Beat Summer Bag Fees with Packing Tips and Credit Card Perks

Summer travel season is just around the corner, and rising jet fuel costs are causing airfare and baggage fees to soar. To avoid paying sky-high checked luggage fees, many airlines offer a free first checked bag for cardholders of certain partner credit cards.

The United Explorer card, AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard, Delta Gold American Express, and Rapid Rewards for Southwest all provide this perk. General travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and American Express Platinum will also reimburse cardholders up to a certain amount per year in checked baggage costs.

Another option is to pack light and avoid checking bags altogether. Regular ABC News weather anchor Sam Champion recommends using the 'rolling' method to compress clothes, allowing more items to fit in your carry-on suitcase. This involves rolling clothes tightly, putting silk items inside of cotton clothes, and then rolling together.