I used to travel extensively during my professional years, and got occasionally involved in dispute regarding some silly rule with the counter staff at a foreign airport. It always helped insisting to see a supervisor, even when the staff maintained that there was nobody available at the moment. It may have taken a bit of waiting but the supervisor eventually always came, and resolved the issue mostly in my favour. It pays to arrive at the airport early, as the time buffer works for you in case of unexpected problems.
I was abroad a few years ago where my father had been living and he passed away, so I withdrew a decent amount of money from his bank account to cover anticipated funeral expenses, some of which could only be paid for in cash. The expenses turned out to be a lot less than I expected, and I had no way to spend all that money locally that would make sense, and because the exchange rate wasn't favorable at the time I decided to take it back home with me and figure out what to do with it then. To be on the safe side I put all that currency in my pants pockets, fearing that if I put it in one of my bags it would be removed and stolen by one of the agents manning the scanners or an accomplice. But when I was going through security the agent saw the bulges and told me to empty them out. I quietly informed him that it was cash, but he said that I still had to empty it all out and put it in one of my trays. So I did, and proceeded nervously through the scanner to await my trays on the other side. Thankfully, it was all there and no one had tampered with it, but those were some pretty nerve-wracking moments as I waited.
I was shocked that this happened to me at the boarding gate of a SWISS flight in Zurich, Switzerland! I had carry on luggage and a personal item (as per ticket) and they weren't overweight. I also had my jacket and a paper bag with a sandwich I just bought to eat on the plane. Unfortunately I was sitting just at the gate, closest to the counter. A very rude lady came to me and said I need to pay extra for my luggage. I politely explained that I only have a jacket and this small paper bag and even showed her the sandwich inside. She didn't want to listen and forced me to pay 60 eur on the spot (with credit card only) if I wanted to board the plane with my luggage. She then proceeded to select 5 more people in the front (who also had normal luggage, nothing extra) and forced them to do that as well. As there was NO logic behind it and NO time, everyone paid but a few people complained that they will send an official complaint to the company. It's such a BAD practice and it was obvious that they had a QUOTA to fill. Some passengers that boarded after us, did have many more pieces of luggage than it was allowed, bus were lucky not to be selected for the pay up.
Wow! They know you really have no choice at this point except to miss your flight! Unfortunately you experienced a blatant example of the carry on crackdown. Thanks for sharing this!
Yes I went through the process of complaining to Swiss about my cancelled flight and being stuck at the airport in Zurich with my wheelchair bound father at 1030 at night a month ago. It took them weeks to respond and I was given a standard "we apologise" email. Their customer service doesn't exist
It happened to me at Bangkok airport with Qatar Airlines. I’ll never fly Qatar Airlines again and have let them know this several times. If I were you, I’d never fly Swiss Air again, and let the know why. You have to hurt these airlines in their pocketbook to affect any change.
Thank You for these situations. Well Done as usual. Villains' are everywhere in the airport arena. Always question someone who appears too helpful. Off to Toronto for First Responder refreshers and updates, not really International though. Ollie is such the good dog!
(Mrs. Wm.) Waiting in a Taxi Line for close to an hour (very tired). Gypsy woman stormed in front to take my taxi. Objected & sat in the cab meanwhile she took my luggage & put in in the next cab for her (while everyone in line watched). Went to that vehicle took the bag out & placed in in my cab. With hard stares at each other, told driver to take me home in Los Angeles. Can not let your guard down even when you arrive home!
1st scam, I never let anyone help me with my bags in an airport. I had a bad experience in MPLS airport, coming in from Japan, I thought the dudes in the baggage claim were airport employees just being helpful. But he wanted money once he finished and was pretty insistent. They got me because coming from Japan, where airport employees do help you and don't expect to be paid, I forgot where I was. Leads me to the second tip provided here. In Japan, if you are traveling with kids and lining up to check in a flight, at the gate waiting to board, or even go through immigration, they will actively seek you out to put you in a faster tracked line for families. So its not a scam everywhere. The way airports operate in Japan make US airports seems like 3rd world toilet holes. I've never encountered the other scams mentioned in the vid.
