American Airlines offers $50 voucher after being accused of scale ‘sham’

You probably already suspect that the weights used at the airport check-in counter are less than accurate. But what happens when a passenger catches an airline in the act of tipping the scales?

Shawn Rabin knows. Last week, his wife and three-year-old son flew from Phoenix to Chicago on American Airlines.

“My wife packed very prudently and smart for both of them and was able to get everything in one checked bag,” he says. “I always pre-weigh our bags at home, and at home my scale said 45 pounds.” They checked one bag, which weighed in at 44 pounds at the airport.

Now fast forward to the return flight last weekend. Same exact bag. But in Chicago, it weighed 52 pounds and incurred a $50 fee.

“When the flight landed I met my family and retrieved the bag,” Rabin told me. “I then proceeded to American’s check-in counter and asked the agent if I could weigh my bag. It weighed 47.5 pounds — her bag had lost 4.5 pounds on a 3 1/2 hour flight.”

What to do?

I recommended Rabin write a brief, polite letter to American Airlines requesting a refund. He did.

Here’s the airline’s answer:

Dear Mr. Rabin:

I am very sorry to learn that we’ve disappointed your wife and son in so many ways. I have reviewed the problems you reported and am glad you’ve given us this opportunity to respond.

We appreciate your inquiry about the accuracy of our airport baggage scales. Each airport station calibrates their own scales in accordance with regulations defined by individual states. American Airlines is in full compliance with the policies for scale calibrations.

I know you were disappointed at having to pay a fee for the baggage when your wife traveled with us to Phoenix. However, while it might not be readily apparent, there are additional costs associated with the handling and transportation of excess or overweight luggage. Accordingly, we must respectfully decline to refund the checked baggage fee you paid.

As a gesture of goodwill and to encourage your continued business, we’ve made arrangements for an eVoucher (see details below) for you and your family to use toward the purchase of a ticket to travel with us. I hope you will accept our gesture in the spirit of compromise. The next time you travel with us, we’ll do our best to make sure your trip is a good one.

Mr. Rabin, you may be sure that the manager involved has reviewed your comments. Your letter has served as a focus of discussion on how to better handle similar difficulties in the future. You have given us the opportunity to improve our service and we will do our best to do just that.

Please travel with us again soon. It is always a privilege to welcome you aboard.

Sincerely,

Lynn P. Ferguson
Customer Relations
American Airlines

Rabin says he is pleased with the response.

The voucher was for $50. I will use the voucher, and given I never expected my money back, I am as happy as can be expected. I do not believe the customer relations person that all scales are in sync everyday, and I do not like that she glossed over the fact that the two scales in two cities weighed different amounts.

I still think American has some explaining to do. The scales in Phoenix are problematic, which is something American is almost certainly aware of.

I would have been happier with a full refund, although in a few weeks, that will be irrelevant.

  • Aliasbuck

    “American Airlines is in full compliance with the policies for scale calibrations.”

    According to the linked Phoenix article, this may not be true and I suspect the investigation is an accurate reflection of the realities of airport scales nationwide. I did learn something from AA’s reply – scale accuracy is regulated at the state level, not through the federal Bureau of Weights and Measures. Seems to me that it should be though.

    “I know you were disappointed at having to pay a fee for the baggage when your wife traveled with us to Phoenix. However, while it might not be readily apparent, there are additional costs associated with the handling and transportation of excess or overweight luggage.”

    What exactly does this have to do with the fact that his bag registered two different weights at the beginning and end of a flight? Logically, Mr. Rabin’s discovery means that at least one of those scales on the trip back was inaccurate. She didn’t even address the POSSIBILITY that there might be an issue and it will be investigated. I have to respectfully disagree with him that she glossed over his concern – she flat out ignored it.

    Don’t get me wrong, airlines should charge more for heavy bags, because more weight = more fuel used and higher costs, not to mention the poor baggage handlers that have to move those behemoths, but if they’re going to, they should charge fairly and accurately. They didn’t – he should get his money back. Simple as that.

  • Joe Farrell

    “American Airlines is in full compliance with the policies for scale calibrations.”

    Maybe there ARE no scale calbrations required. . . thus, AA would be in compliance. Yet, the response implies that there are rules about it, making the customer assume [incorrectly] that someone is looking over the scale calibration.

