Air France Forced Me to Check My Heavy Carry-on Last Minute-Here Are 12 Packing Mistakes I'll Never Make Again

"Instead, I ended up running for my gate as they called final boarding. Little did I know, flying with Air France comes with an extra line at security where you must weigh the combined weight of your carry-on bags (that means your personal item and your carry-on luggage at the same time). If they're over 12 kilograms (26.4 pounds), then you're sent back to the checked bag counter- no exceptions."

"This was an especially hard blow because I'd packed my carry-on extra carefully to safely travel with my valuable camera gear (which requires lithium batteries). So my rolling carry-on suitcase just couldn't be checked. However, the Air France check-in attendant said the only way I could bring my carry-on roller aboard was to upgrade to business class. Watching the minutes tick closer to departure, I was left with no choice."

"I have a luggage scale, but it goes largely unused most of the year, sitting at home in my closet. From now on, I'm tucking it into my toiletry bag so I always have it on hand. A luggage scale not only would've helped me avoid this 89 euro expense, but it also would've been handy in ensuring none of my checked bags exceeded 50 pounds (the standard weight cap for most airlines)."

Air France requires the combined weight of a passenger's personal item and carry-on luggage to be weighed at security, and any combined weight over 12 kilograms (26.4 pounds) must be checked. Valuable camera equipment with lithium batteries may be prohibited from checked baggage, creating a conflict when carry-ons exceed the limit. Gate agents may demand an upgrade to a higher cabin class as the only option to keep an overweight carry-on onboard, often for a significant fee. A portable luggage scale kept in a toiletry bag can prevent unexpected gate charges and help avoid checked-bag overweight fees.

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