Luggage Surcharges - Beware!

[JuJuJasmine]

Just in case you haven't heard - any piece of checked baggage over 50 pounds is being charged a per pound surcharge. I don't have all of the details but a local woman was just singing her tale of woe...to the tune of $80! She packed one large wheeled suitcase for herself and her 1 year old daughter. As she was travelling alone, she thought one bag would be easier to handle with the little one. She did her best to fight the charge but got nowhere!
So - if you're going on a long trip, are a heavy packer, or all of the other countless possibilities of why your bag may weigh in at more than 50 pounds, I encourage you to call your airline and check their rules.
Oh yeah - don't forget all the extra stuff (gifts, etc) that you may come home with.
JuJu

 

[jann1033]

good point about goodies...has any one ever shipped them to themselves? it would be cheaper thatn that I'm sure

 

[plutosmyfav]

Thanks for the tip. Last year I checked the rules for my air line and the limit was 80lb. We heaved our giant family bag on the scale at check in and it weight 79.8lbs! I packed a lot of water

This year I'll be sure to check. I'm not worried about lugging water this time because I'm renting a car.

I'll be traveling alone with my 3 year old so I'll be packing very light.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Luckily a few airlines are still at 70#. I have, in fact, shipped stuff back home. You don't pay sales tax on it if Disney ships it.
Of course, you pay shipping, but it is better than paying extra weight on a flight.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

We just flew on southwest and they didnt even weigh our luggage. We did notice 2 of our bags came out with heavy red tags on them. American is really picky. She weighed everything and told us to switch stuff between suitcases or she would charge us. Sorry but we ended up holding up a huge line in back of us. At the end things get mixed up between 3 suitcases so I am sure they dont come out as they started. I weighed everything this time at home before boarding. And no we dont come back with lots of stuff. I have about a 2 souvenir limit.

 

[DMRick]

We just flew on southwest and they didnt even weigh our luggage.

After they inspect them in Albany..they set them on the space next to the counter..which looks like a shelf, area for the ticket person to take the luggage.. but is actually a weigh. Did your luggage get put on the little area, where the person behind the desk takes your info? If so, then it was weighed.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by luvmarypoppins
We just flew on southwest and they didnt even weigh our luggage. We did notice 2 of our bags came out with heavy red tags on them. American is really picky. She weighed everything and told us to switch stuff between suitcases or she would charge us. Sorry but we ended up holding up a huge line in back of us. At the end things get mixed up between 3 suitcases so I am sure they dont come out as they started. I weighed everything this time at home before boarding. And no we dont come back with lots of stuff. I have about a 2 souvenir limit.

SWA's limit is 70#. They do weigh them, but, not if you use the skycap (usually).

 

[manhattan]

We too were hit with a charge on Continental- I purchased my tickets at Continental at the Port Authority and my husband read the jacket which clearly stated 80 lbs- of course we get to the counter and it weighs at 52 lbs- so we have to pay $25 (cc only- they won't accept cash). We tell the counter agent that it said it on the jacket and she said "You must have switched the jacket with an older one" we tell her we bought the tickets from Continental directly and they gave us the jacket and no one bothered to tell us of the new weight restrictions, which of course she replies "everyone knows the new weight limit". By now I am ready to curse her out and I explain we are not frequent travelers- twice a year max and therefore we did not know of this- which she then turns around and tells another agent "she needs to watch the news and read newspapers". Nice way to be treated????

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by manhattan
We too were hit with a charge on Continental- I purchased my tickets at Continental at the Port Authority and my husband read the jacket which clearly stated 80 lbs- of course we get to the counter and it weighs at 52 lbs- so we have to pay $25 (cc only- they won't accept cash). We tell the counter agent that it said it on the jacket and she said "You must have switched the jacket with an older one" we tell her we bought the tickets from Continental directly and they gave us the jacket and no one bothered to tell us of the new weight restrictions, which of course she replies "everyone knows the new weight limit". By now I am ready to curse her out and I explain we are not frequent travelers- twice a year max and therefore we did not know of this- which she then turns around and tells another agent "she needs to watch the news and read newspapers". Nice way to be treated????

No it is not a nice way to be treated and it is totally unacceptable.
I would write, immediately, to that airline and enclose a copy of the ticket jacket and DEMAND my excess fee refunded. They cannot have one thing on a jacket (unless there is a disclaimer) and do another. To ASSUME that you would know the rules is a bit over the top, and, frankly, that agent was way to rude. I would have asked for a supervisor then and there.

 

[plutosmyfav]

Originally posted by manhattan
"she needs to watch the news and read newspapers". Nice way to be treated????

