weblet

Just remember you'll have souvenirs on your return!!

SirDomino

Everything we buy when we're there we tend to ship back by USPS since we are visiting family who are in the military on base and we can ship from the Post Office on Base. Its not too bad, comes out to $1/lb usually, even less if we ship it by cargo.

weblet

Well there you go! Ship the bags over, ship them back! Hmmm... worth it not to have to check bags with the airline???

Globaliser

Whatever happened to the rule that if you are connecting (on a single ticket) to another flight, the more generous baggage allowance applies to the entire trip?

SirDomino

So instead of using a suitcase, just buy a box, throw all our clothes in it and ship it?? and then take a small suitcase for each of us with just enough clothes to get us by until our packages arrived?

That would still be kinda expensive. Probably about $150 or so round trip.

weblet

I haven't had any recent experience and why I suggested a call to AA. They have been quoting "the most restrictive rule" issue lately. Of course, what happens at the ticket counter and what you've been told is often at odds also...

Flaflyer

There was a post a few months back from a guy who went often to the same cities in the US and stayed at the same hotels. He kept several packed identical suitcases and FedExed one two days before his trip to the hotel and then had FedEx pick it up and return it. Mail your dirty laundry home as it were. Said it was cost effective and of course no checked bags, no airline lost bags, no waiting at the bag claim, all trips carry on only. I think it is a cool idea and would work for some repetitive travel plans.

SirDomino

Do you have to pack the bags in boxes or do you just lock/zip tie the bag's zippers and wrap a Fedex sticker around the handle??

Curious how much it would cost.

4thplz

It is not bunk! Luggage handlers are at a couple of places. First contact there is either a skycap or a customer service agent that is going to lift that bag. "safety of the bag tossers" is a major concern for companies. Companies pay out for injuries on the job. I am sure that some of those funds collected from the overweight charges go back to the injuries on the job.
Although employees are trained for lifting bags, we are on time-contraints. Sometimes one just lifts the bag incorrectly.

I am always so surprised by people being surprised by the strict weight allowances. On my first international trip in the '70's I remember weighing my bags carefully at home before going to the airport.
"The signs" are there, one just is not seeing them. They come in your "package" with your trip confirmation. If someone does not read them then, they are still not going to "see" the signs at the airport. The restrictions are on the website.

My guess is with fuel charges skyrocking, weight issues are even more important with keeping costs down.

Globaliser

Yes, and it makes it safer too. You just need to read some of the research work.

xinerevelle

I've managed to squeeze 59# into a 26" Samsonite Silhouette. Of course, it was only about 40# before I was given a bunch of stuff at corporate to take back to our satellite office. So, I paid the $25 overage charge (Delta) and then expensed it.

Now when I attend training classes in other cities or otherwise have lots of paper to haul home I just ship home instead.

And I never volunteer to take stuff back with me anymore... been bitten by that question before...

Oh, and the "weighing yourself on your bathroom scale" is the best method I've found... but I did see a scale at IAH at the Continental Express check-in counter last week (next to the carry-on sizer).