Weighing Hand luggage

[jeff]

Guys

My friend recently returned from Sanford Airport where she had her hand luggage weighed and has just recieved a bill through the post for of £185 from Airport Services . I myself have never heard of this and we are travelling to Orlando Airport Dec 4th. Does anyone know if this is the norm now?

[Rich-n-Ang]

Seems a bit strange - how heavy was the bag ?

[linda.s]

We just returned from Sanford, and quite honestly, it depends on the check-in person. If you see my last day report, you will see that I had quite a few issues with the check in girl, however, she didn't seem very concerned about the weight of the cases, nor did she check our quite considerable hand luggage - Phew! Now, the poor family next to us - Well I guess one of their cases was over the 32kg limit, so they had to remove a lot of items from that, and try to stuff them into other cases and hand luggage, then they had all their hand luggage weighed, even handbags, and small camera bags......... Think we got away quite lightly!
I haven't heard about being billed later though. I just assumed that you would be billed there and then if you were overwieght, although we have never been over weight, or if we have, it's only been minimal, and most check-in people do give you a bit of leeway.......

[ujpest doza]

Hand Luggage is weighed at all airports these days.
It must not weigh more than 5KGs.You are charged $10 peer kilo excess.
The girl at Sanford this year was very good and let us get away with 1 bag @ 5KGs and another @ 7KGs because we had nappies and baby milk in the heavier bag.

Year before i had to take my jeans and sweatshirt out of my bag and get changed out of my shorts and t-shirt. I was going to do this on the plane before landing but the check in man wouldn't accept that and my bag had to be 5KGs. When i had put my jeans and sweatshirt on and put my shorts and t-shirt in the bag it met the weight requirement, but the same total weight went onto the plane as i was wearing some of it!

[linda allen]

I would be very suspicious, it sounds like a scam. If I were them I would contact the airline in question. I have never heard of any one being charged after the flight. I may be wrong and probably am but alarm bells rang when I read it.

[Rich-n-Ang]

So if you do the math(s), by my calculation Jeffs friend was charged for over 30Kgs of excess hand luggage.

Thats some hand luggage !!!

[Robert5988]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Hand Luggage is weighed at all airports these days.
It must not weigh more than 5KGs.You are charged $10 peer kilo excess.
[/quote]

That might well be on charter airlines but certainly not on scheduled airlines at any airport I have been in this year.

[blott]

I think you'll find if anyone has additional hand luggage when it's been weighed at check in, then they would not be allowed to board with it without paying first or, at the very least, redistributing it into their hold luggage.

This bill sounds very suspicious and I would advise your friend to first check out that it's genuine with the airline she used before doing anything else.

[gromit]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by jeff
Guys

My friend recently returned from Sanford Airport where she had her hand luggage weighed and has just recieved a bill through the post for of £185 from Airport Services . I myself have never heard of this and we are travelling to Orlando Airport Dec 4th. Does anyone know if this is the norm now?
[/quote]

I have never heard of a handling agent trying to claim an excess baggage charge - I'd be very suspicious of this and check with the actual airline.

Some airlines (particularly low cost or charter) often use excess baggage to supplement income, but usually on hold luggage and not hand luggage.

The requirement for weighing hand luggage is because of a few 'incidents' in particular the Kegworth incident where the overhead luggage lockers were overloaded resulting in them coming down on top of the passengers heads. As airline staff I have seen alsorts over the years including a team of divers carrying their lead weights in hand luggage rather than paying excess hold luggage for them - I wouldn't have liked that falling down on me! I therefore would say that while incovenient having hand-luggage restrictions it is for a very good reason!

As before I would be suspicious of getting a bill afterwards - the usual practise is to charge prior to carriage on a pay it or leave it basis.

[phaedra]

There have been many similar cases (no pun intended) reported by people returning from Spain this year. They receive a very official looking letter asking for either overweight baggage fees or unpaid parking tickets, these are scams.

Best bet is to forward a query to Sanford Airport using their on-line mail system here,

http://www.orlandosanfordairport.com/contact.htm

Or email direct,

marketing@orlandosanfordairport.com

michaelc@tbiusinc.com

Or fax a copy of the invoice to them with a covering letter,

001 407-585-4545