Will they really charge an oversize bag fee for this?
 

My husband and I are flying to Costa Rica next week. We will end up taking 3 different airlines there and back (Alaska, TACA, U.S. Airways). We both wanted to take a small backpack as a carry-on and then check our large bag. I noticed that bags over 62" linear will be considered oversize, so I measured ours. In total, I got about 65". I supposed it could go an inch or two either way depending on how they would measure it or how full it was. The oversize bag fees on those airlines are $50, $100, $175 respectively, which is outrageous!

Do we even attempt to take that bag in hopes that it would go through as a normal bag fee with each of those airlines seeing as how it's only a few inches bigger than the normal bag fee or do we take two smaller suitcases and check both of them? Will they actually measure the bag at the counter when we check it?

Here's the deal - no one can give you a definite answer.

Airlines have their luggage size restrictions but you are at the mercy of the gate agent who checks you in. Since they handle hundreds of pieces of luggage every day they are pretty adapt at knowing the size of a particular piece just by looking at it. While you rarely see an agent measuring a bag they are certainly able to do it if they wish. The thing is, if the agent declares your bag as being oversized, it's oversized and there's nothing you can do about it. The odds are quite high that your bag will be declared oversized and it will not "sneak through".

You can pack the larger bag and "hope" all you want - what happens will happen so if you go that route be prepared to pay the oversized fee. If you don't want to pay the fee pack smaller bags.

The sol;union to the problem is simple. Since you already know your bag is oversized and you think the excess baggage fees are "outrageous" avoid the whole problem by packing two smaller bags.

We can't tell you how a particular airline might deal with it. It's all the luck of the draw, the clerk's discretion, etc.

Anyways... I would always prefer to have two smaller suitcases and check them thru. They are so much easier to deal with than one oversized/overweight one. Getting it from baggage carousels, out of the airport, into taxis, to hotels, up stairs, etc. Big suitcases are a pain.

I suggest you each use a small daypack/backpack as your carryon (like you mentioned) which will come in handy once in Costa Rica, and check thru (2) 22-24" roller bags.

Go with the two smaller bags. For traveling around Costa Rica, it'll be a lot easier to manage them than this one big bag.

Costa Rican customs x-rays all bags that you bring into the country. You have to lift whatever you have onto the conveyor belt. It's going to be much easier to do with two small bags than one large one.

onebag.com

downsize less is more bag fees are outragous!