Deliberate Scam Or Faulty Scales?

[Richie1971]

Just come back from Singapore - suitcase weighed in at 9.5kg at swampy - return leg from Singapore weighed in at 7.5kg with exactly the same contents.

I did notice alot of people paying for excess kg's in their luggage - but should they have? I'm more inclined to trust the scales at Changi.

Any observations?

[PhilHarries]

I must admit I've never noticed but then I almost never have the exact same luggage on both legs of a journey.

If it's a scam, and anything implicating Suvarnabhumi with scams is possible to likely, it will just join the long list.

However I seem to recall sets of scales around the departure area for public use or am I getting confused with another airport? Having said that in any conflict between the scales at check in and any other set which are they likely to believe?

[Richie1971]

I must admit I've never noticed but then I almost never have the exact same luggage on both legs of a journey.

If it's a scam, and anything implicating Suvarnabhumi with scams is possible to likely, it will just join the long list.

However I seem to recall sets of scales around the departure area for public use or am I getting confused with another airport? Having said that in any conflict between the scales at check in and any other set which are they likely to believe?

These were the scales at check in on both legs

[syd barrett]

It is a well known airport scam. It happens the world over including British airports. 1kg of overweight is charged at 1% of first class fare and the fine per kilo is about US$60 per kilo.

This extra cash raised is passed onto check-in staff as a 'Christmas Bonus'.

I always check the exact weight of my luggage weight prior to check in and if they try to cheat me I ask to speak to the check-in supervisor.

Also, they should allow a 10% plus/minus weight allowance by European law. (Only if you flying from a European airport).

[salty]

I have a small scales which checks the weight of my bag just to ensure I am under the weight limit. No problem going to Thailand,

but due to souvenirs etc always tighter on return journey.

[geriatrickid]

Not a scam for personal profit with any airline desk clerk profiting. I believe it is an intentional neglect by the airlines.

Scales have to be calibrated on a regular basis. In the US, the major airlines are checked and more often than not they get nailed. It's not intentional. The threat of fines is now encouraging US carrier compliance. The same verification is supposed to be undertaken in Canada, Australia, and the EU, but one rarely hears about it. That then brings us to Asia. With the exception of Singapore, I do not believe the government agencies make any effort to ensure accuracy in scales. It is up to the PAX to make a "scene".

[siam2007]

flight on AirAsia in October 2009 to KL and onwards to Melbourne:

21,4 KG at Suvannaphum AirAsia check-in, the exactly same bag 19,8 KG at KL check-in for Melbourne 2 days later.

though, I had prepaid for 20 Kilo anyway and they didn't charge me extra at BKK. But I had checked the weight of the bag with my small scale at home and it was not over 20.

Same thing (call it scam or not) happened at Manila, at the CEBU-Pacific-counters, in early 2009.

[syd barrett]

flight on AirAsia in October 2009 to KL and onwards to Melbourne:

21,4 KG at Suvannaphum AirAsia check-in, the exactly same bag 19,8 KG at KL check-in for Melbourne 2 days later.

though, I had prepaid for 20 Kilo anyway and they didn't charge me extra at BKK. But I had checked the weight of the bag with my small scale at home and it was not over 20.

Same thing (call it scam or not) happened at Manila, at the CEBU-Pacific-counters, in early 2009.

Make the effort to write to the airline and c.c. airport authorities.

The sooner we stamp-out this fraudulent scam activity in airports worldwide, the better.

[jazzbo]

On my last trip to USA I was bringing items that were pushing the 20kg per bag limit. I bought a 20kg commercial scale at Makro for about 450 Baht... did wonders for my packing job and piece of mind. No surcharge.

[apetley]

We flew out from Swampy this last Tuesday.

As it was AirAsia and I know that they are usually strict on weight I checked the bags before we left home.

One was 19.6 kg, the other 19.2 on our home scales.

When we weighed the heavier one at Swampy we were told '21.6 kg, have to pay excess baggage'

Take it out of the grey tray and weigh it again I said.

19.6 kg!!!!

For some reason I noticed that all the luggage was being weighed in heavy grey trays which bumped their weight up by 2 kg.

Wonder how many passengers they caught out?

[MrHammer]

Sounds like an easy 'harmless' way of making some extra cash for low cost carriers. It's probably common.

[jamesjdaly]

How dare you call a scam 'harmless'. It is fraudulent cheating.

[syd barrett]

We flew out from Swampy this last Tuesday.

As it was AirAsia and I know that they are usually strict on weight I checked the bags before we left home.

One was 19.6 kg, the other 19.2 on our home scales.

When we weighed the heavier one at Swampy we were told '21.6 kg, have to pay excess baggage'

Take it out of the grey tray and weigh it again I said.

19.6 kg!!!!

For some reason I noticed that all the luggage was being weighed in heavy grey trays which bumped their weight up by 2 kg.

Wonder how many passengers they caught out?

The heavy grey-tray con-trick is legion at BKK airport. Some trays are weighted with lead to add an extra 5kg to checked luggage weight, then the overweight cash is shared amongst check-in staff. Don't forget these overweight scams are notorious in 1st world countries as well, Manchester and London airports in England are particularly bad for this. The weighing scales there are so bad, often being 20% inaccurate.

[hughben]

Thai Airways' Excess Baggage Charge Costs More Than Seat

We all know that flying with bags these days can cost you extra, but who knew how expensive it could get? One unlucky traveler got hit with an excess-baggage charge so outrageous, he may as well have bought his luggage its own seats on the flight.

Offending Party: Thai Airways

What's at Stake: Hold onto your wallets, people: an overweight-bag charge of $2,200!

The Complaint: Bob Wolfe and his wife were flying from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport to Panama. At the counter, Wolfe was told that his four bags were each about 2 kg or 3 kg over the 32 kg limit, and that he'd have to pay a penalty. (See 50 essential travel tips.)

Wolfe was sent to a Thai Airways office where he says a number of employees discussed how much he should be charged for the bags. They argued with each other. They made phone calls. They looked generally confused, he says. More than an hour later, a verdict was rendered: Wolfe owed 66,000 Thai baht, or approximately $2,200.

Anxious to catch his plane, Wolfe reluctantly coughed up the penalty, vowing to take up the case when he returned home. After exchanging numerous letters and e-mails with representatives of the airline, Wolfe is still unsure why he was charged so much, or how the confused employees arrived at the 66,000 baht figure. He says he has tried in vain to get an explanation or a partial refund on the bag charge. (Read "Sky-High Fees for Overweight Bags.")

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20091125/wl_t...031542194260400