Right now I am typing this from Cali!! Whoot Whoot :)
I know that the economy is facing some hard times but seriously..the baggage fees for airlines are ridiculous! As if flying hadn’t gotten annoying enough going through security, now you have to worry about paying for you bags too (and all those people who “never heard of the change in policy”!) Since now they charge you for both bags I was trying to be a frugal flyer and get all of my stuff packed into one big bag with one carry on (not an easy thing to do when I will be gone for 3 weeks and as Tori Spelling says.. “You have to have many options for the different moods you are in”..so true!) Anyways, I got everything situated just right the night before I headed out to the airport with just the last minute things to put in the bag in the morning.
Everything was good to go until I picked up my bag to take downstairs and realized that it seemed exceptionally heavy. Oh no! Am I going to go over the weight allowance (don’t even get me started on that..grr). The Hubs tried to weight the bag (by weighing himself and then himself with the bag) and said it was 51 pounds which is just one pound over the allowance. Good I thought, I can just shuffle a few things around when I get there.
Let me just add in really quick that I had first planned on just dealing with the fees and packing too bigger bags so that I wouldn’t have to worry about the weight or room. However, I was trying get around spending the excess money and decided to forgo that idea and just bring a smaller carry-on.
Okay now that I have said that I will continue..
So I get to the check-in area and boy was it crowed! Also, apparently now American Airlines has it where you have to do the self check-in and then get in line and have them weigh your bags..not a very smart or efficient way of doing it if you ask me. As I got in line to check in I saw a scale so I weighed my bag..60 pounds..there is no way?! The Hubs couldn’t be that off! I totally thought the scale was broken or something and decided to ignore what it was telling me (always believe airport scales). I did the whole self check-in thing and then moved to the next line for the baggage all the time nervous that maybe the scale was truthful.
Oh and let me just vent some more by saying that it is totally crazy that it cost more to pay an overage fee than it does to just pay for another bag..what is up with that!
As I approached the lady at the counter almost in panic mode..what am I going to do if it is over? There is no way I am going to pay an extra $50! I set the suitcase on the scale and saw the number…59 pounds..oh no! And here is the convo that came next..
Me: oh no let me move some stuff around
lady: okay but hurry there is a long line
Me: okay give me one sec (as I open my bags and try to move everything around..why oh why did I put my undies on top?)
Me: okay let’s see now
Lady: it’s 55 pounds
me: I’m sorry just give me one sec (now with half my luggage strewn all over the floor in front of everyone.)
Me: okay how about now?
Lady: 51 pounds
Me: are you serious?!
Nice Lady: it’s okay..i’ll let it slide.
Me: Thank you so much!
I was very grateful that she took pity on me and I tried to ignore the evil stares of those around me who I was holding up!
The hard part was the fact that I couldn’t fit everything in the smaller carry-on that I was now checking in so after I dropped of the bags I had to run through the airport carrying extra shoes and clothes in my hands as I went to security (I didn’t have a bag to put it in since I had to check it)! As I raced through the airport to security I was dropping my shoes all over the place (big shout out to all of you who were kind enough to point out or pick up said dropped clothing!)
Once I made it through security I headed straight to the Hudson news place and purchased a magazine so that I would have a bag to put all of my crap wonderful clothing in. However, I should have just stuck to my original plan because I still had to pay for both bags and didn’t get the benefit of having more room! After that everything went well but I am beginning to loath flying!
What are some of your crazy airport stories?
Hahaha, oh lord. The underoos on top? I have done that too! This post must have been so frustrating to live through, but it was hilarious to read. Have fun in Cali!
ReplyDeleteOk, I am cracking up picturing that whole scenario with you shuffling through the bags. When I flew last, I flew with Southwest, and they check two bags for free. I heard they are the only ones who do that though.
ReplyDeleteThis same thing happened to me last year. I was on my hands and knees in an international airport moving stuff at 6:30 a.m. I had to carry on so much! I'm doing the same flight in three weeks, and I'm terrified the same thing will happen again.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they let the 51 pounds slide! What a pain!
Oh no, so sorry that happened! Luckily before they incremented the big increased with the overweight suitcases I was told, otherwise it would have been bad! So sorry you had to open the suitcase in front of everyone, that is not fun! I have had to be scanned during security line up in front of everyone, I hate that!! Well, hope you can pick up an extra bag so you can get a few extra goodies on your trip. Yay, welcome to Cali! :) Have fun.
ReplyDeleteah, the joys of traveling :) i know what you mean about those ridiculous fees! on my recent trip, I was forced to fit all my stuff on a carry on as it costed $15 for your first checked in bag and $25 (something around there) for everything else!!!! BOOOOO!!!! oh and don't you love how travel agents/airlines advertise their flights as "ONLY $99 TO [insert destination]" and you're thinking oh my gosh, good deal! but then the fine print says "+ additional taxes of $289" hahaha!
ReplyDeleteWe totally got taken the last time we went to MN. $75 for a bag over the weight limit that had no more items in it that it had going there yet somehow was overweight on the way back. Le sigh.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your kind words!
ReplyDeleteAnd LOL that your undies were on top. I would have been stressing out too. I hate having to hold up lines:)
and boy, small world that you know Andy and Katie. I am a friend of Andy's sister Jenn. I have been keeping up on every single update and have been thinking of them and praying for them all nonstop!
from your blogroll, looks like we know a lot of the same people! Fun!
ahh i love traveling but hate packing! i always feel like ill forgot something so i ALWAYS overpack, but so far havent run into any overweight luggage problems (im dreading the day). hope you have a fantastic vacation!! :)
ReplyDeleteHave fun in Cali!! It's so hot here!
ReplyDeleteThis story is HILARIOUS!!! I'm sure not-so-much while it was happening, but now, FUNNY! :) And yeah, my husband always picks up my bags for me when heading out for various trips and proceeds to say "we're only going to be gone for XX days", but really, how's a girl to know exactly what she's going to need for any given time period?! Gotta plan for it all, right?! ;-) Hope you enjoy Cali!!
ReplyDeleteMe and my brother were flying to Hawaii my senior year of high school and were sitting at O'Hara airport in Chicago minding our own business and you know how they have CNN and all those new stations playing on the tv's...what do they playin on the damn tv but the hijackers from 9/11 walking through the security...mind you this was only about a year and a half, two years after 9/11...it's safe to say I was scared like a little baby flying the rest of the way.
ReplyDelete