Checked In Luggage At Airports

[steve2006]

This question has always puzzled me.

We always use the bathroom scales to get an idea of the weight in the cases ( more so for my other half! ) and then find it is more at the airport, OK my bathroom scales may be a little inaccurate but are the scales at the airport certified as accurate?

Lets say they actually show more weight does this then not leave us open to "excess baggage" charges.

All shop scales for example have to be accurate and are examined by weights and measures but what about the check in scales at airports.

[janey]

Supposedly they are 100% accurate & the airports say they are officially checked every week, though according to reports most complaints say that the check in scales have shown the weight of the bag to be heavier than it is - sometimes adding up to 6kg !!

So I think the answer is no

[dave1]

I use the scales at APH parking at various airports plus my own "travel scales" which have shown minimal variance over several years. Airline scales seem fairly accurate in my own experience.

[reganlives]

Last time I went on holiday I put my bag on an industrial scale at a freight company as the other half works there and I dont remember there being any real difference in weight when I got to the airport.

[P4UL T]

My father-in-law has a set of scales like in the pic below.

He uses them just to weigh luggage as he and the family travel alot.

Yesterday morning I took some family members to the airport to travel back to the USA, before we left we used the scales to make sure all four cases were no more than 22kg (the limit).

At the airport check-in scales all the bags were within +/- 0.2kg of 22kg.

So I guess they are pretty accurate?

[freightliner]

I would think that the airport scales would actually be calibrated. In 14 years of being an expat I have never been charged with excess baggage, when I think my bag is too heavy I always check the weight on the bathroom scales

[CVT]

Given that the scales may be required to provide loading information for the aircraft Mass and Balance calculations, I would hope that they are accurate...

If the mass report passed to the airline showed they were carrying more weight than they actually are, the airline looses out by not being able to carry as much cargo and/or fuel on board if near maximum weight - or for a long journey below max weight, carry even more fuel to carry the additional weight. And no airline likes burning extra fuel for no reason!