Weighing your luggage after it's already been packed can help to save time and money. Even if a piece feels heavy to you, it may not be over the weight limit. Putting it on a household scale can give you an idea of the weight with a small percentage error.
Avoid over-sized luggage, which can lead to the possibility of three separate charges for having an extra piece of luggage, an over-sized piece, and an overweight piece. Luggage that is larger than usual also increases the chances of having overweight luggage, so packing a regular-sized bag is already half of the battle.
Remove things that you believe are causing the most weight. Can they be put inside a carry-on or mailed ahead?
Consider checking an extra bag. If you were striving to carry only one piece of luggage but cannot seem to meet the weight requirements, consider carrying an additional bag and dividing the contents between the two. If this would be your third bag, weigh the airline fee for additional bags versus an overweight bag.
Check your flight status as some first-class or business-class passengers are allowed an additional weight limit for luggage.