    Since airlines NEVER used to charge and RARELY used to charge for overweight bags, there was never a requirement to make sure that the scales were accurate. In fact, most states either do NOT have airline scales listed in their weights and measures standards, or, the airlines are not subject to state weights and measures because they are FEDERALLY regulated and I PROMISE you there is not a single reference in the Federal Aviation Regulations to airline passenger luggage weights and measures.

    There is literally NO ONE watching this particular store. The only ones are lawyers and class action lawsuits. Expect one eventually.

  • James

    Has anyone ever seen a calibration sticker on one of these scales? I never have and if calibration was required you know a sticker stating the date of calibration would be required. I highly doubt the scales have ever been calibrated.

  • http://www.wanderingaramean.com Seth

    Just like with lost luggage, the airline apologizes for “not meeting expectations” while not doing anything to address the bigger issue, which is that the scales aren’t really being calibrated correctly. Nor do they admit their culpability – they actually deny it. Stupid.

  • Allison

    There is a very simple solution to luggage that is deemed to be “overweight” especially if you think the scale is wrong. Take out a bunch of items (not liquids) until the bag comes in under weight. Tell the ticket agent you will carry those items on the plane. Get your bag tagged, walk towards the bag drop off/scanner. Before you get there and out of sight of whoever checked you in, put everything back in the bag. If your bag is truly in that “debatable” weight category, no one will ever know! I have done this several times when my bag came in at 51 or 52 pounds even though it weighed 48 or 49 when I left the house.

  • Wendy

    A good opportunity here for an independent scales company to place a “pay to weigh” (like $.50 or $1.00) at the airport to contradict those pesky airlines’ scales!

  • http://notravelmlms.blogspot.com John F

    Calibration is great, but I did not realize that true weights varied from state to state.

    I like Wendy’s idea. ANd maybe supplement it with a small inventory of disposable carryons for when the bag is really overweight.

  • Jasper

    I’ve been wondering about this. I’ve been noticing that airlines tend to weigh my bags heavier than I do at home. So far, I’ve been assuming that my old scale is not very well equipped to way large suitcases, but the thought has crossed my mind that airlines might be tryng to pinch a couple bucks out of everybody by calibrating their sclaes a bit off.

  • Beth

    The last two times I’ve flown, I’ve asked the agent at the counter for information on the last date of calibration for the scales. Last Friday, three different scales at Love Field gave three different weights for my checked bag (all within 5 pounds, and all under the maximum). I suggested to the ticket agent that they needed to have the scales checked!

  • Stewart Sheinfeld

    This should be reported to the City of Chicago Dept of Consumer Affairs
    They are very quick to ticket small business for any variation in their weights and measures and inspect all of them 2 X year. If the airlines are going to start strictly enforcing weight then they need to be inspected just like a butcher or baker or any one selling by weight

  • DN

    I doubt the scales are calibrated very often, but at the same time, my experience is that the scales are relatively accurate. I traveled with a case which weighed 49 lbs 2-3 times a week for 9 months across 9 states (I used a postal scale to weigh the individual items and the packed case to verify) and the weight ranged from 48 to 50 lbs. I flew Alaska/Horizon, Delta, Southwest, United, and American and with the exception of a counter in Boise, ID which clearly showed -9 before weighing my case, I didn’t pay any overweight charges or see any scales grossly miscalibrated. I will also admit that I am MVP Gold and Premier Executive, so I did use the elite counters at Alaska/Horizon and United but not at the other airlines.

    Now, some airports have two scales at the counter – one checked bag opening for two kiosks. If you think one scale is inaccurate, move the bag about a foot to the left or right and see what the other one says. Some airports also have a scale near the skycaps – you can quickly run your bag on that scale to see what you’re coming in at (and if you’re under at the skycap and not at the counter, go back outside and save $45).

    Personally, while I would expect the airlines to mandate an extremely strict enforcement of the overweight fee, I can’t imagine that using wildly inaccurate scales to charge $50 per passenger would be worth the class-action lawsuit that would be filed.

    Then again, we are talking about airlines…

  • http://www.speconsult.com Mayer Nudell

    I had a similar experience with American last year in Chicago. Fortunately for me, the weight overage was “only” 2 lbs. and the agent just let it go.

  • Carver Farrow

    Mr. Rabin is pleased far easier than I. I would be livid and nothing less than my $50 back would please me. First, I would be upset over the disparity between the scales, but second, I would be really upset that AA failed to address my concerns in a meaningful and responsive way.

