HELP!!! Will they kick me off the plane or what??

[kdickers]

think I need serious help here!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!

 

I thought that my DD (14 year old) and I could pack together in 1-26 inch suitcase, 1 garment bag and (I was hoping for) 1 carryon tote for all our plane/travel "stuff" but . . . I'm now up to 1-26 inch suitcase, 1 garment bag, 1 or 2 tote carryons and have also added my rolling Dr's bag too!!!!

 

Now my problem is . . . firstly . . . we're both GIRLS . . . we like STUFF :eek: . . . and we like choices of "stuff". Secondly . . . we leave Wed to fly into Jacksonville . . . staying overnight and boarding the ship on Thur. Our cruise is only a 4 day (we thought we'd start with a shorter one to see how much we really liked it)!!! When we disembark on Monday we're staying with family etc in JAX until Thur then flying home so . . . I'm really packing for 8 days. And like others . . . I keep telling myself . . .this is a VACATION . . . I HATE doing laundry so sure don't want to do it when there's SO MANY OTHER THINGS TO DO!!!

 

But . . . I'm afraid they'll kick me off the plane for having so much stuff and since I don't have a scale I can't weight my big bag so . . . it's probably WAY overweight!!!

 

Any advice out there . . . support . . . donations for overweight charges??? :rolleyes:

[Andee]

Generally, airlines allow each passenger to check two bags, and take one carry-on and one personal item, such as a purse. Since together, you can have four checked bags and two totes, you might consider more, smaller bags, rather than fewer, larger (and therefore heavier) bags.

[Dihead]

.....if you are overweight with your luggage, a good rule of thumb is about $3.00 per kilo you are over. and yes, most airlines allow 2 pieces of luggage (not exceeding 32 kilos or 70 lbs altogether, as in both pieces combined) and a carry on of about 5-10 kilos plus if you have a purse or whatever...

[Sweetdreams]

Sorry to break the news but many airlines do not combine the weight of all your suitcases. If the rule is 50 or 60 lbs./bag-it's just that, wt./bag. They don't care is your other bag weighs 5 lbs. You will have to pay up front for the overage charges for anything exceeding the restrictions. It seems crazy to me that a per person allowance would be more fair. However wer were told at Philidelphia International & Houston that the rules are strickly inforced to help reducd potential injury to the bagage carriers. From now on we will never leave home without pre-weighing and tucking into the outer pocket of the "heavy" suitcases - small expandable tote to accomodate any weight discrepencies found at the airport. Those fees for lbs. over limit are ridiculous!

[keep on cruising]

As a confessed overpacker and a road warrier, I have a few suggestions. Put shoes, books and any heavy items in a carry on size bag and then check it so you don't have to lift it in the overhead. I definitely agree with Sweatdreams to pack a small folding bag. If nothing else, you may need it for souvenirs.

 

Remember for carry on - you are only allowed one bag apiece plus one personal item such as a purse, briefcase or your Drs. bag. Make sure if you have two items that your purse will fit into one. On vacation, I use a small purse and put it in my backpack going thru security and boarding the plane. I have seen people stopped for having a purse, a briefcase and a carryon.

[Happy ks]

You both need to go through your "stuff" and pare down a bit. You may find that you really don't need everything you are bringing. If you pack for the entire 8 days you will find that you end up carrying home clean clothes from the trip. There is laundry/dry cleaning service onboard the ship, use it to clean the clothes you board in, then disembark in the same clothes. Wear the same outfit the first and last nights, no one really notices, even if they do, who really cares? Wear the same pair of pants twice to the casual nights with two different tops. Do a quick load when you get to your friends/families house in JAX, I'm always happy to accomodate guests and it really doesn't take much time at all to do one or two loads.

 

Lighten the load wherever you can, your back will be happier for it. There will be times you will have to schlepp your own bags, so make sure the two of you can handle it. There are so many ways to cut down on packing, most people take way too much stuff and end up not using it. You will be surprised how refreshing it is to be creative and travel light, not only do you move about easier, but you have more time to enjoy your vacation. You can unpack, repack and organize faster and easier, plus not have so much laundry to do when you return home. It may not be as fun not to have choices, but if you try it once, you will see how liberating it is.

 

I have an aunt who comes for Christmas every year. She is an overpacker to the max, I think I have learned more from her mistakes than anything else. She drags along a full sized suitcase, a maximum sized carryon, plus a backpack that is used as a purse during travel. She never, ever, wears all the clothes she brings along, she washes out the same 3 pair of underwear and bras every couple of days, she wears the same jeans several times because "they really aren't dirty". She packs all her toiletries and then uses a lot of my stuff (which is absolutely fine with me, I encourage it). I finally convinced her to clean out her purse before travelling, once I saw she had every credit card/grocery card/library card/business card/membership card plus a stack of old receipts :confused: in her 20 lb purse. Her wallet is so stuffed with useless junk, she carries her money in a ziploc baggie :confused:. She packs her own towel and washcloth, because she's not sure I'll have extras :confused:. She carries the backback to hold the oversized purse and oversized camera bag. Clean out the purse, have room in there for the camera and leave the backpack at home! I might mention, all this is for a 4-5 day visit. I'm a firm believer in not packing an empty bag in a bag, or using a bag to hold a different bag.

 

Packing for a cruise can be challenging, because you have to have the evening wear. But, I can pack for a family of 4 in 2 suitcases, one garment bag (formal stuff) one carry on and a camera bag.

