Beating the airline baggage fee system
The airlines are trying to cheat you with the baggage system, so why not give it back. This may not always work but I have a motto in my life: "If you are going to steal from me I'm going to at least make you work for it."
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I've always found "excess baggage" to be a massive racket. If a checked bag goes a few pounds over the limit you get charged out the nose, but a 300 pound guy pays the same price for a seat as a child? Give me a break.
They have all these reasons such as protecting the baggage handlers and streamlining operations and what not but I don't buy it. I've been on this planet for a while and remember a time when airlines didn't even have weight limits on baggage, it was simply a question of human decency that you wouldn't attempt to move your bags of cement using United Airlines.
Maybe people were just nicer back then? Or companies were less greedy?
Anyway, here is a scenario that happened with me that involved the same luggage using the same airline with two separate legs of the same journey and how on one leg i got screwed and charged a massive amount and then nothing on the next.
3 bags in total. Weight = 48kg total
First leg: I had 27 kg in the massive checked bag and the rest in my small rolling suitcase and in a laptop backpack.
The limit for the checked bag was 20kg and I was charged overage for the entire 7 kg at $15 per kg. That comes to $105 which was about $30 MORE than it cost for the entire ticket. If this isn't a ripoff, I don't know what is.
Second leg: dropped the weight of the checked bag to 22 kg and overloaded the hell out of my carry-on's. I was charged no excess baggage fee.
My rolling suitcase and my backpack were absolutely jammed and were well over the prescribed 7kg total baggage allowance in the cabin (which is also a load of crap.)
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They justify this cabin baggage allowance by suggesting that the flight attendants can not be subjected to lifting more than 7kg at a time - which may actually be some sort of union bullcrap but honestly, how often do you see the flight attendants lifting anyone's carry-on?
Here's the kicker though. I have flown in Asia hundreds of times in the past 15 years. I have only had the weight of my carry on weighed ONCE and my backpack has never been weighed - which is good because I have a gaming laptop that probably weighs 5kg on its own. My checked bag is ALWAYS weighed. So the odds are really in your favor as far as loading up your carry on is concerned.
For the second leg of my journey I took my PS4 and anything else that had some real weight to it out of my checked bag and put it into my carry on, which at that point I could barely close either of them. This was a little embarrassing at the security area since I had to occupy like 10 trays and what not but it saved me $100 and those people are going to be stoic and a bit mean regardless, so F**K em!
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There are a lot of other ways you could cheat the system such as wearing many layers of clothes just during the check in process and then putting them back after you have your boarding pass (that would work) but there are stories of people that go too far with this and end up getting arrested.
In my mind I think the world could be a better place if airlines would just stop trying to screw us. There is no situation that should exist where a normal sized bag should cost more than it costs for an entire person to fly.
Keep in mind that I'm not trying to say this will work everywhere in the world. I can only comment about South East Asia - they are probably a lot more hardcore in America. However, if they are going to charge you for it in the end anyway - this is at least worth a shot.
Any way to make an extra buck out of whatever they can. I think the single bag should be increased anyway to at least 25 and then don't mind excess after that.
@gooddream, In my opinion now in this World 🗺 everything turning into Rude Business and by that i mean, we are seeing the trends of various kinds of penalties and fees and some of them really reflects senseless and cheating. Stay blessed.
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I do wonder what the airlines think of these things?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/the-airport-jacket-that-promises-to-beat-luggage-fees/
That was a classic episode of Friends! I think it is ridiculous how much they charge for the tickets and the bags. Perhaps if they weren't trying to cram as many people into the plane as possible and they spent more time worrying about people's comfort, they wouldn't have the huge weight restrictions and all of that. Luckily it is pretty rare that I ever have to fly, but I am starting to enjoy it less and less each time.
Airlines have all become much more stingy in the recent decade, and it's not just the budget airlines, even the more established ones are trying to skim you off every penny. Not letting you reserve a seat is a classic example.
$15 per kg is 😱 🤦 the ripoff of the century. I understand charging people for excess weight but not like that. There should be a balance between the fine and the ticket price. In many cases you end up paying more than your ticket for just a few kg excess. It's not fair.
This is also bullshit, as you say, you never see them lifting bags. I believe it's because of the size of the storage space above the seats.I've never had my cabin baggage weighed.
Unfortunately ticket buying has become more difficult as options are not included, you have to select them and you may end up paying a whole lot for not paying attention to everything.
I saw a situation at Budapest airport, a group of Chinese tourists, the first one had 3 kg excess and got a pass from the airline worker. Then the second also had a few kg more and he demanded to not be charged as the previous one wasn't. And so it went till the last one. The clerk was a young guy, and at the end he said the Hungarian Tax office is going to kill him for permitting so many excess weight without fining them.
well i see a lot of people buying these new jackets that have like 30 pockets in them so that you can put a lot of stuff on your body, which they never weigh. If the airlines want to play unfair, the industry will find a way around.
I agree with you on that. Maybe they are going to notice the jackets and introduce some new rules. They are capable of anything to earn some extra.
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Nothing about airlines excites me anymore. I think I’ll ship my bags FedEx and just walk. Hehehehehe 😜
the other day I accidentally hit "home" on google maps to help me get back to my condo not realizing that i had not set my new "home" yet. It told me that I could walk home to my house (in Chiang Mai, Thailand) in 11 days!
But yeah, i feel you about flying. I wonder if the business class people feel differently. I wouldn't know... i'm not a high-roller.
HAHAHAHAHHA! You’ve done a half marathon right? So what’s 11 days. You can do it! I think you’ll require more than one or two beers afterwards.
So true! The entire post. I travel super light and just use one big carry on bag.
But one time in Colombia with Viva Air. It weighed too much. The check in woman said I had to make my bag lighter or pay. I took out my laptop computer, looked the woman straight in the eye and in Spanish, told her I'm going to throw it into the trash! She weighed my bag again, it was just at the limit. Gave me my boarding pass and said have a nice day. I walked over to the garbage can, nealled down and put my computer back in my bag. Problem solved.
Then another time on spirit air, I had a walmart plastic bag holding an apple and some peanuts and my big "carry on". It was too big, so I pulled out my underwear and socks (clean) in front of everyone and put them with my apple and nuts and they let me through. Nothing like being shamed by the airline company to not get screwed the 50 bucks.
And yeah, it's crazy how some of these flights I take are cheaper than the baggage fees like you just experienced. You really feel like you're getting shafted big time when you are hit with those fees. I remember how it used to be too, things have certainly changed.
Another great and well thought out post! Keep up the great work and I hope your move to Danang is going well.
"that you wouldn't attempt to move your bags of cement using United Airlines." lol..great line gooddream. I think they're greedier these days. I mean $15 per Kg is insane.
Good advice though, can save alot of fees!