RE: Beating the airline baggage fee system
So true! The entire post. I travel super light and just use one big carry on bag.
But one time in Colombia with Viva Air. It weighed too much. The check in woman said I had to make my bag lighter or pay. I took out my laptop computer, looked the woman straight in the eye and in Spanish, told her I'm going to throw it into the trash! She weighed my bag again, it was just at the limit. Gave me my boarding pass and said have a nice day. I walked over to the garbage can, nealled down and put my computer back in my bag. Problem solved.
Then another time on spirit air, I had a walmart plastic bag holding an apple and some peanuts and my big "carry on". It was too big, so I pulled out my underwear and socks (clean) in front of everyone and put them with my apple and nuts and they let me through. Nothing like being shamed by the airline company to not get screwed the 50 bucks.
And yeah, it's crazy how some of these flights I take are cheaper than the baggage fees like you just experienced. You really feel like you're getting shafted big time when you are hit with those fees. I remember how it used to be too, things have certainly changed.
Another great and well thought out post! Keep up the great work and I hope your move to Danang is going well.