Summary
- A United Airlines baggage agent allegedly bribed a passenger over their bag’s weight limit.
- The customer self-tagged their luggage, which initially weighed under the limit, before gradually seeing the scale go up.
- Incidents of baggage mishandling and weight manipulation are not uncommon among airlines.
Airlines worldwide impose weight restrictions on checked bags; in the US, it is typically set at 50 pounds. Some carriers will allow status-holding frequent fliers to carry more, with the limit usually at 70 lbs. United Airlines follows these norms, offering the typical limit to their economy class and premium economy fliers and allowing their status-holding frequent fliers and passengers in Domestic First, Business, and Polaris an extra 20 pounds.
Last week, at Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal C, one of the airline’s hubs, a company baggage agent was accused of…