Do airports weigh luggage?

Most airports tend to have baggage scales available, but it's best to know the weight before arriving. Try a supermarket or if you're staying in a hotel, ask the concierge.



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Most airlines will allow you to check one bag and have one carry-on bag. There is normally a maximum weight limit of 50 pounds per checked bag as well as a size restriction. The most common maximum size bag allowed is 62 linear (total) inches. A common size bag for checking through is: 27 x 21 x 14.

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Weighing. If you have both checked and carry on luggage, usually both are going to be weighed at the check-in/luggage drop. If you only have a carry on and check-in online you have small chances to have your luggage weighed, however it might not be true if you apparently struggle with it.

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That depends if you have several kg overweight and are asking for the price per kg or if you really just only have one single kg extra. For a singe kg above the limit you most probably will not get charged, especially not on a full service airline. There is usually a tolerance in the range of 2–3kg, sometimes up to 5.

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So can you expect to find yourself on a scale before boarding your next domestic flight? Likely, no, but it isn't impossible. The U.S. does not require airlines to weigh passengers as South Korea does. However, a 2019 advisory from the FAA said airlines can weigh passengers, according to CNBC.

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For most airlines in the U.S., any bag over 50 lbs. is considered overweight. However, some carriers will charge you a fee for bags over 40 lbs., and certain flights have a maximum per bag limit of just 33 lbs. Once you know what you are dealing with, you can pack accordingly.

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Your baggage will be considered oversized or overweight when it exceeds the permitted dimensions and weight for checked baggage (50 lb in Economy class, 70 lb in Business class, and 158 linear cm).

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If you don't want to invest in a luggage scale, no problem! Use a regular bathroom scale by weighing yourself and then yourself holding the luggage. Subtract your weight from the overall weight to find out how much your bag weighs.

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Sticking a foot under a luggage scale to get bags under the limit is becoming a viral travel hack. People on TikTok say they've tried this trick and gotten away with bringing a heavy bag on board. Others say using this travel hack could endanger airline staff and one's fellow passengers.

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Shoes, coats and towels are usually the heaviest items.

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Keep reading for our top tips for packing lighter.
  1. Pack for a week (or less) and plan to do laundry.
  2. Pack around one basic color.
  3. Don't pack any more than three pairs of shoes.
  4. Use a wardrobe planner.
  5. Pack visually.
  6. Know what to roll and what to fold.
  7. Use compression cubes and bags.


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In general, obese passengers on airlines who require a seatbelt extender and/or cannot lower the armrests between seats are asked to pay for a second seat on their flight, unless there are two empty seats together somewhere on the plane.

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What to do when your suitcase is overweight at the airport
  1. Add it to your hand luggage. Make the most of that carry-on limit. ...
  2. Leave the queue and buy another bag to check in. Buy an extra bag that is cheap and cheerful. ...
  3. Cough up and pay the excess. That should do it for a weekend away.


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That doesn't make it a good idea, which is why pilots are trained to do weight and balance plus performance calculations before every flight. Besides the safety angle, taking off over gross weight could land you in trouble with the FAA even if nothing goes wrong, you can lose your ticket for that.

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Where airlines weigh passengers. Air New Zealand weighed passengers in June for reasons, it said, related to safety and fuel efficiency. Finnair did the same in 2017, and Hawaiian Air has conducted multiple passenger weight exercises on flights between Honolulu and American Samoa.

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Passengers travelling on South Korea's largest airline in the coming weeks could find themselves getting weighed at the airport. Korean Air confirmed on its website that it would be “measuring the average weight of passengers along with their carry-on items for flight safety”.

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Each checked bag can weigh 50 pounds or less and be 62 inches in size (length + width + height). What is considered excess baggage? To check more than two bags, each extra bag will result in an additional charge each way as long as it is no bigger than 62 inches (L+W+H) and weighs 50 lbs. or less.

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Most airlines allow you to check additional bags for a fee, with each extra bag costing more than the last. Your airline might offer an international flight baggage allowance of two free checked bags, for instance, with a $125 fee for a third bag and $200 for each additional bag after that.

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