TRAVEL INSIDER

With new rules, it pays to travel light

Weighing each bag takes too much time, he explained, although it may be done if ticket agents spot "some sort of issue" with the bag. The size limit set by the airline — 45 inches for the combined length, width and height of the carry-on — tends to control weight too, he added.

Even experts can't keep up with the changing rules. A spokesman for the European division of the industry's Airports Council International hadn't heard about Manchester Airport's new limit. A Southwest spokeswoman was grateful to learn about American's change; she was flying that airline the next day.

Jane Engle
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Don't expect the confusion to end soon. Saying baggage limits are a commercial matter, government regulators in the U.S. and Europe let airlines set their own rules. The International Air Transport Assn. recommends but doesn't enforce guidelines.

"It's the Wild West" on bag rules, the IATA spokesman said.

Here's how to avoid a showdown at the ticket counter:

Know before you go: Call the airline or consult its website. The IATA site offers handy links to nearly 100 airlines' policies; go to http://www.iata.org/ps/services/bags/links.htm .

Divide and conquer: Split your belongings between two bags. Just because you can wheel it to the ticket counter doesn't mean your bag will fly.

Devise a Plan B: What will you do if the airline makes you check your only piece of luggage, which you had planned to carry with you on a 17-hour journey?

That happened to my partner and me on a recent trip, when we ran afoul of a 15-pound carry-on limit on China Airlines. We frantically repacked in line at the LAX ticket counter, cramming inflatable pillows, eyeshades and more into our purses. I already had put needed medicines in my purse. What if I had forgotten them?

Take less stuff: There's no substitute for traveling light. For tips on how and what to pack, go to http://www.travelsense.org ; click on "Travel Tips" and "Packing" (American Society of Travel Agents) and http://www.ricksteves.com ; click on "Plan Your Trip" and "Travel Tips" (Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door tour company).

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Hear more tips from Jane Engle on Travel Insider topics at latimes.com/engle. She welcomes comments but can't respond individually to letters and calls. Write to Travel Insider, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, or e-mail jane.engle@latimes.com.