Now I realize Spirit has half of a bright idea. They just didn’t take it far enough.

What airlines should be doing is charging for rollaboard carry-ons (those small suitcases with wheels), while allowing at least one checked bag per ticket for free.

Those of us who spend a lot of time traveling would happily (or at least grudgingly) pay a fee to avoid spending half of our life in check-in lines and waiting at the carousel. Those two lines add at least half an hour and usually an hour to every trip. Multiply by a few flights a month and you could spend literally days each year just waiting on your bag.

Charging for carry-ons would eliminate the scrum most flights have become, with inexperienced flyers trying to cram too-big rollaboards into too little space. The most clueless are the ones who drag their rollaboards onto the plane even though they’re among the last to board and have zero chance of finding space. (Experienced flyers, by contrast, travel with bags that will fit in all but the smallest regional planes, and gate check whenever they’re too far back in line to be assured of overhead space.)

In short, airlines fees are currently set up to maximize inconvenience. Maybe airlines couldn’t make quite as much money with a fee policy that actually makes sense and gets us out of the gate quicker. But one of them should at least try it and see what happens.

Of course, you can always skip bags altogether. For more on traveling light, read this.

Below are some ideas for reducing or eliminating bag fees. But what we really need to do is kick our government into action, as travel columnist Christopher Elliott pointed out recently:

… our government can say, “enough!” It wouldn’t take much. The Transportation Department could rule that the price of an airline ticket must include at least one piece of checked luggage, and that would pretty much end this debate.Will it? If the government hears from enough air travelers, sure. Here’s how to contact them: http://www.dot.gov/contact.html.

In the meantime, here’s how to save money:

Use a good carryon. For most trips, I use a Delsey Helium Fusion suiter trolley which is light and surprisingly tough. It comes with an attachable “personal bag” that’s big enough to carry my laptop, a small purse and other sundries (that counts as my second “personal bag”). For tips on how to pack 10 days of clothes into one, check out this excellent slide-show tutorial at the New York Times site.

Gate check. Family trips entail bringing more stuff. Rather than pay baggage fees, we take our carry-ons through security and then ask for a “gate check.” We get a special tag, attach it to the bags, drop them off in the jet bridge just before entering the plane door, and pick them up at the baggage carousel at our destination. It sure beats jockeying for limited overhead bin space with all the other folks trying to avoid baggage fees, and gate agents have so far been delighted to accommodate us, since it means less hassle and faster boarding.

Pay online. If you have to check a bag, you get a few bucks off if you pay the fee online. Just remember to print out and bring your receipt to prove you paid .

Fly Southwest or JetBlue. Southwest lets you check two bags free. JetBlue allows one.

Avoid Spirit Airlines. This carrier will be the first to start charging for carryons that don’t fit under the seat in front of you. Starting Aug. 1, flyers would have to pay as much as $45 per carryon.

Look for other exceptions. First- and business-class tickets usually waive bag fees for the first two items, but some airlines also waive fees for members of their elite frequent fliers (typically travelers who fly more than 25,000 miles with the airline). Military personnel may get one or two bags free. Your credit card may offer relief, as well: users of the American Express Delta SkyMiles card, for example, will get a waiver on the first bag they check on Delta starting June 1.

Ultimately, though, the best solution is to level the playing field by requiring all airlines to include one checked bag with each ticket. Use the DOT link to find the address where you can write your regulators a letter urging them to get on it.

photo credit: Albert Mata

You have to be a hardy soul to survive holiday travel, especially this year, when there are fewer flights, fewer airline employees and more security restrictions.

The Wall Street Journal’s Middle Seat columnist Scott McCartney had an excellent story today about what to expect. Here are five important tips:

1. Print out your boarding pass at home the day before. You typically can print out your pass 24 hours in advance of the flight, and you should. Getting that pass helps you secure a seat and reduces your chances of getting involuntarily bumped.
2. Sign up for flight alerts. McCartney recommends signing up with the airline as well as with FlightStats.com, which he says picks up some changes the airlines don’t.
3. Know the rules for security and baggage. Almost all the airlines charge for the first checked bag, but paying these fees online before you get to the airport may save you money. Also, no matter how frequent a flier you are, you’ll want to take a few minutes to review TSA security rules, which change constantly.
4. Don’t volunteer to get bumped without a confirmed seat on the next flight. Giving up your seat can be a great way to score free travel and even cash, but fewer, more crowded flights mean you could be waiting days on standby.
5. Consider an airport lounge day pass. These run about $50 and give you access not only to a sanctuary in a crowded airport, but to airline agents who are typically the most experienced. If anything goes wrong, they can help you rebook your flight.