Being an avid skier, I am notorious for having overweight bags. By the time all my gear is packed, rarely does my suitcase make the 50 pound limit. So, I figured I would share some of my tricks with the rest of you notorious over-packers.
1. Buy a Lightweight Suitcase
Its simple; the lighter the suitcase, the more weight you have available for the items you need to pack. You wouldn't believe what some suitcases weight even when empty! You can give yourself an extra five pounds by simply being conscious of the type of luggage you use for travel.
2. Weight Your Bags Before You Go
Do yourself a favor and pick up one of those hand held luggage scales. These attach to the top of your luggage, and when lifted tell you the exact weight of your luggage. For around $20, it might be the best investment you make.
3. Use Curbside Check-In
Many airports either do not have or do not use the scales on their curbside check-in kiosks. If you know your bag is going to be overweight, take a stroll by the curbside check-in and see if they have or are using the scales. If not, walk right up and enjoy your flight! If they are, often times a little "generosity" can convince the attendants to simply skip the pesky scale.
4. Carry Your Heavy Items On
If you have one or two token heavy items, often carrying them on can help alleviate a great deal of weight from you suitcase. For example, I often will carry my ski boots on the plane with me. Sure it may be slightly inconvenient, but I am willing to deal with a few hours of inconvenience for an extra 10 pounds of clothes.
5. Put Extra Items In Unchecked Bags
Most airports do not weight oversized bags. These will usually include ski and snowboard bags, golf bags, ect. If you are pressed for space, try stuffing extra items in these bags so they can slip by undetected.
6. Last Ditch Attempt: Hold Your Bag Up
This is only to be used as a last ditch effort. If you can hold up the end of your bag or prop it against your leg, you may be able to drop a few pounds of weight on the scale. By propping your bag, the full weight isn't resting on the scale, reducing the measured weight. Rarely can you get away with this move, but often if attendants are busy or distracted they won't notice.
Remember, the only surefire way to not get nabbed with an overweight bag is to weight it beforehand to make sure it's less than 50 lbs. But, with a little creativity, these other tricks may just help you skip those annoying fees few times. Hope this helps, and happy travels!
From eBags Blog
