new luggage not such a great thing after all

[WINTER]

Bought a new piece of luggage this year (29in) thinking I could pack more into one piece. On the return flight, they weighed it (Delta) and said it was about 66 lb which would cost us $25. They offered us a box to put some of our luggage into it (which we did and saved us $25). Thanks Delta. Although Indy or Orlando never offerered to weigh it. This happened on the late leg of our trip in Atlanta.

 

[n2mm]

Yes the new rule stinks and imagine lots of oversize luggage will start going on sale. We use to use a BIG suitcase for the 2 of us, now are forced to take 2 seperate bags. I encourage any folks out there thinking of buying luggage to avoid the larger pieces. We just purchased another new medium size bag for our next trip with our grandson. I guest the bigger bags were just too much to handle.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by n2mm
Yes the new rule stinks and imagine lots of oversize luggage will start going on sale. We use to use a BIG suitcase for the 2 of us, now are forced to take 2 seperate bags. I encourage any folks out there thinking of buying luggage to avoid the larger pieces. We just purchased another new medium size bag for our next trip with our grandson. I guest the bigger bags were just too much to handle.

Yep, lots of workman's comp. claims. SWA is still at 70# per bag.

Of course, there is always curb side where you tip the skycap and a lot of things just manage to appear lighter.

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
Of course, there is always curb side where you tip the skycap and a lot of things just manage to appear lighter.

There have been posts mentioning skycaps actually bringing bags inside to be weighed and charging for overweight bags. Not sure if they get a cut (as was rumored) or if they were just taking care of people who don't tip.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by Lewisc
There have been posts mentioning skycaps actually bringing bags inside to be weighed and charging for overweight bags. Not sure if they get a cut (as was rumored) or if they were just taking care of people who don't tip.

LOL, maybe it was just the tightwads that don't tip. A couple of my bags were WAY over 70# and I never got charged, but, did find a "heavy" tag attached. I do tip and tip well. It is more than worth every penny to me.

 

[Gillian]

Winter, I know what you mean! We got a fantastic suitcase as a wedding gift, but it's so large that it barely makes the maximum size limit, and I'm afraid it will weigh too much with any stuff in it! I love it, but I'm scared to use it anymore.

Actually, you're lucky that no one else said anything. That $25 fee can be charged per leg of your trip!!

 

[CarolA]

The other problem with the skycap idea is if thier are problems with your flight (weather, mechanical) you will HAVE to go inside to rebook and then you overweight luggage will be on the scale.

Also, the box thing appears to be "variable". (i.e., some agents and airlines give you one, some don't). There has been a lot of discussion regarding this on another travel board I read and my suggestion is to not assume you can get away with it! I recently read of a family going to Europe and by the time they finished they had paid more for overweight baggage then the discount tickets they had purchased!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by CarolA
The other problem with the skycap idea is if thier are problems with your flight (weather, mechanical) you will HAVE to go inside to rebook and then you overweight luggage will be on the scale.

Also, the box thing appears to be "variable". (i.e., some agents and airlines give you one, some don't). There has been a lot of discussion regarding this on another travel board I read and my suggestion is to not assume you can get away with it! I recently read of a family going to Europe and by the time they finished they had paid more for overweight baggage then the discount tickets they had purchased!

Good point and happily that has not happened to me.

 

[WINTER]

If I remember correctly, we used curb side in Indy with no problem. Then from Orlando to Atlanta they put a "heavy" red tag on it. Then in Atlanta, they just looked at it and said they had to weigh it.

 

[BostonTigger]

Is there some place that has all this info on luggage and weight req. that I can look at? This is the first I've heard about the weight thing.

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by BostonTigger
Is there some place that has all this info on luggage and weight req. that I can look at? This is the first I've heard about the weight thing.

REAL EASY, check your airlines website. Number of bags, size and weight vary by airline. Rules are usually different for domestic and international flights.

Most airlines are 50 or 70 lbs. As was posted the large (29" plus) bags will generally weight over 50 lbs.

Weights were lowered to create revenue and to reduce workmans comp claims from heavy bags.

 

[safetymom]

When they first started the new baggage requirements I travelled with Pelican cases with printers and scanners inside.

