Bag Weight BS in Denver
May 14, 2018, 11:16 am
#32
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May end up regretting getting involved here, but 
I can't figure out what it is you think this proves or why it is supposed to be revealing/confusing/frustrating. From the details you presented, clearly the agent's scale reports that things weigh ~1-1.5 lbs heavier than when weighed with your scale. So let's accept that as given.
Removing 1-1.5 lbs of stuff from each bag isn't going to change the differential between their scale and yours. Imagine you removed 5 pounds of stuff. Yours would say ~44-45 and theirs would say ~45-46.
The fact that their scale after repacking, showed the same as yours before repacking, is just a coincidence that the amount you removed was roughly the same as the differential between the two scales.
Me: Coming back from 2-week intl. trip. Triple-checks each check bag with scale. Both weigh 49.
SWA ticket agent: Nope, I have 50.5 & 51.
Me: My scale says otherwise. I 3x checked it.
Agent: Re-pack or pay $75 per bag.
**frantic and frustrated re-packing ensues**
Me: Takes one pr. jeans out of each bag, transfers to carryon. Bags reweigh at 47 and 48.4.
SWA agent: I have 49 and 49.5.
Me: ... that's where I was before. Check your scales.
Agent: *stares blankly* um, ok.
SWA ticket agent: Nope, I have 50.5 & 51.
Me: My scale says otherwise. I 3x checked it.
Agent: Re-pack or pay $75 per bag.
**frantic and frustrated re-packing ensues**
Me: Takes one pr. jeans out of each bag, transfers to carryon. Bags reweigh at 47 and 48.4.
SWA agent: I have 49 and 49.5.
Me: ... that's where I was before. Check your scales.
Agent: *stares blankly* um, ok.
Removing 1-1.5 lbs of stuff from each bag isn't going to change the differential between their scale and yours. Imagine you removed 5 pounds of stuff. Yours would say ~44-45 and theirs would say ~45-46.
The fact that their scale after repacking, showed the same as yours before repacking, is just a coincidence that the amount you removed was roughly the same as the differential between the two scales.
May 14, 2018, 11:16 am
#33
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
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Posts: 703
I've flown SWA two times! The second time was to confirm the first time really did disappoint me as much as I thought it did.
That said, if you fly often enough (sometimes once) something negative is going to happen. When it happens I'm much happier on one of the big boys.
That said, if you fly often enough (sometimes once) something negative is going to happen. When it happens I'm much happier on one of the big boys.
Thanks for that.
May 14, 2018, 11:52 am
#34
Join Date: Dec 2003
Programs: AA Plat Pro, United Silver, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,120
This exact thing just happened to me last week at the doctor's office.
Me: I weighed myself before I left the house. Came in at 138.
Nurse: Nope, I have 140.
Me: My scale says otherwise. I 3x checked it.
**frantic and frustrated kicking off my shoes ensues**
Nurse: I have 138.
Me: ... that's where I was before. Check your scales.
Nurse: *stares blankly* while looking at shoes. um, ok
Personally, this whole thing was pretty much the last straw for me and that doctor's office.
Me: I weighed myself before I left the house. Came in at 138.
Nurse: Nope, I have 140.
Me: My scale says otherwise. I 3x checked it.
**frantic and frustrated kicking off my shoes ensues**
Nurse: I have 138.
Me: ... that's where I was before. Check your scales.
Nurse: *stares blankly* while looking at shoes. um, ok
Personally, this whole thing was pretty much the last straw for me and that doctor's office.
May 14, 2018, 12:04 pm
#36
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SoCal
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May 14, 2018, 12:25 pm
#37
Join Date: Dec 2014
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May 14, 2018, 12:52 pm
#38
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,502
May 14, 2018, 1:35 pm
#39
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Most employees at most airlines will give you a break on a small overage. The OP got unlucky. It happens.
May 14, 2018, 2:37 pm
#40
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
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May end up regretting getting involved here, but
I can't figure out what it is you think this proves or why it is supposed to be revealing/confusing/frustrating. From the details you presented, clearly the agent's scale reports that things weigh ~1-1.5 lbs heavier than when weighed with your scale. So let's accept that as given.
Removing 1-1.5 lbs of stuff from each bag isn't going to change the differential between their scale and yours. Imagine you removed 5 pounds of stuff. Yours would say ~44-45 and theirs would say ~45-46.
The fact that their scale after repacking, showed the same as yours before repacking, is just a coincidence that the amount you removed was roughly the same as the differential between the two scales.
I can't figure out what it is you think this proves or why it is supposed to be revealing/confusing/frustrating. From the details you presented, clearly the agent's scale reports that things weigh ~1-1.5 lbs heavier than when weighed with your scale. So let's accept that as given.
Removing 1-1.5 lbs of stuff from each bag isn't going to change the differential between their scale and yours. Imagine you removed 5 pounds of stuff. Yours would say ~44-45 and theirs would say ~45-46.
The fact that their scale after repacking, showed the same as yours before repacking, is just a coincidence that the amount you removed was roughly the same as the differential between the two scales.
May 14, 2018, 3:00 pm
#41
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Northern Nevada
Programs: DL,EK
Posts: 1,652
How is it that people have so much stuff? I spent 6 months on the road with a 22-lb bag and have never carried more than that. The only time I came up against the weight limit was with four 50-lb bags between my wife and I when we were moving from Prague back to Reno. Czech Airlines was very strict on the weight and I removed a sweater from one bag to make it work.