I was offered fast-track by the agent that checked my luggage into my flight home to the US. I might have been more suspicious if it were just some random employee.
Great video. 👍 Regarding the overweight luggage, I would request to speak to a supervisor and wait. I always arrive for my international flights 4 hours before, just in case and especially in a foreign country.
Thank you for these great tips. The overnight luggage scam happened to me in Seattle, returning from an Alaska cruise. My bag was underweight in LAX, but very overweight in Seattle. Luckily, my son took some of my stuff from my bag into his. To this day, I feel I was almost scammed.
I always keep my valuables in a small backpack and carry it on, so the only thing that they would get at the airport inside my luggage would be very dirty underwear
One of the biggest scams you fail to mention is the one where the DEA works with TSA to find who is carrying large amounts of cash. Since it is not against the law to carry any amount within the U.S. and $10,000 to exit the country many people carry cash for a variety of reasons. Since it is not against the law, the TSA can do nothing but notifies DEA who accosts the passenger just before boarding his flight demanding to see his carry on. It doesn't matter that you don't agree with it, they will take your bag insist you agree (you should never sign or agree to anything), use a drug dog to "search" for drugs, take you cash and claim they believe it is from drug sales and steal your cash under the asset forfeiture law that needs no proof of anything. You can check with the Institute for Justice to find out more about this theft by the organized gang that calls itself the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Transportation Security Agency.
GREAT video! The most confusing airport I've navigated was when we were flying out or Marrakech. There were countless security 'checkpoints' that day, and when we were finally assigned a gate there were a LOT of people at our gate being told to step over for some form of additional type of bag checks. They were still checking the bags of the people in line as the plane started boarding. Fortunately for us, I did know that you couldn't fly out of there with any local currency. At least that was one less headache to reach our flight!
If legit employees are scamming you, take out your phone and video it. Say UA-cam.😁 I take pictures of my taxi driver's credentials and make sure they see me doing it.
This is one of the reasons I believe having a luggage scale is a good thing! In the case where you were forced to pay the fee, you could have videoed the situation. Then after, disputed the charge with your credit card company providing the video as evidence.
Your India example is the reason I always check out local requirements before I leave the USA. Luckily, someone directed me to the women's line before I put up my luggage. And I found the staff at the India airports I used quite helpful and I never worried about the stuff.
I think my wife and I were scammed at our local airport by a United Airlines technician. We were boarding a transfer to an international flight so we had to be there early. And we were. But the line didn't move because the "technician" had a "problem" with the scales machinery. As soon as our international check-in deadline was over, we were rebooked on the next day's flight. The "honest" mechanic probably earned free seats for his family. And we lost a day of our vacation and 60 miles of fuel.
I did that before, then was disappointed when I got back to my country and seen how the amount went down a ton..lol....but some is better than none I guess
Timely and informative video. In your Egypt experience I wonder if you had an AirTag if it would have initially assisted you in locating your luggage. I have trackers in all mine even though I travel with carry on. Costa Rica in 2025 next.
Bottom line: inform yourself, keep your eyes on your stuff, and don't trust anyone who offers to help out of the blue. Airport staff have got enough to do - they aren't going to be extra friendly offering to do more work. Whether it's a scam or not, nothing is for nothing. What blows my mind is how airports know about the scam artists, but they don't seem at all able to control it. (Kinda worrying, security wise, right?)
Whenever we travel to a foreign country we haven’t been to before I like to go on UA-cam to see what are the latest scams in that country. I find it very useful because there’s always a new scam making the rounds.
Your videos are awesome and very informative. Can you also do a video on doggie hotels, and what options there are for people who have cats or other pets? What do you do with Ollie when you travel?
Thanks Megan, always great info. Having lived and traveled throughout Asia - China, Vietnam, Cambodia, to name a few - for the past two decades (a bit stuck in one country during the pandemic), these scams are all too frequent. Try a border crossing between VN and Cambodia. Better to fly. I could go on but, do your research, trust your gut. Move on. Keep up the great work you do.
