I flew back from New York last week (more on that trip in another message) and experienced something different at the airport. American Airlines is enforcing its weight limits on checked baggage. The check-in person weighed my checked baggage and told me that it was under the 50 pound limit, though not by much. However, a traveller near me was clearly upset at the fee he was going to have to pay for excessive weight.

A column in the LA Times this morning reinforced that this was not an isolated occurrence. Airlines are becoming very strict about their baggage allowance, both for checked and carry on pieces. The LA Times article described a couple who was charged $332 last summer on Volare (since stopped flying) for excessively heavy bags - http://tinyurl.com/86ekg

For example, here are the limits on two airlines discussed on TheTravelzine recently - o Ryanair - 33 pounds (15 kilograms) for checked bags and 22 pounds (10 kilograms) for a carry-on. Excess fees are about $2.63 per pound. o EasyJet - 44 pounds (20 kilograms) for checked bags. Excess fees are about $3.40 per pound.

All of this serves to remind me of the guidance that I have heard from so many Ziners - plan well and pack light.

Mark in Los Angeles