Enrichment · Passion Projects · Travel

Four pounds over
is a $100 pair
of shoes.

List the heavy things and pick a bag for each. The calculator weighs every bag against its limit and names the single item to move.

Balance my bagsWhat you get

The luggage weight distribution calculator

The worked example is a family’s winter visit with one bag four pounds over. Nothing you type leaves this browser.

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What you get

Enrichment · Passion ProjectsFree

What you finish with
Each bag’s weight in pounds and kilograms against its limit, the room left or weight over, the fees at risk, an even split, and the item to move. It prints as a packing list for each bag.
Who it is for
Travelers packing for a flight, families sharing bags across a household, and students moving to or from college with everything they own.
Format
Browser calculator for a phone, tablet or computer, by touch or keyboard. Prints a summary; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); export and import a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Passion Projects space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions, a correction or a request: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Weigh each empty bag.
  2. Copy the airline’s limits.
  3. List the heavy items.
  4. Assign each to a bag.
  5. Move what the page suggests.

Balance my bags

How the bags are balanced

Totals against limits, then the smallest fix.

The worked example: a winter visit to familyBag 154 lb9 empty + 45 packedLimit50 lbeconomy checked bagMove shoes−6 lbto bag 2Both bags48 / 38 lbno feeThe worked example: a winter visit to familyBag 154 lb9 empty + 45 packedLimit50 lbeconomy checked bagMove shoes−6 lbto bag 2Both bags48 / 38 lbno fee
Each bag is its empty weight plus what goes in it; the fix is the lightest single item that clears the overage and fits elsewhere.

Limits and fees

Many airlines allow 50 pounds (23 kilograms) for a checked bag in economy and charge a fee for each bag over it, with a higher fee or a refusal past a second limit. Some set a carry-on weight limit too, especially outside the United States. Check the airline’s baggage page for your ticket.

The smallest fix

For each bag over its limit, the page looks for the lightest single item that clears the overage and still fits under another bag’s limit. Moving one thing is easier at the airport than repacking everything.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Transportation. Fly Rights: baggage fees and limits (transportation.gov).
  2. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Unit conversion: the pound is defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilogram (nist.gov).
  3. Transportation Security Administration. What can I bring? (tsa.gov).
  4. U.S. Department of Transportation. Airline baggage fee disclosure requirements (transportation.gov).

Limits and fees are the airline’s; the defaults are common examples. Your entries stay in this browser. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.