The currency exchange in the airport is already a scam with the rates they charge. Best strategy is to use as little cash as possible and have a credit card that doesn't charge conversion fees. Next best is to keep that cash decently concealed and exchange it at a bank in the US when you get back.
oh la la, fancy Frenchy with the makeup. hopefully keeping those toes pedicured for the head to toes deliciousness. I love your travel videos, as they are often ahead of the curve on other travel vloggers I watch. I travel 2-3x a month, U.S. domestic. while I do not run into much of this, mainly because of TSA/Clear, it is still very helpful to know these things and be able to advise my friends who do not have these things, pay or via their credit cards like Amex, etc.. keep up the good work Frenchy!
I just got back from Egypt and Jordan. They too have women and men lines. We were on a tour and were told many times that the luggage handlers had already been paid. No Matter. Once they had loaded the luggage on the scanner belt they demanded payment. When we told them we had no cash they protested loudly until our airport guide took over. Luckily that was the end of the matter. Remember in many of these countries you will need a dollar in the toilets. This gets you 2 small squares of toilet paper. Beware it’s you need more paper
When we arrived in Nairobi we had to leave the International terminal and go to the domestic terminal. We had a very helpful gentleman “help” us with our luggage and then demand a tip.
In the UK we have an even bigger legalised scam called the "airport drop-off charge". Your taxi or friend or family member who drives you to the airport has to pay a fee for driving to the terminal to drop you off, and it's not cheap, and sometimes not easily signposted on how much or how to pay. On the basis that you are already paying a fee to use the airport as part of your ticket price, this should be outlawed - you're almost certainly going to spend some money in the terminal too. Imagine if a shopping mall charged you an admission fee.....
Why are human beings SO disgusting!!!!!! So sorry for anyone that has had any of these things happen to them. Make me NOT want to travel. Thank you for all of these!
I was leaving Amsterdam in July. My luggage was included on my way there and for some reason it wasn’t on the way back. I paid $50 Canadian for my way there and on the way back they wanted 100 Euros! I paid but complained when I got back and was given a travel voucher for compensation.
We only travel in the US, and so far haven’t run into any scams. We try to stay UTD on “laws” and any travel changes that might affect us. Maybe we’ve just been lucky, but we try to stay on our guard. We also use a travel scale. We weigh before we leave the house, and it’s not uncommon that we occasionally have to shuffle contents to even the bags out. It’s especially important on the return trip, depending on what we’ve purchased.
Awhile back, I got into Scotland after a horrible flight, lost luggage etc etc. Finally my luggage and I were re-united so I stopped to get cash ... not realising it was a Clydesdale Bank machine. (For those unaware, they will not accept Clydesdale Bank money anywhere outside of Scotland) It was Christmas eve...the banks weren't going to be open the next day to exchange it and I was leaving quite early on the morning of the 26th. The lady at the hotel changed as much as she could but I put the rest on a Starbucks card. Phew!
Flew from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires, all went well till we were about to get in our Taxi/Van. Two men grabbed our luggage and put them in the vehicle, then turned and told our guide we had to pay them each $5.00 per bag. There was four of us and 2 to 3 bags each. We were told by our guide to Not Argue with them and just pay. Ten bags, Two men = $100.00
I flew out of the Cairo airport a few months ago, and had a phone charger bank stolen at airport security. It was in an inside zippered compartment in my personal item backpack. It was new, expensive, and very annoying to lose. Men and women were separated, and the officials were (illegally) asking for money. The whole scene was chaotic and I couldn’t keep my eyes on my bag and personal items, I now lock all my bags before any security checks. I don’t know what else I can do…any suggestions?
Back in the seventies I arrived at Calcutta Airport for a flight to Bangkok. The fare was about $80, the gate man said unless I gave him $10 he wouldn't let me on the flight. That's about $50 in today's money. He did this in full view of other workers so I suspect they all did it. So corruption at airports is nothing new.
