Everyone's upset about the new luggage fees, but I doubt that any group is as hard hit by them as traveling school debate teams, sports teams, and performing groups. This is especially true for teams and groups that travel more than once or twice a year.

Take, for example, the typical national circuit high school debate program. Each team of two policy debaters carries, on average, four fourteen gallon Rubbermaid file tubs filled with research materials that they need in order to debate. In addition to that, each kid has a carry on bag with clothes and school materials--homework must get done, even on school trips. Today, in addition to the increased airfares, these teams are often looking at an additional $80 (United/AA) to $100 (Delta) in bag fees. For schools that actually cover the cost of travel for competition, this is a budget breaker. It could easily cut the number of top level competitions the kids attend by half. For programs like mine, where the students must pay their own travel costs, the results are similarly dire.

There is, however, an easy and totally cost free way that FTers can help. While I do not know the precise situation with other carriers, I do know that United exempts elites from the 0 free bags limit. In fact, a flyer with 3P status, will get 2 bags free, and EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT, everyone on his/her PNR will also get 2 bags free. The United Choices program allows MP members to gift 3P status to others when they reach certain mileage thresholds. So...if you have 3P to give and you can't figure out what to do with it, consider nominating a coach or teacher from a local school

If you are an expert on the policies of other carriers (AA, Delta, etc.) and you know 1)whether status exempts everyone on the PNR from bag fees, and 2)whether they have programs that allow their frequent travelers to gift status, please chime in with what you know.

If you would like to gift status to a school program, but don't know who could use it, I would be happy to help you make contact with nationally traveling debate programs in your area. Just drop me a PM or reply to this post. As they're not my area of expertise, I cannot really help you make contact with traveling bands, sports teams etc. If that's where your interest lies, I suggest that you call a few local high schools and ask the secretaries if they have any student groups that travel regularly by air.

Thanks for your patience with my longwinded post, and for your consideration.