If I could weigh my MD-11, I'd be lucky to be within 5,000 lbs of the stated weight on the paperwork. Of course, the first issue would be the 240 lbs pilot weight (including brainbag).
I've seen the pay for the last minute checked bag at gate. Especially not pretty if the bag would fit, but there is no more space.
Originally Posted by
KC10 FATboy
From a weight and balance perspective, I don't think anything has changed. The companies use "wags" anyways to determine weight and balance. I think these wags are set for the worst case scenarios and as such, the jets seem to be well within weight and balance tolerances.
If anything, the charging for checked bags has meant delays in boarding. On full flight, the gate agents, ground crews, and FAs are busy gate checking bags that were too large or had no space left in the overhead bins. This had led to late departures not to mention some disgruntled passengers.