The fact that these scams are at the airport security is beyond now😡. Years ago checking in to go home from Kos in Greece, the women told me I was 1.5kg over the weight, I stood my ground knowing full well I wasn't. I hadn't been over the weight flying out and I infact had been the one one carrying all the sun creams, body washes and shampoos, which had all been used. She actually backed down and told me that as we were flying as a family we could use the combined weight. My boys were embarrassed I stood my ground but there was no way 8 was going to pay extra when I knew 10000% I was well under the weight
Thanks for the video. It made me think of why it's such a hassle flying these days compared to flying in the past. The world is just in a different place right now, hectic and kind of like on survival mode. I suppose that's why I tend to fly to places that I know won't cause so much trouble for me when I'm going through the airport these days. I'm thinking of holding off on traveling to certain places until things look better around in the world. Just way too many elections that are going on around the world right now. Thinking of going to Ireland next. Seems like a decent place right now amidst all the things going around in the world.
I have traveled to airports all over the world and the one I felt most uncomfortable in was the one in Cairo. As much as I would return to Egypt in a heartbeat I would look for a flight that went directly someplace else, other than Cairo.
I am leaving for Croatia on Friday flying from Chicago ORD through Zurich to Zagreb! Flying home from Tirana, Albania is the return part of the trip through Frankfurt!!
I just returned home from Croatia. Make sure you have enough time between connecting flights in Frankfurt or Munich. I am talking about 3-4 hours. You will have to go through passport control in any German airport once and sometimes twice. The lines are very, very long. Also, when you land in Frankfurt, you do not depart in an enclosed gate ramp at the airport. You will depart your plane on the tarmac, have to descend a steep flight of stairs, and then get on a bus to get to the terminal. If going home your connecting flight is through Frankfurt, again, the lines are very long for passport control. Once done with that, you will have to descend about 4 flights of stairs. then you have to wait for a bus to take you to your plane on the tarmac. This plane could be at the end of the tarmac, so it could take up to 15 minutes to get to your plane. I will never fly through Frankfurt ever again. Good luck and have a great time in Croatia. It's beautiful.
@@patricejohnson4411 I once had a hour and 40 min connection time through Frankfurt (not my choice but booked as part of a promo). I was so stressed and that airport was a labyrinth even if both flights were in the same building. I barely made it to my gate for Venice 15 min to boarding but that flight ended up being delayed. I would never book a connection through Frankfurt if I can help it.
I encountered someone behaving very strangely at Pearson when I was last in Toronto, I watched him meander through the Smash Burger seating area asking random people the same couple of questions but wanting to be 6" away from them as he spoke, He then tried to approach my husband and myself and I sharply and louder than I intended, answered the now predictable questions. He then quickly slinked away. I felt bad for possibly coming across as rude but I could smell that something wasn't quite right and a few minutes later, a lady at a nearby table thanked me for interjecting because she was uncomfortable with his mannerism.
Megan & Ollie, G'morning!!! I like the idea of buying a giftcard.👍👍 Just my inflation-adjusted two-cents worth, but, I suspect that as American or Canadian travelers, due to our respective governments, we're the "targets" of scammers.
That makes a hole lot of no sense… And the info about the gift card is wrong, you can’t use them in different countries, unless it’s a credit card gift card.
@@corina4546, Have you not followed global news for the past thirty years? No thanks to our respective governments, Americans, Canadians and Brits are the most despised of the global community!
@@corina4546, Have you not followed global news for the past thirty years? No thanks to our respective governments, Americans, Canadians and Brits are the most despised of the global community!
FYI, the global chain gift card suggestion does not work for all countries. I have had US purchased gift cards that I tried to use in Europe that were declined, and was told I could only use them in the US. This was about 5-6 years ago, so there could be new updates since then. I have not tried using foreign purchased gift cards in the US, but I would not take the chance unless I knew I would be returning to that country soon enough to not find it a hassle to store.
I always keep my foreign money to use for next time. Mind you, one doesn't need cash much these days. In all my years of flying, I have never yet had anybody weigh my carry-on. This year, sadly, I did get scammed by a taxi driver outside of Gare du Nord. I really do appreciate your videos.
@@renferal5290 it’s not euros or £. It’s other countries around the world. Morocco, maybe Algeria, and one other country I planned to visit. Other countries put a limit on the amount you can take out, like the US (it’s relatively a lot).
