that I’ll be avoiding all these new bag charges that US airlines are imposing.

After the April announcement that they’d be charging a “nominal” –$15-$25– fee for a second bag, travelers were seriously up in arms.

But last week’s announcement that three domestic US airlines–United, US Air, and American– will also be charging passengers for a FIRST bag is sky-way robbery, says Baltimore Sun’s travel editor, Michelle Deal-Zimmerman.

I’ll be doing as much as possible to avoid these airlines, and here are my tips for doing so:

*Fly non-domestic airlines: Though they’ll figure it out and catch up soon enough, most of the non-domestic carriers still have normal bag regulations. If I’m flying internationally, I’ll definitely opt for a carrier based in the other country rather than a US airline.

*Give props to domestic carriers that haven’t changed their policies. Though they’re likely to cross to the other side, too, the more business these carriers get from disgruntled passengers protesting bag prices, the more likely they’ll be to keep their own policies the same… we can hope.

*Pack tighter, not lighter. What really irks me about these new bag policies is that they don’t take into consideration the reasons why people travel and the circumstances that cause people to carry so much stuff. But, since the airlines don’t care, I’ll just have to start packing tighter. I’m taking my tips from this video:

Community Connection: How are YOU handling the new luggage fees? Add your tips in the Comments section below.