Weigh Your Luggage and Avoid Expensive Airline Charges
Until my recent trip to Las Vegas to attend CES 2011 I had little experience with the new rules placed on luggage by most airlines. I flew Delta Airlines and I knew that a checked luggage would cost at least $25 for the first bag. That strongly encouraged me to pare down the contents in my carry-on and I was able to escape the extra bag charge. However, there is also a weight limit of 40 pounds for a carry-on bag. A limit of 50 pounds is common for any checked luggage. The Taylor Luggage Scale can pay for itself over and over by eliminating over-weight luggage.
Families typically travel with multiple bags and if any one of them is even one pound overweight the trip becomes much more expensive very quickly. It would be unfortunate for one bag to be less than 50 pounds yet you get charged for the one that is over 50 pounds. Shifting the extra weight between bags could be as simple as moving a couple pairs of jeans. Weighing your luggage before you get to the airport saves time, hassles and money. Remember, you often carry more items home than you left with so allowing a pound or two for later is a good idea.
One tip I can offer is to carry a lightweight and easy to pack bag inside your luggage that can accommodate those extra items that you acquire before returning home. Travelers are allowed to carry a purse or computer bag in addition to their approved carry-on so I used one of the “green” cloth bags offered by grocery stores as my overflow bag. My purse was a small Case Logic Sling Bag. My iPad is a lot lighter and thinner than my laptop so I carried it. My iPhone and inexpensive photo Apps allowed me to take pictures as high quality as my digital camera so I left my Cannon at home. I replaced my AC adapters with a New Trent Extreme Pack external battery which saved even more space. As I returned home – my overflow bag (about the size of a computer bag) held my purse as well as sample gadgets provided to me at CES for future review.
The Taylor Luggage Scale is small, lightweight and looks much like a handle. It is oblong with open space in the center where you grip it just as you would a handle on your bag. A strong webbed strap slips through your luggage handle and closes with a plastic snap buckle closure. There is a small LCD digital display (1.3 inch x .6 inch) that shows the weight of your bag. It is powered by an included Lithium battery. To use the Taylor Luggage Scale you push a small button located near the digital display and wait until you hear a beep – after the beep you lift the bag by the Taylor Luggage Scale and wait for another beep. Sit the bag on the floor and read the digital display. The Taylor Luggage Scale will weigh a bag up to 88 pounds in increments of 0.2 pounds.
Before traveling by air it is well worth your time to plan ahead. Check with your particular airline about their rules and regulations about luggage – both size and weight. Decide what you need to pack and distribute it evenly in each bag. Allow enough room and weight in your luggage to accommodate purchases and items obtained during the trip. Pack a small lightweight bag (about the size of a computer bag) in case you need it in addition to your carry-on bag. Travel is expensive – the Taylor Luggage Scale is not.
