Airline luggage weight amounts

[rosey1]

I know you are allowed two checked pieces of luggage per person. My DD7 and I are sharing a large suitcase and it will be over 50 pounds. Can I expect to be charged for overweight luggage?

 

[LisaRN]

I would say yes. I literally saw a family at MCO on the trip home, taking items from one suitcase..and putting them into another suitcase..to get them both underweight in December. And with fuel prices the way they are..I wouldn't think they'd give any leeway anymore.

 

[PhillipV]

Rosey... I am an accountant for a small airline. Most airlines charge an extra fee for overweight luggage. I recommend you check with your airline to verify the weight & charge.

 

[Lewisc]

Check with your airline, I think Jet Blue still allows you to check a bag up to 70lbs.

The weight limit is per bag, if the limit is 50lbs the airline might let you get away with a 51lb bag but most of us find the airlines will charge if you're more than a pound or two over the weight. I've seen people charged for a 52 lbs bag. Take two bags or bring an empty duffel bag so you can transfer stuff if you're overweight.

Airlines are finding overweight baggage charges to be a nice revenue stream, don't expect any exceptions.

 

[Bird-Mom]

We were charged for a bag that was just a few pounds over. I think it was around $25. We bought a duffel bag for the way home!

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

We fly American all the time and have been over the 50lb. limit before. They will charge you $25.00. My husband need to start buying lighter shoes.

 

[Kitka]

Southwest is a 50 lb limit then they charge $25. We weighed ours on the bathroom scale before leaving and they were both around 45 pounds on the way there. On the way back one was 45 pounds and one was 53. They had us move things from one into another to avoid the charge.

 

[ufgator]

On Delta your bags must be 50 lbs. or less or you'll be charged $25. Sometimes the agents will let you get away with a couple of extra pounds, but it depends on the agent.

I think US Air also has the 50 lb. weight limit, and they'll charge $25 or $30 if you're over. But I'm not sure if this is correct.

 

[safetymom]

It depends on the airline but most airlines have a 50 pound weight limit. I would look on your airlines web site. If you are taking a connecting flight they will charge for each segment the luggage is overweight.

 

[Jules76126]

It really depends on the airline and the attendent that you get. I travel many times back and forth between MA and FL. My bag tends to always be over weight. On one trip I was flying Jet Blue and my bag was over the wieght. However, I wasnt charged anything. I think it was a lucky break, it was early in the morning and the airport was busy. I would recommend that you weigh your bag before you leave and be prepared to either take stuff out or pay if it exceeds the limit.

 

[dzorn]

What if you are allowed two bags but only use one and it is over? I would rather keep the number of suit cases to a minumum, though we are allowed 10 for our group I would like to keep it to 4 or 5 tops.

Denise

 

[safetymom]

Each suitcase has a limit. It doesn't matter that you are only using one when you are allowed 2. Each one must not be overweight.

 

[CarolA]

It's per bag NOT a cumulative total.

And if you have connections they can charge you the fee for each leg. So if you go via Atlanta then you get charged $50 each way, not just $25.

 

[NotUrsula]

You are not allowed to combine weight allowances. The reason for the limit is not to save on fuel, but to save on medical expenses for ramp workers who file injury claims due to lifting extra-heavy baggage.

Pack using space bags and pop a cloth duffel in on top of the big bag (make sure your large bag's total dimensions are not more than 62", though -- that will cost you an overSIZE fee, and there is no avoiding that one if your bag is too big.) When you are waiting to check the bags, open the suitcase and put a few of the space bags into the duffel, then check them both. At baggage claim at the other end, take a minute to recombine before you head for your transportation. Much less to have to move and keep track of.

 

[pamjb]

Don't forget that oversize part. I have a new bag that I only used once. Then the airlines changed their size regulations. Now I can't use it unless I pay an oversize fee of $50. Southwest's maximum size is 62" (length + width + height)

 

[Hopefully]

You really are safer using 2 smaller bags rather than one oversize/overweight bag these days. Most airlines are strickly enforcing their rules these days.
It is also safer for your back to not be lifting dragging overweight bags.
Good Luck

 

[klmall]

Whenever we go to Florida now we take an extra light zipper type bag so we store souvenirs etc. in it if a bag becomes "too heavy".

When we flew Delta back from Hawaii in '04 we were only a few pounds over in two of our six bags and we had to re-shuffle everything around and use their scales to recheck the weight of our bags. Luckily we had plenty of time before our flight to do this! I ended up moving some shoes to a carry-on bag!

It's hard to judge bag weights once you pack at WDW and you have all those souvies so sometimes we just mail them back rather than pack them in our luggage.