How rude! This thread is the first that I've heard of the new weight restrictions. I don't watch the news-- it's too depressing!

 

[KaitlinsMom]

My mouth just dropped! I can't believe she said that to you! Then charged you $25 for 2 lbs - Did she ask you if you wanted to take something out so your luggage would meet the limit? I would write a letter - For all the people looking for jobs in the transportation business, hers should be replaced!

Northwest is another one that are sticklers - 50lbs limit (use to be 70) - Making me switch stuff from one bag to the other - Why do I have to switch things when the bags are both going on the SAME PLANE! If the total of my two bags is under, why does it matter?

We now check our bags at the curb and the guys are really nice there - Yes I know they work for tips, but they are always friendly and helpful!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by KaitlinsMom
My mouth just dropped! I can't believe she said that to you! Then charged you $25 for 2 lbs - Did she ask you if you wanted to take something out so your luggage would meet the limit? I would write a letter - For all the people looking for jobs in the transportation business, hers should be replaced!

Northwest is another one that are sticklers - 50lbs limit (use to be 70) - Making me switch stuff from one bag to the other - Why do I have to switch things when the bags are both going on the SAME PLANE! If the total of my two bags is under, why does it matter?

We now check our bags at the curb and the guys are really nice there - Yes I know they work for tips, but they are always friendly and helpful!

Who knows why they make you switch stuff to balance the bags, my only guess, workman's comp. Probably some union thing.

Not sure what you mean about: Yes I know they work for tips, but they are always friendly and helpful! Not sure what that has to do with anything.

 

[manhattan]

Just as a follow-up... the other agent turned out to be the supervisor. And I think its hysterical that transferring the weight to another bag really makes a difference. Our empty suitcase weighs nearly 50 lbs!!! Now we have to buy smaller suitcases for us (think they have something going on with Samsonite?) I can just see us walking through the airport- each with our own suitcase, Sherpa bag with dog, baby in stroller and carseat carefully balanced on one of the suitecases!!!

 

[KaitlinsMom]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN

Not sure what you mean about: Yes I know they work for tips, but they are always friendly and helpful! Not sure what that has to do with anything.

The guys that work at the curbs work for tips - They don't want to tick you off because they will lose whatever tip you were planning on giving them. Whereas the ones that work the counter inside do not get tips. So they don't really care if you have a nice day or not!

 

[Sandi]

I'm glad I saw this thread. I do read the newspapers and watch the news and I missed it. Thank goodness for you guys and the DIS!

I wasn't aware that NWA changed to 50# and I just checked their website. Sure enough. I will have to get lighter luggage. And, they're going to handle two of my checked bags and two of my DD's checked bags instead of the ONE I used to pack for both of us. How can that really be better?

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by KaitlinsMom
The guys that work at the curbs work for tips - They don't want to tick you off because they will lose whatever tip you were planning on giving them. Whereas the ones that work the counter inside do not get tips. So they don't really care if you have a nice day or not!

Ah, ha, thanks for the post. Makes perfect sense. I was hoping that is what you meant.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by Sandi
I'm glad I saw this thread. I do read the newspapers and watch the news and I missed it. Thank goodness for you guys and the DIS!

I wasn't aware that NWA changed to 50# and I just checked their website. Sure enough. I will have to get lighter luggage. And, they're going to handle two of my checked bags and two of my DD's checked bags instead of the ONE I used to pack for both of us. How can that really be better?

cause this way they can lose 4 bags instead of just 2 (lol)

 

[kilee]

I guess everyone will just have to pack 2-3 bags to the one they may of had. Looks like that makes much more sense.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
SWA's limit is 70#. They do weigh them, but, not if you use the skycap (usually).

Thanks for that info. We did use the skycaps, generally we always do. It was at american we didnt. At southwest in and out we used curbside and I will definetely do that from now on. Thanks for the info.

 

[FonFon]

Also keep in mind that if you try to weigh it at home, the weight at the airport may be different.

When my husband was leaving for a military school last year, he took a commercial flight (Delta) out of Atlanta. We had packed all of his stuff and used the scale with the method that one of us would step on it, figure out what our weight was, then step on it again while holding the suitcase, then subtract the first number from the second. The heavier one was 45 pounds, so we figured we were in the clear.

When we got to the ticket counter though, the agent said it weighed almost 70! I don't know how it ganied more than 20 pounds overnight. (She ended up waiving the fee because he was military traveling on orders, but we learned our lesson REALLY quick.)

Why in the world they would rather someone have two bags that weigh 30 pounds each as opposed to just one that weighs 60 - if they are both going on the SAME PLANE - I have no idea.