  • Arizona Road Warrior

    “Has anyone ever seen a calibration sticker on one of these scales?” Yes…I have seen calibration stickers on scales at several airports.

    Most states require one calibration a year. Also, the state should check each scale every year.

  • Matthew B

    Given that the airlines have actively fought any state interventions in their businesses (e.g. the NY airline code of conduct) I believe that if a state agency started playing hardball, the airlines would sue and say only the federal government has the power to regulate them. Then the underresourced FAA will have yet another problem on its hands.

    If the airlines are going to use scales to charge for a service on a weight basis, then those scales have to be calibrated as often as is necessary to ensure their reliability, if that’s twice a year, fine, if it’s twice a day that’s fine too, just make sure it gets done, or don’t charge on a weight basis. Your local deli would be in serious trouble if it short changed you on roast beef, why should the airlines be treated differently?

  • Aaron

    American didn’t “disappoint” Mr. Rabin and his wife — they DEFRAUDED him, to the tune of $50 — and then they have the stones to refuse a refund and give him a VOUCHER??? Unbelievable! What if a gas station owner had a mis-calibrated gas pump and overcharged his customers by a few dollars? Think he could get away with giving back the amount he overcharged as a gift certificate? Please. He’d wind up in court, on the news, and out of business.

    This is not a triumph of customer service, it’s a travesty. American should have AT THE VERY LEAST refunded his $50. Better yet, they should give him a round-trip ticket voucher and thank him for not calling Arizona’s Department of Weights and Measures (1-800-277-6675 — just in case you’re reading, Mr. Rabin). I bet that “faulty” scale could net American a few hundred bucks a day — unless American’s right, the scale is fine, and his bag really did lose 4.5 pounds, in which case American needs to find the luggage-stealing gremlins in their planes. Either way, this is a totally unsatisfactory resolution.

    Chris, I can’t believe you let this one go so lightly. American stole money from a reader — and who knows how many others — and may well be in violation of the law. Shouldn’t they be called to task?

  • hank

    All scales have a zeroing capability, whether it’s one in your bathroom, at the butcher shop, in a produce market, or at an airline counter. Always look at the scale display BEFORE placing your suitcase on it. If it doesn’t read zero, then immediately bring it to the attention of the agent and insist the he/she properly reset it to zero, or use a different scale.
    Just like a dishonest butcher whose thumb pulls down on the scale, a dishonest agent could even have put their foot on the scale, although I can’t guess why they would since their pay doesn’t include any bonuses for overweight charges. Perhaps they were trying to help their employer make a profit so that he/she won’t get laid off?
    I’ve never experienced a problem of this nature because we always weigh our luggage at home to make sure to limit their weight to 45 pounds, just to allow for some slight variations in the accuracy of the scales.

    There actually is a slight variation in weight based on elevation – you weigh more when you are closer to the center of the earth (say sea level at LAX) than you do at 5,200 feet above sea level (Denver) – but the difference amount is much less than a single ounce.

  • Alan

    Is it legal to charge anything that requires weighing if the scale has not been certified and calibrated? Whenever any measuring device is used to determine the cost, whether by weight or volume, if must be certified for that purpose. The lawyers are going to love this one.

  • Lorraine Brecht

    When airlines started charging for overweight bags, I bought myself a 100# Simano fish weighing scale that is accurate within a pound. It has a slide indicator that stays there after you put the bag down.

    Recently, at the Northwest Airlines checkin counter in Austin, my bag came in a shocking 10 lbs heavier than it had before I left for the airrport, which put me over 5 lbs. Even after I mentioned that my bag was NOT overweight when I weighed it at home, she insisted I remove some items or there would be a surcharge.

    This is upsetting & I suspect it’s an airline scam to get more income. If this happens again, I will ask to have the bag weighed on another scale….

    There should be a regulatory body where these infractions can be reported??

  • dulles

    well it seems that fish scale was an utter waste of $$ for you.

  • Bob

    “Since airlines NEVER used to charge and RARELY used to charge for overweight bags”

    Yeah, anyway… that’s simply not true. I can recall paying overweight baggage fees going as far back as 1988, when I started flying between SFO – NRT and SJC-LAX on a frequent basis.

    Baggage size limits (61″ typically) and weights have been around for a long time.