Flying to These 10 Cities from Idaho? Don’t Take Luggage With You

One of the most nerve racking parts of any trip is packing. Do you try to cram everything into your carry-on roller bag or do you pick a cheaper fare and check your bag?

If you’ve never compared those more restrictive fares that don’t allow you to bring a roller bag on board to those who do, you’re missing out on some potential savings. For example, we looked up a mid-October roundtrip flight from Boise to Denver on United. A Basic Economy fare is $237. With a Basic Economy fare, you don’t get to pick your seat unless you pay a little extra, can’t make changes to your flight and you aren’t permitted to bring a carry-on bag. A fully refundable Economy fare is $368. That’s a difference of $120. If you prepay your checked bag with United, it’s $35. Roundtrip, it would cost you $70. That’s a total savings of $50. 

READ MORE: Boise Airport's Airlines Most Likely to Lose Your Luggage

We looked up similar flights for Alaska. Their “Saver” fare means that you’re the last to have access to overhead bin space for roller bags, which means you may have to gate check your carry on. Each way, the “Saver” fare is $45 cheaper. Checked bags on Alaska are $35, so you’re coming out ahead by $10. Sure, the savings are minimal…but that’s found money you could spend on meals, experiences or souvenirs during your trip!

Of course, checking your bags comes with the risk of them getting lost or damaged. Forbes discovered that this is one of the number one concerns travelers have. That’s why they grabbed data from the U.S. Department of Transportation to determine which of America’s 100 busiest airports were most likely to mishandle your luggage. 

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The good news? If you’re flying out of Boise Airport, your luggage is in caring hands as you say “see you later” to your hometown. Boise Airport ranked #90 on the list with a property loss rate of .41 per 100,000 passengers. They had an identical rate of passengers claiming property damage. Of those claims, 29.41% of passengers were successful in getting their lost luggage reimbursed in full. 36.76% got their damaged luggage reimbursed in full.

The bad news? Two of Boise Airport’s top 10 destination airports fall on Forbes’ “Top 10 Worst Airports for Lost and Damage Luggage,” so there’s a chance that when you arrive back at BOI your luggage may not show up or it will be damaged when you pull it off the carousel. 

Which airports are we talking about? Where do the rest of Boise’s most popular destination airports rank? Take a look for yourself. If you’re traveling to these destinations, plan on perfecting your Tetris packing and travel carry-on only.