How strict are airlines about checked baggage weight?

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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Most airlines charge $100-$200 if your luggage is overweight. Delta and American Airlines charge $100 if your bag weighs 51-70 pounds and $200 if your bag weighs 71-100 pounds. United airlines charges up to $400 for overweight bags depending on the weight and destination.

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There are generally two things you can do if your suitcase is over the weight limit: you can either pay the fee for the extra weight or take some things out so that the weight is then within the allowed limit. You should always take out smaller and heavier stuff since you can put them in your carry-on instead.

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Domestic carriers have clear carry-on size restrictions, but not weight restrictions. In fact, U.S. carriers may not even be equipped to monitor weight at the gate, since boarding gates generally don't have scales.

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Most airlines have a carry-on weight limit of 40 pounds. International airlines may have different restrictions for carry-on luggage. Again, it is always best to check with your airline first to get their exact requirements. Airlines enforce all size and weight limits much more strictly now than in the past.

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Checked Luggage 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. Airline carriers will allow overweight, oversize or additional baggage for additional fees.

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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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One reason they don't measure your weight is that most people wouldn't feel comfortable getting weighed in front of strangers, then charged for that. Only Air Samoa currently weighs each passenger and tickets them by weight. In the West, weight is a contentious issue, so an assumed average is used for passengers.

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Most airlines measure check-in luggage in linear dimensions, which means the sum of the length, width and height. The most common linear limit for check-in luggage is 62 inches, though it's prudent to confirm.

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The easiest way to estimate luggage weight is to compare it to an item that you know the weight of. You won't know the exact weight of your luggage but it will be close enough. What is this? If the luggage weight limit is 50 pounds, find an object around your home that weighs around 50 pounds.

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Shoes, coats and towels are usually the heaviest items. Putting them at the bottom of the suitcase will make everything you put on top of them wrinkle much less. If you are staying at one of our hotels you do not need to bring towels of any kind.

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Use a luggage scale. This is the most accurate way to measure the weight of your luggage.

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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.

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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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Some airlines specify size requirements for both items, while others only restrict the overhead baggage. Just remember that a carrier's policy for the larger carry-on accounts for the size of your entire bag, including your luggage's handles and wheels.

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Checked Luggage 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. Airline carriers will allow overweight, oversize or additional baggage for additional fees.

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For dimensions, while they don't routinely measure the dimensions of checked bags there is a size limit. If it's a little bit over you may get lucky and the airline won't notice but you're taking a chance with it.

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Also, hard shells tend to be heavier, but soft-sided ones can damage more easily. There are good and bad features for both and, in the end, it really comes down to personal preference.

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Large checked luggage sizes can be problematic, especially if traveling on a low-cost carrier like Spirit Airlines or Frontier Airlines. To avoid oversized baggage fees, you'll want to measure any checked luggage before your flight. This includes both the size and the weight.

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Rolling your clothes won't make them weigh less, so they won't make your luggage lighter.

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