Luggage

United Airlines will begin charging some passengers $50 to check in a second piece of luggage on domestic round-trip flights, becoming the first big carrier to impose a fee for a service that has long been included in the price of a ticket.

With oil prices hitting new records almost daily, the nation's largest air carrier, American Airlines, announced drastic steps Wednesday to "remain viable," including charging new fees for all checked baggage, slashing domestic flights and laying off thousands of workers. It was one of the most extreme moves yet by a U.S. airline, and came as the price of oil jumped Wednesday to $133.17 a barrel, up $4.19. Starting June 15 most American passengers must pay $15 for checking a single bag.

Five employees of a baggage-handling contractor have been charged in the theft of 158 pieces of luggage from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, police said. Sixty-eight pieces of looted luggage were discovered in a pet store's trash bin. Another 90 pieces were found at other locations, authorities said.

After announcing the filing of misdemeanor theft charges against 11 people, including eight security screeners at Los Angeles International Airport, officials sought to reassure travelers Friday that their luggage was safe. Several workers who screened bags at security checkpoints in incidents dating to June 2005 were charged this week with taking watches, cameras and other valuables. Victims included hotel heiress Paris Hilton and rhythm and blues singer Keyshia Cole.

WEIGHED down by the heavy-handed airport searches of carry-on luggage? Depressed about time wasted waiting for checked baggage to drop onto the carousel at the end of a flight? Some travelers are lightening up -- physically and mentally -- by using luggage shipping services. Such companies handle baggage, generally picking it up at home or office and delivering it to hotels or other addresses at the passenger's destination.

An ambitious security enhancement at Los Angeles International Airport, considered necessary in part to reduce lines and thus protect passengers from terrorist attacks, is experiencing lengthy delays and will cost more than 2 1/2 times initial estimates, documents show. Officials hope that installing truck-size explosives detection machines in a system that ferries bags from ticket counters to waiting airplanes will shorten queues in terminal lobbies.

The city's Airport Commission voted on Monday to award a $192-million contract to Swinerton Builders to overhaul baggage systems in three terminals on Los Angeles International Airport's north side. The contractor will remove truck-sized explosives-detection machines from terminal lobbies and place them in bag systems that ferry luggage from ticket counters to waiting airplanes.

Luggage with wheels. What a concept. It's a pity it took the world so long to think of it. But pulling a two-wheeled suitcase still isn't all fun and games. You're always just a bit off balance because the case rolls at an angle. The solution: four-wheeled luggage, some of which is so lightweight and flexible that you can dance circles around travelers dragging the older style. And pulling it seems easier on your back. The suitcases are upright, so you can be too.

"More than 50 pounds, pay $50." It's an easy way to remember that a bag checked on a domestic flight and weighing more than 50 pounds may cost as much as $50 in overweight fees. Weight limits are even more restrictive and costly on many international flights. That's why you often see beleaguered travelers kneeling on the floor in front of airport check-in counters trying to transfer belongings from one bag to another. This week we tested three scales that can make a traveler's life simpler.

Need to take a load off your feet while waiting in those long airport lines? The Z?ca luggage case doubles as a sturdy seat; you can rest on it. The case is surrounded by an outer aluminum frame designed to withstand up to 300 pounds of pressure. It's the right size for weekend trips and includes a pull-out handle, rolling wheels and lots of convenient pockets. But because of its rigid frame, you may struggle to squeeze it into the overhead compartments of some airplanes. The Z?