I also had an experience in Beijing airport, where a male security guard pat me down (I'm a female). I have said "no" and pointed to a woman security lady but both ignored me despite the fact that I am Asian but not Chinese speaking Asian.
Hello! My wife and I are embarking on a trip from Miami to Barcelona, Spain. We have a 7-day cruise planned, but before that, we intend to spend 4 days exploring Barcelona as tourists. After the cruise, we plan to head to Madrid for another 5-7 days of sightseeing. We are currently looking for the best airfare options for our round-trip journey from Miami to Barcelona and then from Madrid back to Miami. In between the two cities, we are considering taking the train. Any advice, especially regarding travel agents who could assist us in finding the best deals, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide!
Thanks for the video. I've tried purchasing portable luggage scales and could not figure out how to use them that I just gave up. I've had three incidents where my luggage was overweight and two of those they allowed the checked bag through and didn't charge the fee. The other time in Rome (FCO), the agent requested that I rearrange my luggage vs demanding I pay the fee. I wish I could find a luggage weighing tool that I can actually use and that doesn't require me to lift my luggage up using the tool.
You only have to lift the bag a few inches off the floor, just enough to clear the floor to register the weight. We carry a portable scale all the time. Very easy to use.
This might offend some but you really do have to consider the country you're traveling to. Ones where corruption is high, wages low and most people are struggling, such scams are more likely, and the opposite is likely true of of countries where this isn't true. There's also a "tradition" of corruption in some countries and societies that some travelers might not be aware of. And, no doubt, some locals justify it because they think that all outsiders are rich and look down at them so it won't be a big loss and they also deserve it. They also likely have legitimate grievances against their own government and management so they take it out on outsiders. It's one of the hazards of traveling to areas that are not democratic, prosperous and liberal.
I had a merchant in Mexico who told me the Mexican bills expired and would not be good in the future. I believed him, but didn’t give up my currency and came home with my $$ and ready for another trip later.
I used to travel extensively during my professional years, and got occasionally involved in dispute regarding some silly rule with the counter staff at a foreign airport. It always helped insisting to see a supervisor, even when the staff maintained that there was nobody available at the moment. It may have taken a bit of waiting but the supervisor eventually always came, and resolved the issue mostly in my favour.
It pays to arrive at the airport early, as the time buffer works for you in case of unexpected problems.
Great tip on the Starbucks and McDonalds cards!
I always learn something new. Great information. Thanks Megan and Ollie.
This is one of the best travel videos I have seen lately. Thanks for your content. Great job keeping us informed!
Can you imagine! We can't trust airport employees and security staff, the ones we rely on at the airport.
I was abroad a few years ago where my father had been living and he passed away, so I withdrew a decent amount of money from his bank account to cover anticipated funeral expenses, some of which could only be paid for in cash. The expenses turned out to be a lot less than I expected, and I had no way to spend all that money locally that would make sense, and because the exchange rate wasn't favorable at the time I decided to take it back home with me and figure out what to do with it then.
To be on the safe side I put all that currency in my pants pockets, fearing that if I put it in one of my bags it would be removed and stolen by one of the agents manning the scanners or an accomplice. But when I was going through security the agent saw the bulges and told me to empty them out. I quietly informed him that it was cash, but he said that I still had to empty it all out and put it in one of my trays. So I did, and proceeded nervously through the scanner to await my trays on the other side. Thankfully, it was all there and no one had tampered with it, but those were some pretty nerve-wracking moments as I waited.
Why aren’t airports arresting the scammers? Kickbacks?
Probably the best scam prevention video ever
Thank you so much! Safe travels, Dana!