The cases were oversized and with the equipment in them they were overweight. So each leg of a trip would have cost me $360 for the 3 cases. It would have been cheaper to have someone else come along and take the extra case. Most times I wasn't on non stops so it would really have been expensive. I did a spreadsheet for work with all the charges from the airlines. I tip well but I knew since they started charging my chances of escaping weren't very good most times. Just like CarolA mentioned if you have to go inside you are out of luck with the luggage.

Needless to say they decided to start shipping the cases UPS and that started a whole new crop of problems.

 

[CarolA]

Safetymom,
I was talking to someone at baggage claim here in Nashville the other day. He was a musician with a country band and their excess bag costs are HUGE! They do use skycaps, but they just have too much baggage. He did say they had been paying it for years, not just this year. (He also indicated that some of the "stars" get away with not paying, but not just unknown band members! ) When I saw all the equipment cases this group unloaded I could see why. I have seen these cases a lot here and wondered what it cost.

 

[LvsTnk]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
LOL, maybe it was just the tightwads that don't tip. A couple of my bags were WAY over 70# and I never got charged, but, did find a "heavy" tag attached. I do tip and tip well. It is more than worth every penny to me.

We use Sky Caps and have never had a problem. I have also had a heavy tag attached to my bag upon arrival. Love that curbside check in it's worth every penny!!

 

[Amaris]

I tip, I think everyone who uses skycaps tips.... however to my disadvantage, they accepted the heavy luggage at Dulles but in NY they did not. So I had to fork out $25 bucks on my return flight . Tipping is not everything. What works in VA does not always work in New York, ha ha! Be careful. If your luggage is over the weight requirement, a tip might not save you every time.

edited afterthought: I realize now that not everyone tips, and I will refrain from saying "hmmm...." I am not a sarcastic person and didn't mean to type sarcastic, sorry!

 

[LvsTnk]

I wouldn't bank on it either, but I have also been lucky enough to always book a non-stop flight. I like the short lines and quick service at curb-side as well. Like I said worth every penny. I have seen plenty of people who do not tip, probably didn't know any better. Why does everyone have to be sooo sarcastic, if you don't like a post move on

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by Amaris
Hmmmm I tip, I think everyone who uses skycaps tips.... however to my disadvantage, they accepted the heavy luggage at Dulles but in NY they did not. So I had to fork out $25 bucks on my return flight . Tipping is not everything. What works in VA does not always work in New York, ha ha! Be careful. If your luggage is over the weight requirement, a tip might not save you every time.

Unfortunately, not everyone tips the skycap, many think the airlines put them there for everyone's convienance.
I tip also and I am sure a lot do, but, you, the many and I are not everyone.

I have yet to have to pay extra for my typically overweight bags, if that happens, oh well. Until then I will do what has worked for me all too many times.

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by CarolA
Safetymom,
I was talking to someone at baggage claim here in Nashville the other day. He was a musician with a country band and their excess bag costs are HUGE! They do use skycaps, but they just have too much baggage. He did say they had been paying it for years, not just this year. (He also indicated that some of the "stars" get away with not paying, but not just unknown band members! ) When I saw all the equipment cases this group unloaded I could see why. I have seen these cases a lot here and wondered what it cost.

Anne

 

[Amaris]

RE:
"Why does everyone have to be sooo sarcastic, if you don't like a post move on"

I am not sure if you were writing that I was sarcastic (?) I reread my post and did not write it as sarcastic, and don't reread it as such, so my sincere apologies if it appears that way, that was not my intent at all! Sorry!

My thoughts are that you cannot rely on a skycap. I gave the skycap in NY a $10 tip for one bag and still had to pay a $25 over weight fee for my bag.

I had no clue there WAS an overweight fee because at Dulles when I checked my bag IN for the flight to NY they skycap let the bag through and never told me it was too heavy. Had I known the bag was too heavy in the first place, I would have been more careful on my return trip, and moved the extra weight into a box or something to save the $25. I tipped well and slid through once, and had to pay another time. Airports will differ. Having learned this the hard way, I will be sure not to exceed the 50 lb weight limit on any of my bags for our next flight out skycap or no skycap.

 

[LvsTnk]

HMMMMM, Glad we haven't had your problems. Thanks for your apology