May 14, 2018, 3:25 pm
#44
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To save everyone from reading a super long post, I'll cut to the chase as far as background info goes: My wife and I just came home from a 10 day cruise in the Mediterranean, plus a couple of extra days in Barcelona. We didn't buy a ton of gifts/souvenirs, but we were coming home with more in the bags than we left home with. Our return trip was BCN-LHR-DEN (on BA), then DEN-STL (on SWA) after a overnight stop. (the stop was intentional to provide us some sleep, and prevent a 'don't get to STL until 2am' scenario)
Knowing that we'd have to re-check our bags, we carefully re-packed everything, and triple checked our bag weight. Each of our two check bags rang in on our travel scale at 49 pounds.
Upon arriving at the check-in counter, things went south quickly. I'll summarize as follows:
Me: Coming back from 2-week intl. trip. Triple-checks each check bag with scale. Both weigh 49.
SWA ticket agent: Nope, I have 50.5 & 51.
Me: My scale says otherwise. I 3x checked it.
Agent: Re-pack or pay $75 per bag.
**frantic and frustrated re-packing ensues**
Me: Takes one pr. jeans out of each bag, transfers to carryon. Bags reweigh at 47 and 48.4.
SWA agent: I have 49 and 49.5.
Me: ... that's where I was before. Check your scales.
Agent: *stares blankly* um, ok.
Cherry on top: The extra jeans made the carry-on hard to scan, so of course TSA manually tosses the bag like a jail cell, forcing us to repack a bunch of fragile gifts from our trip.
******************
Now, a few points I wish to make in summary:
1. I acknowledge that the airport scales are certified for use, and higher-grade than the scales we buy for home use. My scale has served me well for years, and this is the first time I've had an issue, fwiw.
2. Were I many pounds over on their scale, I'd concede the point (and I would guess that my scale would have said similarly before I even got to the airport). BUT, even if SWA's scale was dead-on, it's ~1 pound between two bags. After coming back from a long intl. trip. Have some damn mercy.
3. Barring any mercy being shown, I suggest one/both of the following need to occur:
A) passengers be given a 1 pound buffer on weigh-in, especially if transiting home from intl. travel.
B) some company designs/sells a travel scale that meets the same accuracy standards as the ones used in the airports. That way, passengers can have more confidence that their scale is giving a reading that won't be contradicted at the airport.
********************
Personally, this whole thing was pretty much the last straw for me and SWA. Their cattle-car boarding has always been a PITA, but I used to overlook it because they flew most everything that was NS out of STL. But after all of this, I am sorely tempted to go back to multi-stop AA routes. At least their folks don't seem to jerk folks around for a (questionable) pound of bag weight.
And before someone says it... yes, I know the current rule says 50. And I always adhere to it. That's why I bought a scale, and measure my bags multiple times. But my larger point is that either pax need a buffer zone on that, at least in limited scenarios, or the scales we all buy and use need to match what the airport scales can do.
Knowing that we'd have to re-check our bags, we carefully re-packed everything, and triple checked our bag weight. Each of our two check bags rang in on our travel scale at 49 pounds.
Upon arriving at the check-in counter, things went south quickly. I'll summarize as follows:
Me: Coming back from 2-week intl. trip. Triple-checks each check bag with scale. Both weigh 49.
SWA ticket agent: Nope, I have 50.5 & 51.
Me: My scale says otherwise. I 3x checked it.
Agent: Re-pack or pay $75 per bag.
**frantic and frustrated re-packing ensues**
Me: Takes one pr. jeans out of each bag, transfers to carryon. Bags reweigh at 47 and 48.4.
SWA agent: I have 49 and 49.5.
Me: ... that's where I was before. Check your scales.
Agent: *stares blankly* um, ok.
Cherry on top: The extra jeans made the carry-on hard to scan, so of course TSA manually tosses the bag like a jail cell, forcing us to repack a bunch of fragile gifts from our trip.
******************
Now, a few points I wish to make in summary:
1. I acknowledge that the airport scales are certified for use, and higher-grade than the scales we buy for home use. My scale has served me well for years, and this is the first time I've had an issue, fwiw.
2. Were I many pounds over on their scale, I'd concede the point (and I would guess that my scale would have said similarly before I even got to the airport). BUT, even if SWA's scale was dead-on, it's ~1 pound between two bags. After coming back from a long intl. trip. Have some damn mercy.
3. Barring any mercy being shown, I suggest one/both of the following need to occur:
A) passengers be given a 1 pound buffer on weigh-in, especially if transiting home from intl. travel.
B) some company designs/sells a travel scale that meets the same accuracy standards as the ones used in the airports. That way, passengers can have more confidence that their scale is giving a reading that won't be contradicted at the airport.
********************
Personally, this whole thing was pretty much the last straw for me and SWA. Their cattle-car boarding has always been a PITA, but I used to overlook it because they flew most everything that was NS out of STL. But after all of this, I am sorely tempted to go back to multi-stop AA routes. At least their folks don't seem to jerk folks around for a (questionable) pound of bag weight.
And before someone says it... yes, I know the current rule says 50. And I always adhere to it. That's why I bought a scale, and measure my bags multiple times. But my larger point is that either pax need a buffer zone on that, at least in limited scenarios, or the scales we all buy and use need to match what the airport scales can do.
I've also looked for the state inspection stickers and never seen them. I haven't been able to get the states I asked to answer whether the scales airlines use to charge for baggage weight need to be certified because they're used in trade.