 

Unless you are going to Alaska, then there is no way to do that (found that out last year!).

 

Whatever you pack, I hope you and your DD have an awesome and fun filled cruise!

[BlueHerons]

Domestically, it is 50 lbs per checked bag maximum. You are much better off packing many bags than one oversized, overstuffed, overweight bag.

 

 

One of my girlfreinds tossed bags for years for United Airlines and she said the overweight bags were one of the main causes of sick time taken due to strained backs, muscles, and other maladies. So overweight bags cost the airlines much more than the price of fuel.

[ladycaveat]

think I need serious help here!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!

 

I thought that my DD (14 year old) and I could pack together in 1-26 inch suitcase, 1 garment bag and (I was hoping for) 1 carryon tote for all our plane/travel "stuff" but . . . I'm now up to 1-26 inch suitcase, 1 garment bag, 1 or 2 tote carryons and have also added my rolling Dr's bag too!!!!

 

Now my problem is . . . firstly . . . we're both GIRLS . . . we like STUFF :eek: . . . and we like choices of "stuff". Secondly . . . we leave Wed to fly into Jacksonville . . . staying overnight and boarding the ship on Thur. Our cruise is only a 4 day (we thought we'd start with a shorter one to see how much we really liked it)!!! When we disembark on Monday we're staying with family etc in JAX until Thur then flying home so . . . I'm really packing for 8 days. And like others . . . I keep telling myself . . .this is a VACATION . . . I HATE doing laundry so sure don't want to do it when there's SO MANY OTHER THINGS TO DO!!!

 

But . . . I'm afraid they'll kick me off the plane for having so much stuff and since I don't have a scale I can't weight my big bag so . . . it's probably WAY overweight!!!

 

Any advice out there . . . support . . . donations for overweight charges??? :rolleyes:

 

Do what I did when I knew my 26" suitcase was overweight (I also packed a garment bag and tote . . . just for me on my seven day cruise last April). Check your bag at curb side . . . have a ten dollar bill in your hand and a smile on your face. When the baggage guy says something like "Mame, I think this bag weighs more than 50 pounds" . . . just play dumb, smile and then hand him the ten dollar bill and say something like, "oh, I'm so sorry . . . I didn't have a scale, I don't know how much it weighs and I didn't even know there was a weight limit." Worked for me both at Dulles Airport in D.C. and Ft. Lauderdale Airport in Florida. Saved me the $85.00 for overweight luggage.

 

I understand why the airlines want to limit the weight of passengers bags (too many medical claims from their baggage handlers). But . . . I don't know how one can pack a 26" bag that weighs under 50 pounds! Clothes, shoes, make-up, lotions and all the other things one packs for a week or two cruise . . . :( I know I could take two 26" bags and be under the limit but when one travels alone . . . one bag is all I can handle (besides the garment bag and tote). :o

[kdickers]

Thanks guys!!!

 

I've run around all day working on the last minute "stuff" (more for home since DH will be here with the dogs) so . . . I've already told DD that we're going to have to go through our clothes tomorrow and REALLY come up with "outfits" so we can take out all the extra!!!!!! I'm a 5 ft 2 inch weakling and it's all that I can do to lift my suitcase so I can pretty much guarantee it's over the weight limit . . . maybe I'll get DH to "guesstimate" it's weight for me . . . he's pretty good at that!!!!!

[AAAMom]

Make sure you weigh your suitcase before you pack. You would be amazed how much the bag alone weighs. We, a family of three, pack for a week in a 26" suitcase, 24" duffle and a small carry-on (that we check). We only carry on what my son needs (age 11) and our "needed" items (glasses, meds, etc.). We've done quick well...and trust me, I'm known as Imelda!

[Ehpride]

When I went to Germany recently, I had about a 26" wheeled suitcase that I checked and it only weighed 37 pounds (my limit was 70 I think)! That's including shoes, toiletries, and enough clothes for a little over two weeks (did some laundry too). It can be done! Also had a backpack for a carryon with books, guidebooks, cd player, snacks, etc... Brought back my suitcase (17 kg or a little over 37 pounds), a duffel bag (packed it going there) with souvineers (sp?) , and my backpack.

 

For our cruise, I am planning my same suitcase, a smaller wheeled carry on (19" I think) for my clothes that night and the next day, and a small backpack for my cd player, book, snack and so on so I don't have to keep getting in the overhead compartment. I don't think it's too much as I like the choices and will more than likely use everything I take! Plus I have to have room for stuff to bring back :)

 

The thing I figured out is to separate the heavy items. I had a pretty heavy beer glass that I put in my backpack and a Czech glass bowl that I put in my duffel bag. If you do that, you should be able to stay under the weight limit.

[Cruisin'Jenny]

My husband and I are guilty of overpacking our luggage too! Last summer we went on a two week honeymoon to Hawaii. We had gotten luggage as a wedding present and wanted to use it all :o - so we did! On the way there we were okay- but on the way home we were over-weight. They made us repack our bags in front of them- this was embarassing especially because we had a lot of "unmentionables" in our cases (it was our honeymoon, after all!).

 

I will never pack that much again- it was difficult to travel through the airport with, to get our transfers- a nightmare. From now on I will have one suit case (each) and one carryon (each)- that's it!

 

We'll see if that actually works for our cruise this summer though.....

[critterchick]

My advice is to make your choices of stuff now, and leave half of what you plan to bring at home. Why risk throwing your back out hauling luggage around?:D