Q. I travel a lot and have been using my own digital luggage scale, but have noticed that there are often discrepancies between the weight according to my luggage scale and the weight according to the scale at the airport. In the past, it didn't matter so much, but now that airports are charging extra for overweight luggage, it is very important. Who's in charge of making sure airport luggage scales are accurate?
A. In most states the accuracy of those scales is measured by the state, not the individual airlines. In Minnesota, that's Weights and Measures at the Minnesota Department of Commerce, which inspects airport luggage scales on a 12 to 15-month rotation, according to a Commerce Department spokesperson. If you think a scale is inaccurate, ask the airline to weigh your luggage on a different scale. Readers: Share your experiences with airport luggage scales. Do you think they're accurate?
- Jim Buchta
