Luggage

We brought with us two checked bags both weighing 44 pounds, two carry-on bags weighing 25-30 pounds, a small carry-on for Josh weighing 15 pounds, and two backpacks, one weighing 25 pounds and another weighing 10 pounds.  Our luggage totaled in weight about 190 pounds.  This was not a problem at all for the international flights and the flight connecting from SLC to LAX (because it was connected to our international itinerary).

The problem was our domestic flight from Shanghai to Nanjing was not attached to our previous international itinerary.  It was a stand alone flight booked separately, and for this reason we were subject to their domestic baggage policy.  Their policy was one checked bag each, weighing no more than 44 pounds, and one small carry-on weighing no more than 10 pounds each.  Babies without seats do not get a carry-on or a checked bag.  We were 3 bags over the limit and about 100 pounds over weight.

I was really stressed about this, because the fines were going to be outrageous, and I thought they might just tell us tough luck, you can't check that many bags.  I looked up on the airlines website and tried to do the math for the fines, and if my calculations were correct, it was going to be at least a $75 fine.  I didn't sleep well in Shanghai because I was worrying, and I spent quite a bit of time trying to organize all the bags in a way so we could better 'trick the system'.

Tawny was not concerned at all.

I was of course still very concerned when we arrived at the check-in counter.  The girl behind the counter spoke decent English.  I told her we had a lot of luggage because we just flew in from an international flight.  She immediately asked to see the ticket stubs for our flight.  I showed them to her and she asked how many bags we needed to check.  I told her we had four to check.  She asked me to put them on the scale.  All of them were over the 44 pound limit, but without any hesitation she checked all 4 bags like it was nothing at all.  We carried-on two backpacks and Josh's little carry-on (oh and of course we had the stroller through all of this as well).  No fines, no fees, to problems at all.  It was such a huge relief. 

I know this is a bit of a silly thing, and I know it probably was nothing to stress over, but man I felt so blessed at that moment.  I felt like a little Chinese angel had come down to help us out that day.  Definitely a tender mercy.