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50 lb bag limits and leeway

Discussion in 'Getting There & Getting Around' started by makikiboy, Sep 9, 2015.

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  1. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    Guess this can occur with any airline. Have you ever encountered check in clerks that are by the book and won't allow any leeway with your checked bags?

    I encountered that with my SW flight this past Saturday. Clerk (male) wouldn't allow any leeway, only allowed my bag to be 50 lbs so I had to take out a few stuff to make the weight limit. I mentioned to him that many clerks allowed some leeway (I have gotten a 54 lb check in bag before - I didn't tell him that, and 56 lb bag when going through the porters) with bags but this guy wouldn't budge. He said that the other clerks were disobeying the rules by allowing bags over 50 lbs. The female clerk next to him heard the whole thing and just rolled her eyes to the conversation. She came around to look at my bag and weight, it was between 51.5 and 52 lbs. She saw that and again rolled her eyes (wish I went to her instead but she was a little farther down the line). I took out some stuff and it was about 50.5 but he still wanted that half a pound out of there. It wasn't that much of a problem for me as I could just take out a couple of stuff but it just irks me that the weight limit all depends on the clerk. :Þ

    After I checked in my 50 lb bag and was walking away the female clerk said that she would have allowed the 51.5/52 lb bag and apologized for the inconvenience the guy caused.


    Another time I had a problem with a SW clerk (female). I was going to a bowling tournament and I had a 3 ball bag. Since I throw 15 lb balls the bag was 50.5 lbs but the clerk said that they don't allow these bags on the plane. After some discussion another clerk came by and asked what the problem was. She said that I can't check in my 3 ball bag but the guy said that as long as it was 50 lbs and under just pass it through. This female clerk made me take out my towels and stuff so it was exactly at the 50 lb weight limit.


    I encountered another problem before, I was flying air Canada on my European trip in 2013. In Montreal the battle axe old lady clerk didn't allow any weight leeway and even weighed my carry on to make sure it was below their carry on limit. Because of that I had to hold on to some stuff (camera and lenses formerly in my carry on) because I couldn't put it in my carry on but still couldn't make her weight limit. Finally her supervisor came by and felt some compassion for me and allowed me to check in my bag and also allowed me to stow my camera and lenses in my carry on even though the carry on was over the limit. I overheard the clerk complaining to her supervisor about rules but luckily the supervisor was more lenient.
     
  2. h0und10

    h0und10 VIP Whale

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    that is a bummer. BUT to play devils advocate, the lady could have just been saying that knowing she wasn't faced with the problem, and two, the clerks boss could have been lurking nearby and didn't want to get in trouble. That happens to me at my part time job selling tickets to a hockey rink. I know the people have already been in once so I do not need to see there ticket when I physically know the person and know they bought a ticket previously. but if my boss is around I kind of have to ask to see everyones ticket please!
     
  3. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    I can't even remember the last time anyone checked a scale when I gave them my bag. You were unlucky that day!
     
  4. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    Nah, nobody was around but the clerks. But it is irritating that some clerks allow more leeway than others. As leo said, I was just unlucky to get a strict clerk that day.
     
  5. newmans

    newmans VIP Whale

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    I fly every month. They ALWAYS weigh my bag. They have also clamped down on carry on bags. They make sure they fit the template and weigh them and tag them as allowable carry on. I don't have a problem with that. People were bringing on massive carryons before since they didn't want to pay a baggage fee.
     
  6. wanker751

    wanker751 Dutch Rudder Enthusiast

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    Bag is always weighed I was over in PHX by two lbs, guy (at rental center for express bag check) said it was scale error and let it go.. maybe SW clerk would have made me pay...
     
  7. NJS24

    NJS24 Voice of Reason

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    People following regulations, and doing their job? Preposterous!
     
  8. mescalita

    mescalita old and in the way...

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    :clap:
     
  9. sabre

    sabre Low-Roller

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    So instead of being grateful that you're often able to go over the weight limit, you're bitching because a worker expected you to adhere to a clear and well publicized weight restriction?

    Try Spirit or Ryanair next time.
     
  10. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    One time we were flying on WestJet with two suitcases: one was 55lbs and the other about 30. They just had us move stuff from the heavy bag to the lighter bag.

    And one time flying Alaska Air I had a bag that was about 85 lbs... they charged me an overweight fee for the bag.