@PortableProfessional thank you for the great content 👍
I was shocked that this happened to me at the boarding gate of a SWISS flight in Zurich, Switzerland! I had carry on luggage and a personal item (as per ticket) and they weren't overweight. I also had my jacket and a paper bag with a sandwich I just bought to eat on the plane. Unfortunately I was sitting just at the gate, closest to the counter. A very rude lady came to me and said I need to pay extra for my luggage. I politely explained that I only have a jacket and this small paper bag and even showed her the sandwich inside. She didn't want to listen and forced me to pay 60 eur on the spot (with credit card only) if I wanted to board the plane with my luggage. She then proceeded to select 5 more people in the front (who also had normal luggage, nothing extra) and forced them to do that as well. As there was NO logic behind it and NO time, everyone paid but a few people complained that they will send an official complaint to the company. It's such a BAD practice and it was obvious that they had a QUOTA to fill. Some passengers that boarded after us, did have many more pieces of luggage than it was allowed, bus were lucky not to be selected for the pay up.
Wow! They know you really have no choice at this point except to miss your flight! Unfortunately you experienced a blatant example of the carry on crackdown. Thanks for sharing this!
Yes I went through the process of complaining to Swiss about my cancelled flight and being stuck at the airport in Zurich with my wheelchair bound father at 1030 at night a month ago. It took them weeks to respond and I was given a standard "we apologise" email. Their customer service doesn't exist
It happened to me at Bangkok airport with Qatar Airlines. I’ll never fly Qatar Airlines again and have let them know this several times. If I were you, I’d never fly Swiss Air again, and let the know why. You have to hurt these airlines in their pocketbook to affect any change.
I'm leaving for Thailand in 3 days. I travel quite a bit, and have never had any problems at the airport with any scams. Touch wood.
Thank You for these situations. Well Done as usual. Villains' are everywhere in the airport arena. Always question someone who appears too helpful. Off to Toronto for First Responder refreshers and updates, not really International though. Ollie is such the good dog!
I had no idea that there are countries that forbid their money to be taken out of the country 😱
Ugh. Much appreciate these warnings. Ollie helps to make hearing all this bad news a bit better...❤
(Mrs. Wm.) Waiting in a Taxi Line for close to an hour (very tired). Gypsy woman stormed in front to take my taxi. Objected & sat in the cab meanwhile she took my luggage & put in in the next cab for her (while everyone in line watched). Went to that vehicle took the bag out & placed in in my cab. With hard stares at each other, told driver to take me home in Los Angeles. Can not let your guard down even when you arrive home!
Gypsy is considered to be a bit of a racist slur
1st scam, I never let anyone help me with my bags in an airport. I had a bad experience in MPLS airport, coming in from Japan, I thought the dudes in the baggage claim were airport employees just being helpful. But he wanted money once he finished and was pretty insistent. They got me because coming from Japan, where airport employees do help you and don't expect to be paid, I forgot where I was. Leads me to the second tip provided here. In Japan, if you are traveling with kids and lining up to check in a flight, at the gate waiting to board, or even go through immigration, they will actively seek you out to put you in a faster tracked line for families. So its not a scam everywhere. The way airports operate in Japan make US airports seems like 3rd world toilet holes. I've never encountered the other scams mentioned in the vid.
I was offered fast-track by the agent that checked my luggage into my flight home to the US. I might have been more suspicious if it were just some random employee.
Great video. 👍
Regarding the overweight luggage, I would request to speak to a supervisor and wait. I always arrive for my international flights 4 hours before, just in case and especially in a foreign country.
Thank you for these great tips. The overnight luggage scam happened to me in Seattle, returning from an Alaska cruise. My bag was underweight in LAX, but very overweight in Seattle. Luckily, my son took some of my stuff from my bag into his. To this day, I feel I was almost scammed.
Wait, are you saying you were robbed of things out of your bag or it was just a false number on the scale?
@@breadroomghost8764 false and inflated.
I always keep my valuables in a small backpack and carry it on, so the only thing that they would get at the airport inside my luggage would be very dirty underwear
Smart! Thanks for the visit!
I mean, depending on who ends up with your luggage, that dirty underwear might actually be the more valuable commodity lol 🤷🏻♀️😂
Great informative video.
Great tips, so many scammers.
