Airlines Make Penalties Even Greater for Over-Packers

Learn your airline's limitations — and penalties

With ever-tightening baggage restrictions, your first line of defense is to know what you'll face at the check-in counter, says Winship. Be sure to check the limitations on all the airlines you're traveling on during a particular trip. Two 50 lb bags won't be a problem on your Virgin Atlantic flight from New York to London, but would incur a whopping $202.80 fee on your Ryanair hop from London to Liverpool. (The airline charges $13 for each checked bag, plus $10.40 for every two pounds over the 33-pound limit.)

Domestic Baggage Fees
Airline	Overweight	Over-Sized*	Additional
American	$25 for checked bags weighing more than 50 lbs; $50 for bags weighing more than 70 lbs. Baggage in excess of 100 lbs will not be accepted.	$100 per piece for baggage in excess of 62 linear inches. Baggage in excess of 115 linear inches will not be accepted.	$80 each for the first three pieces over the limit; $105 for the fourth, fifth and sixth; $180 for the seventh (and any additional).
Continental	$25 for checked bags weighing more than 50 lbs. (One Pass Elite members and first- and business-class passengers can check bags weighing up to 70 lbs for free.) Baggage in excess of 70 lbs will not be accepted.	$80 per piece for baggage in excess of 62 linear inches. Baggage in excess of 115 linear inches will not be accepted.	$80 each for the first three pieces over the limit; $105 for the fourth, fifth and sixth; $180 for the seventh (and any additional).
Delta	$25 for checked bags weighing more than 50 lbs; $100 for bags weighing more than 70 lbs. Baggage in excess of 100 lbs will not be accepted.	$100 per piece for baggage in excess of 62 linear inches. Baggage in excess of 80 linear inches will not be accepted.	$80 each for domestic flights; $100 each for international flights.
United	$50 for checked bags weighing more than 50 lbs. Baggage in excess of 100 lbs will not be accepted.	$100 per piece for baggage in excess of 62 linear inches. Baggage in excess of 115 linear inches will not be accepted.	$25 for the first piece over the limit; $100 for the third and fourth; $200 for the fifth (and any additional).
U.S. Airways	$50 for checked bags weighing more than 50 lbs; $80 for bags weighing more than 70 lbs. (First- and business-class passengers can check bags weighing up to 70 lbs for free.) Baggage in excess of 101 lbs will not be accepted.	$80 per piece for baggage in excess of 62 linear inches. Baggage in excess of 80 linear inches will not be accepted.	$80 each for up to nine additional bags.

* Airlines base restrictions on linear inches; the sum of a bag's height, width, and length.

Lighten your luggage load

Your bags aren't just being bogged down by the week's worth of clothing, four pairs of shoes and hardback copy of "War and Peace" stuffed inside. "The weight of the luggage itself has become as important as how you pack," says Michele Marini Pittenger, president of the Travel Goods Association, a trade group. Empty, that 19 lb, 29" Zero Halliburton suitcase accounts for nearly 40% of the weight limit on most airlines. Opt instead for the same-size 9.4 lb Skyway Ultra No-Weight, and you can squeeze in another 10 lbs of personal belongings.

Divide and conquer

"It's not so much the total weight of your luggage that airlines are restricting as it is the weight of one bag," says Susan Foster, author of "Smart Packing for Today's Traveler." The bigger the bag, the more you can pack in it — and the heavier it is likely to be. Divide the belongings in your one big suitcase into two smaller (and presumably lighter) pieces of luggage.

Repack — at the airport

It's come down to this: One three-pound hairdryer is all that stands between you and avoidance of an overweight luggage fee. Don't panic — there's no need to throw out your stuff. Most airports offer some kind of mail-back service (originally put in place to keep your banned items out of the security screeners' confiscation pile). Look for a mail-back kiosk near the security checkpoint, at airport stores or by the traveler's aid office. For about $10, ReturnKey Systems, Smarte Cart or CheckPoint Mailers will ship items back to your home. That's small potatoes compared to the $50 ($25 each way) you'd spend for that overweight luggage.

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