Excess baggage fees are one of the most expensive and avoidable travel costs. Australian budget carriers charge $30–$80 per kg over the carry-on limit at the gate. International carriers can charge $50–$150 for an overweight checked bag. Over a year of regular travel, this adds up to hundreds or thousands of dollars. Here's how to avoid every single fee.
Know the Rules Before You Pack
Baggage fees vary enormously between airlines. Before you pack a single item, look up your specific airline's carry-on policy for that ticket class:
- Qantas Economy: 1 bag + 1 personal item, 10kg combined carry-on
- Virgin Australia Economy: 1 bag + 1 personal item, 7kg combined
- Jetstar: 1 bag, 7kg (enforced strictly, frequently weighed at gate)
- Singapore Airlines Economy: 1 bag + 1 personal item, 10kg
- AirAsia: 1 bag, 7kg (very strict)
- Ryanair / easyJet (Europe): 1 personal item only on basic fares — carry-on bag costs extra
Basic economy and sale fares often include less baggage than standard fares. Read the fine print of your ticket carefully.
The Single Most Effective Prevention: Weigh Before You Leave
The PackCheck™ Luggage Scale takes 5 seconds to use. Hook it to your bag handle, lift, read the weight. Do this at home before every trip — not at the airport. If you're over, you have time to remove items, redistribute, or make decisions without a queue of 200 people behind you.
At $44.99, the scale pays for itself the first time it prevents a single excess baggage fee. Most frequent travellers say it's paid for itself many times over within a year.
Pack Less Without Sacrificing Anything
Use Compression Bags
The most common reason carry-on bags are overweight isn't too many items — it's that items take more volume than expected and the bag sits at capacity with wasted air inside clothing. PackEase™ Compression Bags remove up to 50% of the air from your clothing, letting you fit significantly more within the same weight limit. Lighter clothing compresses better than heavy items — a jumper that normally takes 800g of your allowance might compress to the same volume for the same weight, but leaves more room for other items.
Wear Your Heaviest Items
Your boots, heaviest jacket and thickest jumper go on your body when you board. They're not weighed as part of your carry-on. This single habit routinely saves 1–2kg of allowance.
Choose a Lightweight Bag
The bag itself uses part of your weight allowance. A bag that weighs 1.5kg empty leaves you 5.5kg for 7kg allowance airlines. A bag that weighs 800g leaves 6.2kg. The Smart Expandable Carry-On Backpack weighs under 1kg empty — one of the lightest carry-on bags available.
Checked Bag Strategies
Pre-Purchase Extra Baggage Online
If you know you'll need to check a bag, buy the allowance online before check-in. Pre-purchased allowance is 30–60% cheaper than paying at the airport or gate. Always buy it when you book or at least 24 hours before your flight.
Redistribute Weight at Check-In
If your checked bag is overweight at the check-in desk, you have time to redistribute — move items into your carry-on or personal item. A foldable duffle bag packed inside your suitcase can be quickly expanded to carry overflow items as a second checked bag (if the fee for a second bag is less than overweight fees).
Use the Luggage Strap for Identification
The CodeSafe™ Luggage Strap makes your bag instantly recognisable on the baggage carousel — preventing the mistake of accidentally collecting the wrong bag and then discovering the problem at customs.
Baggage Fee Avoidance Checklist
✅ Look up your specific airline carry-on policy before packing
✅ Weigh at home with PackCheck™ Luggage Scale before you leave
✅ Use compression bags to maximise space efficiency
✅ Wear heaviest items on the plane
✅ Choose a lightweight carry-on bag
✅ Pre-purchase any additional baggage allowance online
✅ Pack a foldable bag to handle overflow if needed