Anyone who is a regular reader of the weekend newspapers’ travel sections will know that a frequent cause for complaint is the seemingly unfair charges for excess baggage. People who have weighed their luggage on the bathroom scales at home are often caught out at the airport and it is a case of having to shed some of the contents or pay up, to the tune of up to £15 per kilo. The situation is made more difficult nowadays by the rule that family members cannot pool their luggage allowance.
After a Trading Standards visit to East Midlands airport discovered inaccuracies on their scales, passengers are bound to be left wondering whether they have been incorrectly charged. 17% of the scales used at the airport were found to be wrong (nine out of fifty two) and three of these were found to be so far out that they were taken out of use there and then. The good news for travellers, however, is that two of these three were under-weighing so worked to the passengers’ favour.
For anyone worried about the safety aspect of allowing too much luggage on board in terms of weight, there is said to be very little risk, with passengers themselves coming in all shapes and sizes!
Prior to this visit by Trading Standards, the airport themselves checked their scales on an annual basis and re-calibrated the scales twice a year. In the light of the findings, however, the scales will now be checked each day.
Anyone who feels they may have been overcharged should contact the airport who will investigate the matter.