Luggage scale saves aggravation and airline surcharges
Photo: Magellan’s
A couple of week’s ago a friend was forced to leave behind $100 in champagne from her luggage at the airport in Houston, Texas. She had exceeded her luggage allowance in business class for her international flight; and although she was willing to pay extra to take the bubbly, the airline refused. She was forced to leave the bottles behind at the airport.
We have avoided that fate and excess luggage fees on more than one occasion by carrying a light weight, inexpensive ($9) and simple to use gadget, a portable luggage scale. After packing our luggage and zippering each bag, we lift it with the scale to see how much it weighs. If it exceeds our weight allowance we lighten it. We take the 8-ounce scale with 75 pound weighing capacity with us. On the return trip, when our luggage is bursting with souvenirs, we pull out the scale and repeat the operation.
Using the scale is fast and easy, especially with two of us. While one person lifts the luggage with the scale, the other observes the weight needle carefully. In order to use the scale effectively we have to be able to lift the suitcase or bag completely off the ground.
To weigh the luggage, we attach the handle of the suitcase to the scale hook and lift the cushioned handle of the scale. That means, if the suitcase weighs 50 pounds, we must be able to lift the 50-pound bag. We have used the scale and taken it with us on at least six international trips and it has worked like a charm.
Click here to purchase scale
