Tigerair / Jetstar Baggage Scales Not Accurate ?

Widget on 17/10/2018 - 01:00
Last edited 17/10/2018 - 07:08 by 1 other user

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone's had a similar experience as I.

As you may know, Jetstar and Tigerair are cracking down on overweight luggage, and doing so, are weighing them at the gate pre-boarding, to ensure they're under 7kg.

A few day ago, I flew Tigerair Brisbane > Syd, with just carry on (I always do, no check baggage for me). Because of this, I used some luggage scales to make sure I was under the 7kg allowance, as I didn't want to be over, and have to check in luggage at $$$ costs. The scales I used, I made sure were reading correct by using some weighted plates to get a reading, which were pretty accurate. I weighed my bag, which was about 0.5kg (500grams) over, which wasn't an issue, as I could remove a couple of items at the airport to get it under.

Got to the airport early, and decided to use their scales to double check, and confirm weight, only to be greeted with a result of 9kg! Now, I know for a fact, my luggage didn't weigh that much, so I found some manual scales, which still read over, but not by that much.

I still managed to get on, without checking in baggage. Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar issue? I thought about making a complaint, but figure it would fall on deaf ears anyways.

Do you think airlines tamper with their scales, causing luggage to read higher than it is, which means people would have to spend more money with them by checking in their luggage at a high rate ?

Travel

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Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 17/10/2018 - 01:05
    +8

    The probably don't tamper with them, but I also doubt they take good care of them or calibrate them unless they are reading less that the actual weight.

    • Widget on 17/10/2018 - 01:40

      True.

      • Nalar on 17/10/2018 - 19:54
        +1

        Hanlans razor: never attribute to conspiracy that which can be adequately explained by stupidity

        …. Or laziness

        • Widget on 17/10/2018 - 20:24

          Thanks for the post :). Had to Google "Hanlon's Razor", never heard of it before, though after reading, does make sense.

  • Xiaomi on 17/10/2018 - 01:12
    -1

    It's as possible for their scales to not be accurate, as it is for your scale to not be accurate. Secondly, you didn't get charged anything so what is half of your post about…

    • Widget on 17/10/2018 - 01:39
      +3

      I consider mine more accurate, as I checked them. Not being charge isn't the point.

      • Xiaomi on 17/10/2018 - 02:02

        Do you have evidence that Jetstar don't check theirs? Even if the scales were inaccurate, it surely wouldn't be out by 2kg. Perhaps a couple hundred grams..

  • [Deactivated] on 17/10/2018 - 01:29

    Was there a sticker on the scales to say when they were last calibrated?

    • Widget on 17/10/2018 - 01:37

      Didn't see one on the front. Unless it was on the back/underside.

  • twww on 17/10/2018 - 05:55
    +5

    Airlines don't calibrate scales.

    Any issues with the scales are brought to the attention of the company who handles the baggage handling system. Scales are calibrated by a third party.

    You can ask for you bags to be weighed on another scale.

    Could be a whole host of issues as to why the scales are out. Usually a simple fix…

    I always weigh at home before I check-in.

    • Widget on 17/10/2018 - 16:37

      Hey twww, thanks for the info :). I'm the same, try to weigh before going in in case of an issue. The 2kg out was a big surprise though, next time at the airport, I'll have to track down a couple of other digital scales to compare.

  • JimmyF on 17/10/2018 - 09:09

    Scales in the public space are not calibrated often, abused by the public weighing a 30kg bag on the hand luggage scale etc and should be a general guide only.

    The scales they use when weighing at the gate, are elec, are calibrated and not abused by the public.

    • Widget on 17/10/2018 - 16:40

      Not always. I'v seen portal digital scales in the public space (as you walk into the airport), and the same portable scales at the gates. The ones I used were at the gates waiting, so I'm sure they're all interchangeable throughout the airport.

  • IMFrugl on 17/10/2018 - 09:14
    +1

    From an experience with my last flight, I would recommend checking that the weighing platform is 100 percent clear first and keep a sharp eye on the scale before and after reading. It needs to start with 0 before you put your bag on it.

    In my experience, operator had moved one of my first pieces of luggage (a large duffle bag) up the ramp and I put my next piece on the scale. When he totaled all my luggage for the family it exceeded by about 5kg and was told to empty 5kg which threw me off guard as I was sure I had it below our purchased amount. While I started unloading, my son questioned the individual bag weights and picked out that the last one was wrong. At that point I realized that the scale was not 0 initially as the duffle bag had been still sticking out on to the scale as it was very long. I got away with some adjustment, but it did raise a concern to me as if my incoming luggage in Sydney were to be weighed, it would not have matched the outgoing luggage.

    Lessons learned:
    - Record individual bag weights and check that they match when checking in.
    - Check that scale starts with 0 before putting a bag on the weighing platform. The bag on the platform beside the operator should not be pressing on the scale platform.
    - Make sure nobody/nothing is touching, pressing , pushing, jamming the bag on the scale when being measured.
    - Nobody and nothing else should be touching the scale.

    • Widget on 17/10/2018 - 16:43

      Thanks IMFrugl. When I weighed mine, reading 2kg over, I turned off the scales in case there was an error of some kind. When turned on, I waited for it to fix to 0.00kg then weighed again. Unfortunately no change

  • HighAndDry on 17/10/2018 - 11:14

    Got to the airport early, and decided to use their scales to double check, and confirm weight, only to be greeted with a result of 9kg!

    I assume they calibrate scales used to decide whether to let someone on the flight or not far more than they would take care of free scales available to the public.

    Unless those are the same scales they'd use to keep someone off a flight, I don't think this is an issue.

    • Widget on 17/10/2018 - 16:53

      Possibly. Possibly not. All the scales I'v seen are portable. The ones used, that read higher, were the same used to weigh bags before boarding. You might not think it's an issue, until you go to board, and find your carry on weighing more than it is, then have to pay $$$ to check you luggage.

  • morse on 16/05/2022 - 18:48

    Similar just happened to me today. I strongly don’t believe their scales are accurate.

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