One of the biggest scams you fail to mention is the one where the DEA works with TSA to find who is carrying large amounts of cash. Since it is not against the law to carry any amount within the U.S. and $10,000 to exit the country many people carry cash for a variety of reasons. Since it is not against the law, the TSA can do nothing but notifies DEA who accosts the passenger just before boarding his flight demanding to see his carry on. It doesn't matter that you don't agree with it, they will take your bag insist you agree (you should never sign or agree to anything), use a drug dog to "search" for drugs, take you cash and claim they believe it is from drug sales and steal your cash under the asset forfeiture law that needs no proof of anything. You can check with the Institute for Justice to find out more about this theft by the organized gang that calls itself the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Transportation Security Agency.
Thank you for another informative video! Very helpful!
GREAT video! The most confusing airport I've navigated was when we were flying out or Marrakech. There were countless security 'checkpoints' that day, and when we were finally assigned a gate there were a LOT of people at our gate being told to step over for some form of additional type of bag checks. They were still checking the bags of the people in line as the plane started boarding. Fortunately for us, I did know that you couldn't fly out of there with any local currency. At least that was one less headache to reach our flight!
Great tips. It's hard to believe there are so many scams everywhere. I will make sure I keep my scale with me as well.
If legit employees are scamming you, take out your phone and video it. Say UA-cam.😁 I take pictures of my taxi driver's credentials and make sure they see me doing it.
Absolutely GREAT idea! Ultimately YOU have the upper hand!!
Good job! Appreciate your advice and warnings
This is one of the reasons I believe having a luggage scale is a good thing! In the case where you were forced to pay the fee, you could have videoed the situation. Then after, disputed the charge with your credit card company providing the video as evidence.
Your India example is the reason I always check out local requirements before I leave the USA. Luckily, someone directed me to the women's line before I put up my luggage. And I found the staff at the India airports I used quite helpful and I never worried about the stuff.
great tips, the vietnam incident is just so annoying
I think my wife and I were scammed at our local airport by a United Airlines technician. We were boarding a transfer to an international flight so we had to be there early. And we were. But the line didn't move because the "technician" had a "problem" with the scales machinery. As soon as our international check-in deadline was over, we were rebooked on the next day's flight. The "honest" mechanic probably earned free seats for his family. And we lost a day of our vacation and 60 miles of fuel.
You are right! Sometimes it’s hard to see a scam even after it has happened. Safe travels!
Thank you Megan! 👍
Thank you for the great tip about loading local currency onto a global retailer's gift card. That's brilliant!
I did that before, then was disappointed when I got back to my country and seen how the amount went down a ton..lol....but some is better than none I guess
Retail gift cards won’t work in a different country!
@corina4546 i put 80 CAD on a Starbucks gift card, then when back in USA it went down to like 50USD! Lol I was mad. Lol
Timely and informative video. In your Egypt experience I wonder if you had an AirTag if it would have initially assisted you in locating your luggage. I have trackers in all mine even though I travel with carry on. Costa Rica in 2025 next.
Bottom line: inform yourself, keep your eyes on your stuff, and don't trust anyone who offers to help out of the blue. Airport staff have got enough to do - they aren't going to be extra friendly offering to do more work. Whether it's a scam or not, nothing is for nothing.
What blows my mind is how airports know about the scam artists, but they don't seem at all able to control it. (Kinda worrying, security wise, right?)
Whenever we travel to a foreign country we haven’t been to before I like to go on UA-cam to see what are the latest scams in that country. I find it very useful because there’s always a new scam making the rounds.
Wow this was a depressing video! But thanks, very useful info!!
Funniest airport scam: In Shanghai, some random guy came up to me and tried to sell me a top model iPhone with no box and papers. 🤣
The exact same thing happened to me. That’s never happened anywhere else to me.
It was nice of Ollie to (mostly) stay awake through this video... 🤣
Your videos are awesome and very informative. Can you also do a video on doggie hotels, and what options there are for people who have cats or other pets? What do you do with Ollie when you travel?
Thanks Megan, always great info. Having lived and traveled throughout Asia - China, Vietnam, Cambodia, to name a few - for the past two decades (a bit stuck in one country during the pandemic), these scams are all too frequent. Try a border crossing between VN and Cambodia. Better to fly. I could go on but, do your research, trust your gut. Move on. Keep up the great work you do.
Thank you very much for an excellent video
Glad you liked it! Safe travels, Charles!
