Luggage weight
 

A few weeks ago I was checking in at BOS. When I threw my tool box on the scale, it registered 47.5 pounds. The ticket agent said "wow you just made it!! I told her that elites are allowed 70lbs to which she replied "I didn't know that" I told her it was online and she said she would check with her boss about it. Has any of you elites ever had a case more than 50 lbs and had paid the $25 fee?

No, I was only over once, but I didn't have to pay. The gate agent started to tell me I had to pay then asked if I was elite. Then I just went about my business. I was in the FC line, however.

I haven't heard of elites being denied their 70lb allowance. But beware of a few things:

1. If you get EUAed on the outbound, you can check 3 bags as an FC passenger, but on the return, if you don't get EUAed, you may be limited to 2.
2. If your travel involves North America but goes international, the 50lb non-elite limit vanishes.
3. If your travel is international but does not involve North American (such as AMS-BOM, NRT-Asia, or KLM intra-Europe), you will be limited to 20kg TOTAL checked luggage (not per piece!).

search this board for more threads on baggage restrictions.

BOS is usually pretty good about bag rules. I few last week out of BOS with a 72 lb. monster full of Christmas presents. I got screwed bad once this year on a return leg of of London City airport on KLM Cityhopper flying LCY-AMS-BOS b/c of the KL Cityhopper limit (20 kl). I told the KL agent that I was going international out of AMS but she said on KL that the limit is 20 kilos regardless. In an instance of panic, I started flashing my NW elite card while trying to be nice but acted as if she had never seen one and said that that was NW and I was flying KL. After talking to her supervisor he allowed the bag. But then in a seperate issue, b/c the Fokker was overloaded and overweight, and I was the last pax to check-in for the flight, they tried to bump me on boarding in exchange for a 50 Euro voucher on KL. Note here that I had a confirmed seat assignment. Again, the supervisor showed up and after telling him that I had an international connection in AMS, he bumped a domestic pax instead.

Was this Fokker the KL Agent? :D

Agents don't often know the exceptions to the rule. If you think your bag will be over 50lbs (but still under 70lbs) for domestic travel, the best thing to do is to print out the page on the internet with the exceptions and carry it with you. They can look it up in their system, it just takes longer.

I have never been asked to pay, but several agents had to be reminded that Elites are exempt from the fee.

In PHX last week, my bag game in at 52.7 or something like that. The gate agent said, "We can't take this, it's over." I said (politely) "I'm elite, I'm allowed to have 70 pounds."

He said it wasn't the case. I said it was. He said it wasn't. I asked to speak to a supervisor. I won.

Why does this make me think of...

"I know you are, but what am I"?

Of course they can take it! It is a $20 or $25 fee if you are not elite and free if you are. He needs to be directed to the luggage page in the rule screen.

similar problems
 

I had similar problems flying an NW coded flight out of SBA on AA metal...

When I picked up my voluntarily separated bag, the agent said max of 50 per item. Instead of fighting it / arguing / wasting time talking with supervisor, I just split my 60 pounds into 2 bags. Thankfully I had that luxury.

I asked the NWA "talk to us" folks about it--they confirmed 2x 70lbs for Elite members and advised "have them call us" if they try to charge you.

Think it's just not well publicized to the various folks who may take your bag (obviously)...

I'm non-elite and just came back from visiting family in PHL. My gift-filled suitcase was just about 50 pounds (according to my mom's bathroom scale), but I was worried it would register as 51 or something and I'd have to pay a fee. On my sister's advice, I used a skycap instead of going in to the counter, and he never even put it on the scale - just tagged it and sent it inside. Of course, I did give him a nice tip.

On Monday I took my non-elite son (on an award ticket) to MSP. My wife packed the 2 huge suitcases with the new granchild's clothes and toys etc.
I was afraid they would be overweight, But I pulled into the skycap space at the kerb, my son took the granchild and carry-on, and I gave gave the skycap the suitcases while flashing a couple of dollars. No worries mate!! :D

On AA metal, AA rules apply, NOT NW rules. If you are not elite with AA and they have a 50 lb limit for base members or non-members of advantage, than that would be your limit. The code on the flight does not matter, the company operating the equipment is who sets the rules.

ok...
 

Wldtrvlr,
thanks for the explanation! Guess I need to pay more attention to the real metal of the code partner and know all of their rules? (somewhat tedious).

I do have an AAdvantage membership... but I'm pretty sure it's at the sub-basement level (program of last resort when I can't use WP or MP).

Won't ever be a problem again (maybe next Christmas?! who would have thought I'd have received so much coal to lug home...).
Cheers,
Spilkus

or of course if you have a lot to carry you could check-in three bags on Song airlines (I think they still allow that!) I'm just curious do they allow over-50lbs free for DL elites or are they "a separate entity"?