Australians are being urged to double-check their baggage weight before heading to the airport, with some travellers hit with surprise fees of up to $200. As the Christmas travel rush begins, budget carrier Jetstar is under scrutiny for strict baggage enforcement, leaving passengers frustrated and out of pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Melbourne businesswoman Catherine Cervasio learned this lesson the hard way. On a recent flight from Melbourne to Sydney, she was hit with a $75 fee for slightly exceeding Jetstar\u2019s seven-kilogram carry-on limit, reports Yahoo Finance<\/a>. She had booked through Qantas, not realising the flight would actually be operated by Jetstar \u2014 a detail that caught her, and several other passengers, off guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was one of those moments where you just think, really? Over a couple of kilos?\u201d she told Yahoo Finance. Cervasio said her laptop alone weighed five kilos, leaving her with almost no room for anything else. Like many frequent flyers, she travels with work samples, which she\u2019s sometimes had to give away at airports to avoid being charged again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her experience isn\u2019t unique. Research from Send My Bag, a luggage delivery service, found that 37% of Australians have paid up to $200 in excess baggage fees on a single trip. Meanwhile, 41% said they\u2019ve had to repack or throw away items at the airport, and nearly a third admitted they\u2019d left gifts behind due to airline weight limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n