give a decent idea of the situation)

Heinz opens London Gatwick airport relaxation lounge

Heinz (yes, the Heinz behind the famous Ketchup) just opened a "welcome home lounge" at London Gatwick Airport. According to Heinz, passengers returning home love settling in a relaxing homely atmosphere stocked with Heinz products.

In a way they are right - as a kid growing up in the UK, Heinz Baked Beans were to me what Mac and Cheese is to American kids. But to be honest, after a long vacation, sitting down for some baked beans at the airport probably isn't too high on the list of "things to do".

Still, you have to compliment them on their creativity. Amazingly, Heinz wants to take things to the next level by introducing an assortment of products to the arrivals shops at the airport - because obviously, nothing says "welcome home" more than shopping for beans and pork sausages at the airport.