Never been charged for my 62" Samsonite hard-side unless it was overweight. With a 69" bag, I can't imagine that you can keep it under 50lbs unless you either pack large items that are low in weight, don't pack that efficiently, or don't pack the bag full. I would not recommend traveling with a large suitcase that isn't full either. Perhaps trade it with someone for a more reasonable 26" bag?