    Otherwise, I'd have to agree with two of the sentiments in the replies to this thread:
    --> The woman who said she would have passed the bag through could really have said anything - once your luggage is on the conveyor belt and on its way it doesn't matter because its not like you are going to have them bring it up again, move your stuff back and then have her process you. Likely she was just doing the customer service aspect of her job and showing you sympathy and a willingness to have been able to help.
    --> As was said: you know these limits, they are on your ticket, on your confirmation emails and it sounds like you travel regularly. Don't feel so entitled, you should be happy when your luggage goes through when its overweight and accepting when it doesn't. The limit is fifty pounds, not "somewhere around fifty" or "fifty-something" or "fifty, but up to fifty five is ok" plus they can't keep moving the limits for each passenger because its "just a wee bit over the amount I had last time" - if you got 54 through and 56 on another trip, wouldn't 58 be OK? Its only 2 pounds more... and if 58 is OK then surely 60 must be... and 61? 62? 63? Eventually they have to limit how far they can go and in this case they did: 50 pounds.
     
  11. C0usineddie

    C0usineddie VIP Whale

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    Weight and balance is a huge safety issue for aircraft.

    They have those limits for a reason, its called safety.
     
  12. Snidely

    Snidely VIP Whale

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    But they take heavier bags with an extra fee. Do those overweight fees help make the plane safer?
     
  13. Nick61

    Nick61 MIA

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    It always depends on the jerkoff clerk you draw. I got flagged at McCarran coming home on Frontier, claiming I was 2 lbs over. I seriously doubt the weight of my bag was any lighter on the inbound to Vegas leg. So i'm guessing if I was over coming home, I was also over going there, as it was pretty much the same stuff.

    They wanted to charge me $75. I told them I'd throw some of the stuff away, before I'd pay that.

    Fortunately the airport wasn't very busy that day, and I had allowed extra time. I was able to drop out of line, then take some of the stuff out of my checked bag and jam it into my carryon. When i checked in the 2nd time, the bag was still a half pound over. But this time, a different clerk let it pass.
     
  14. Nick61

    Nick61 MIA

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    Oh really. I guess that explains why our plane leaned all the way home, with the 380 lb sweaty dude that sat next to me.

    Sorry, but I don't buy into the concept of my bag being 2 lbs over, as a life threatening issue. It's like most everything else with the airlines--a money grab.

    Frontier is notorious for this. If you want anything other than water to drink on their flights, you get charged. If you want anything other than a middle seat, you pay. If you're 6'2" 230 like me, you don't get the emergency isle without paying an extra $25. I guess those are all safety concerns too, eh?


    The last couple of Frontier Flights I took, i watched one guy try to move to an emergency seat. Bear in mind they were all empty. The flight attendant, told him if he wished to stay there, they would need his credit card and he would have to be charged-lol.
     
  15. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    Yep, that happened on my outbound flight with them this last trip too as the plane was maybe half-full at best. He said to her someone needed to sit in the emergency row for an emergency. The flight attendant, a real bitch, said "we don't care and neither does the FAA". The row remained empty.

    But considering the fares I've been seeing from Frontier lately, they can nickel and dime me all they want. Still $200+ cheaper than SWA roundtrip on midweek flights from STL. I don't need a "free" coke and peanuts...:evillaugh
     
  16. Nick61

    Nick61 MIA

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    You do have a good point about the cheaper fares. But like you're message indicated, it's the way they say no that is the embarrassing part.

    It's clear, Frontier management has stressed this as a priority to their employees. And it does very little good, most of the planes I'm on those seats remain empty. If money wasn't important, many of them wouldn't be on Frontier in the first place.

    Although I do happen to like my free diet coke, lol. But like you say, it's not worth an extra $100 or possibly more in air fare. I need to drink more water, less soda anyway, lol.

    But they do get some of that lower airfare back, as they charge for all checked bags--and anything but the smallest carry ons too. Southwest is still free on that stuff. But I'm still finding free bags considered in the case with Southwest, Frontier is cheaper.
     
  17. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    Passing a tip with your ID might help in some of these cases.

    Just curious what y'all are packing to go over 50lbs?

    I bring two huge ass pieces of luggage, one of them has a Keurig machine.

    They both feel like they weigh a ton, but I weigh them the night before and they've never been over 42...
     
  18. NickPapageorgio

    NickPapageorgio OG of the Sal Sagev Hotel

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    Pay the extra and fly business class. 70 pound limits, 2 bags, no sweaty guy rubbing against you, and an altogether different level of service.

    Nick:beer:
     
  19. Nick61

    Nick61 MIA

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    Will do Nick. Now please list your credit card number here-lol.
     
  20. NickPapageorgio

    NickPapageorgio OG of the Sal Sagev Hotel

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    Miles baby, burn the miles.

    Nick:beer:
     
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