No one wants to get to the airport and get the surprise that their carry-on luggage is too heavy and cannot be carried on, or that their bags weigh so much the cost of their trip is tremendously increased. If a bag is too heavy when you get to the airport you will either have to take some things out of the bag or leave the entire bag behind. This is not an option you want to have to face right before you leave on a trip.
To stop those surprises from happening people like to weigh their luggage before they leave for the airport. Sadly not all of us own luggage scales, so that makes us wonder how we could determine the weight of our luggage without owning luggage weighing scales.
What are the Airline Weight Requirements for Luggage?
Most airlines have a weight limit of fifty pounds being the maximum amount of weight allowed in one piece of luggage. People try to put as many things in one bag as possible so they can save money on their baggage fees, so the airlines had to create weight limits to stop people from sending through bags that weighed a hundred pounds or more.
When it comes to carryon luggage the weight limitations will be smaller. Delta will allow you to carry a bag on with you as long as it weighs less than forty pounds, but Air France will not allow you to carry any bag into the cabin that weighs more than 26.4 pounds. Check with your airline and see what the weight restrictions are before you start to pack.
The luggage is also limited to being less than 62” when the width of the bag, the length of the bag, and the height of the bag are added.
How to Get your Luggage Weight without luggage scales
You can try guessing at how much your luggage weighs. You will need to find something that weighs approximately forty to fifty pounds. Your pet or a small child may weigh this amount.
You start this guess by lifting the item that you know weighs forty to fifty pounds, and then lift your luggage, and see if the two weigh about the same amount. You are guessing so do not expect to have the exact weight when you get to the airport.
Use Bathroom Scales
You can weigh your luggage using your ordinary bathroom scales. This weight measurement will be an approximate weight, not an exact weight.
Stand on the scale and get your weight. The get off of the scale, pick up the piece of luggage you want to weigh, and step back onto the scale.
When you have gotten the weight you will need to subtract what you weighed from what you weighed while holding the luggage. This will tell you approximately how much your luggage weighs.
It is important that you step off of the scales after you weigh yourself and before you weigh with the luggage because the scale needs to zero out before it can give you an accurate reading of the added weight.
Visit a Package Store like a Fed EX or UPS Shipping Store
These stores have scales that are able to weigh your luggage. Whether or not the store will weigh your luggage depends on who is working when you go. Some employees are more than happy to help you out, some employees will help you out for a small charge, and some employees will not help you weigh your packages.
The Post Office
You can go to your local post office and ask the postmaster if they will weigh your luggage for you. If you live in a small town it is likely that the postmaster will weigh your luggage for you, but if you live in a large town the postmaster will more than likely refuse to help you because they are already so busy and overworked.
Travel Agencies
Some travel agencies have luggage scales and will allow their clients to use their scales before they leave for the airport. Your local travel agency might allow you to weigh your luggage even if you are not a customer but they may charge you a small fee for the service.
Veterinarian’s Offices
The scales at the veterinarian clinic in your town will likely be flat and very close to the floor. That makes it easier for the veterinarian assistances and pet owners to get their pets to step onto the scales. You can easily set luggage on top of these flat scales. Most veterinarian offices will allow you to weigh your luggage if you do not go at a time when they are really busy.
Some Grocery Stores
Some grocery stores have scales that are appropriate for weighing large items such as luggage. You can ask your local grocery if they have scales that you can do this with.
You might have better luck weighing your luggage at a fish market or a meat market that has fish scales that allow them to hang the meat because you could hang your luggage from the handle and get the weight of the luggage. These scales are usually quite accurate.
Local Salvage Companies
Salvage companies that buy things like aluminum cans and junk iron have scales that can discern the weight of your luggage. If you have a salvage yard in your town call them and see if they would weigh your luggage for you. They may charge you a small fee for their time.
Luggage Scales or Luggage with Scales
You can avoid the guessing game about your luggage by purchasing scales that are specifically designed to weigh your luggage, or purchasing luggage that has scales built into it. If you travel a lot then these scales can be very handy, but then again if you travel frequently you can probably pick up the luggage and estimate the weight without a scale.
Happy Flying!