Total weight

We hit it last January with, I think, World Airlines. Total weight 44 lb/person. We put our bags to be checked, carryon luggage including purses, fanny packs, camera, loose clothing like sweater and rain jacket - just about everything except your body. We just make it.

What Frank II asked and what Frank answered are two different things.

Frank II wondered about the weight of your "personal" item (laptop bag, purse, backpack) being weighed along with your carryon bag. Some people have said they put all of their heavy things in their personal bag so their carryon will meet the weight limit. I guess some airlines have wised up to that ploy. I think some airlines only allow a carryon, not a carryon plus personal item. If your carryon is not too heavily packed, you can put your personal item in it (I can). I thought RyanAir used to allow only one carryon, period, but I see they now allow a personal item. Spirit Airlines only allows one free personal item, and it has to fit under the seat (16" x 14" x 12").

What Frank is talking about is airlines setting a limit on the total luggage (checked and carryon) weight. Maybe next they will start weighing the passenger and luggage - total weight limit 200 lbs. Or maybe charging your ticket by the pound.

KLM weighed our carry on and personal bags together and the total could not be above 26 lbs. however, they didn't weigh us, and we put several heavy items (iPad mini, 12 ounce bag of almonds, RS book) in the multiple pockets of our rain jackets, which we wore onto the plane. Maybe that's bending the rules some, but since I weigh less than 120 lbs, I probably still weighed less with my pockets full than a lot of others on the plane whose pockets may have been empty...

I've had my carry-on and personal item weighed together at least twice when leaving from SFO – on KLM, and I think on Swiss.