Spend $4 Instead Of $200

Last week I was at an Air Canada counter for over half an hour with a missed flight nightmare. (Thanks to Air Canada line-ups). Checking in at the counter next to me was a lady with her two middle-aged sons. Their two suitcases weighed 58 and 60 pounds. The agent told them they had five minutes before the luggage cut-off for their flight to get both down to 50 pounds or pay $100 for each in overweight charges.

When they questioned it, she was at least honest in telling them that they count on luggage fees as part of their income so there would be no exception. But she also told them the stuff they needed to take out to get to 50 pounds couldn’t go into their carry-on as it was at max size and weight. What to do? Take out about 18 pounds of “stuff” and throw it in the garbage or pay the $200?

Four bucks would have saved them the $200 with a simple travel luggage scale. Most Dollarama stores have them, or step up and pay around eight bucks at Amazon.

I’ve always had one with me when I travel. At home you can just weigh your suitcase on your bathroom scale. It’ll avoid the humiliation of opening your suitcase in the lineup at the airline counter. On the road, especially if you plan to do any shopping, you can go to the hotel gym that normally has a scale before you head to the airport. Or pack the travel scale. That tiny expense has saved me countless overweight scales, a ton of time at airports, and the massive stress I’d have going through my luggage in front of dozens of people looking over my shoulder at the ticket counter!

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