Large Suitcases and going over weight limit??

[sameyeyam]

Try using your bathroom scale at home to weigh your bags BEFORE you go to the airport. It's probably not completely accurate, but should be close. It's much easier to try and move things around at home, then to get caught rearranging your unmentionables at the airport!

We use smaller suitcases - each person has one. I make the kids responsible for their own suitcase and pulling it through the airport. Besides saving DH & my aching back, it also gives the kids something to do and keeps their hands busy. We usually bring along one large suitcase with extra non-perishable food and inside of that a large suitcase that flattens down. Then on the way home we have 2 empty suitcases, if needed for souvenirs.

Our first trip to Orlando we packed everything but the kitchen sink. We have now learned -- you only need a couple of bathing suits, shorts, tee's, 1 long sleeve shirt or light jacket and I limit everyone to 2 pair of sandals. We normally go for 9 days and it's really amazing how much you don't need to pack. I do laundry once in the middle of the trip.

 

[NotUrsula]

Why not just pack in smaller bags to begin with, rather than dealing with this at a check in counter? If you already know that your bag is going to be overweight (57+ lbs), this doesn't even make sense.

Because it is all about space and economy of movement. If all my stuff is in 1 rolling case I have a hand free to take my small child by the hand, or open doors without letting go of one of the bags and having it tip over, or fit all of our luggage easily and discreetly in the trunk of a small rental car. In my mind, an extra 10# doesn't justify hauling around an extra suitcase for, when the things will fit in the one I have.

I got in the habit of doing this when travelling abroad and using public transport. Space on public trains and busses for luggage is severely limited in most cities, and it is much easier to maneuver if you only have one bag to deal with, even on stairs. (Imagine leaving one bag at the bottom of the subway steps and hoping it is still there by the time you come back with the other one.) It also helps in small hotels with very little free floor space. Most of the time the weight isn't going to go over, but for WDW trips the sunscreen and things like mister fans w/ batteries tend to push it just far enough.

 

[Pumbaa_]

If your suitcase has the strap on the front of it with the buckle, piggyback your luggage. The additional weight is then balanced much better!

When I travel for work I have a rolling backpack I use for a carryon with my laptop in it, and then my 20" suitcase. I hook these together and off I go, very easy to pull.

If you buy a set you can easily hook 2 or 3 together this way.

I just got back from a trip last month. My suitcase weighed 49.5 lbs It received its own tag with heavy and the weight on it.

 

[sneetch]

I went over the 50 pound limit last year on a Delta flight to Honolulu. I was only over by a pound and a half so the lady at the check in counter let it slide. She did warn me that most people would have made me pay the fee, and that it was possible that I'd get charged on the flight home if I didn't get rid of the extra weight in my suitecase. So I guess I must have just been lucky.

 

[englishteacha]

NotUrsula- Couldn't you pack the space bags in the duffle and put the whole thing in the suitcase? Then you just have to take the duffle out and not worry about putting the bags into the duffle. That's what I'm considering doing this trip. We have HUGE suitcases, that we thought were a bargain back in 2001...

 

[NotUrsula]

Yes, you could pre-pack the duffel. I don't usually bother because I don't always go overweight, and the duffel is just THERE, you understand; that duffel lives permanently in that suitcase pocket.

Just be sure that by HUGE you don't mean bigger than 62" inches total, because they won't take that without charging you an oversize fee, too, even if it is empty.

 

[keishashadow]

Thanks to our handy bathroom scale we never have a problem w/overweight bags on our way down to Orlando...

coming back is a whole 'nuther ballgame. AT has been very accommodating. We've had 1 or 2 bags each trip several pounds over the weight limit and accordingly, several under. They just slap an overweight sticker on, give us the "hairy eyeball" & send us on our way. Assume they don't want to deal with us dumping our luggage out & repacking...i.e. holding up the line.

Anyone else have this experience lately?

 

[justplaingoofy]

This past winter we travelled on American and our friends bag was overweight and were charged $25.

I have a lightweight canvas bag that fold up to about 10"x4x 1/2" and I put it in the front part of my suitcase. That way if mine is ever overweight I can take a few things out... Also, it give me another bag for any souvies!

 

[CarolA]

The "move" your stuff is COURTESY the airline is extending to you. They can at any time just say "it's over" and you get charged. They don't have to let you re-pack at the counter.

Now, personally I think that unless you are there when there are NO other passengers it's just plain RUDE to over pack knowing that you will "repack" at the counter. Why should you get to make everyone else wait while you "repack"??? I can understand the occasional error, but to PLAN to make your fellow passengers wait is just rude....

 

[midwestdee]

DH and I flew from NYC back to O'Hare on United in Sept. Our 29" pullman on wheels was stuffed to the brim - they didn't say anything when we checked in - but when we picked the bag up from O'Hare's baggage claim it had a big HEAVY sticker on it - but we weren't charged. We might just have been lucky.

 

[georgina]

All this talk of size and weight made me go check SW policies - I was surprised to learn they allow 3 checked bags per person. I guess we'll be packing several small bags each!

 

[NotUrsula]

I can understand the occasional error, but to PLAN to make your fellow passengers wait is just rude....

I'm aware of the time factor, and I agree that you shouldn't do it unless you have a plan for keeping the process very quick, as in less than 2 minutes or thereabouts. Since I do it with space bags the delay is so negligible that I doubt it inconveniences anyone, especially at MCO. As the scales are always on, I just go up to the kiosk, set my bag on the scale, and choose the number of bags to check based on the weight situation. I do the shift while the machine is printing my bag labels.

I've never encountered a turned-off scale anywhere at any active ticket counter, so at most airports you can just walk up to an empty CS position and check the weight before you really get into the line. If someone asks what you are doing, the simple answer is, of course, "weighing my bag".
Of course, you always have the option of going back around to the back of the line if you discover that you need some time to shift.

 

[deedeetoo]

I'm a bit confused by this. We have two 29 inch suitcases and have never gone over the limit. Maybe we don't stuff as much as other people do? We have checked before leaving home a couple times using the bathroom scale and I don't remember even being that close.

We use two 29 inch suitcases plus a carry-on that we check, for 2 adults and two rather children (now 7 and 5). We also fold up an extra duffel and put it in one of the suitcases for the trip back in case we buy too much stuff. Me and dh each pull one of the big ones, and DD7 pulls the carryon - she loves doing this.