South Africa! This video is so important and scary. I didn't know about these scams and appreciate your teaching us! 🐾❤️ Hey Ollie!
Not meant to scare you but to hopefully keep you safer. Enjoy your time in South Africa!
The currency exchange in the airport is already a scam with the rates they charge. Best strategy is to use as little cash as possible and have a credit card that doesn't charge conversion fees. Next best is to keep that cash decently concealed and exchange it at a bank in the US when you get back.
Thank you for this video
That QR code is in itself a big red flag.
This makes me question whether to fly international again
I was halfway expecting you to throw out that luggage scale to lower the weight of your bag enough to make it under the carry on limit
oh la la, fancy Frenchy with the makeup. hopefully keeping those toes pedicured for the head to toes deliciousness.
I love your travel videos, as they are often ahead of the curve on other travel vloggers I watch. I travel 2-3x a month, U.S. domestic. while I do not run into much of this, mainly because of TSA/Clear, it is still very helpful to know these things and be able to advise my friends who do not have these things, pay or via their credit cards like Amex, etc.. keep up the good work Frenchy!
What an unusual thing to post out there in the ether
Good video!
The joys of travel. Offer yourself for being plucked of your possessions.
These are great, thank you!
You're welcome! Glad you like them!
I just got back from Egypt and Jordan. They too have women and men lines. We were on a tour and were told many times that the luggage handlers had already been paid. No Matter. Once they had loaded the luggage on the scanner belt they demanded payment. When we told them we had no cash they protested loudly until our airport guide took over. Luckily that was the end of the matter. Remember in many of these countries you will need a dollar in the toilets. This gets you 2 small squares of toilet paper. Beware it’s you need more paper
Video idea: Airports with the longest walks. As in from entrance/exits to the gates. I'm looking at you Stockholm!
When we arrived in Nairobi we had to leave the International terminal and go to the domestic terminal. We had a very helpful gentleman “help” us with our luggage and then demand a tip.
In the UK we have an even bigger legalised scam called the "airport drop-off charge". Your taxi or friend or family member who drives you to the airport has to pay a fee for driving to the terminal to drop you off, and it's not cheap, and sometimes not easily signposted on how much or how to pay. On the basis that you are already paying a fee to use the airport as part of your ticket price, this should be outlawed - you're almost certainly going to spend some money in the terminal too. Imagine if a shopping mall charged you an admission fee.....
It’s a bit like a ‘resort fee’ at a hotel
Scummers are everywhere.
Why are human beings SO disgusting!!!!!! So sorry for anyone that has had any of these things happen to them. Make me NOT want to travel. Thank you for all of these!
So many scams. My next trip is to Italy in December.
Knowing some of what to be aware is helpful. Have a safe and wonderful trip!
I'm moving to Costa Rica in January
I was leaving Amsterdam in July. My luggage was included on my way there and for some reason it wasn’t on the way back. I paid $50 Canadian for my way there and on the way back they wanted 100 Euros! I paid but complained when I got back and was given a travel voucher for compensation.
Headed to Mexico and can’t wait. Thanks for your very helpful videos.
My pleasure! Have fun!
Thanks
We only travel in the US, and so far haven’t run into any scams. We try to stay UTD on “laws” and any travel changes that might affect us. Maybe we’ve just been lucky, but we try to stay on our guard. We also use a travel scale. We weigh before we leave the house, and it’s not uncommon that we occasionally have to shuffle contents to even the bags out. It’s especially important on the return trip, depending on what we’ve purchased.
Megan! In Egypt there’s tourist police that will help with aggressive handlers.
Awhile back, I got into Scotland after a horrible flight, lost luggage etc etc. Finally my luggage and I were re-united so I stopped to get cash ... not realising it was a Clydesdale Bank machine. (For those unaware, they will not accept Clydesdale Bank money anywhere outside of Scotland) It was Christmas eve...the banks weren't going to be open the next day to exchange it and I was leaving quite early on the morning of the 26th. The lady at the hotel changed as much as she could but I put the rest on a Starbucks card. Phew!
Flew from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires, all went well till we were about to get in our Taxi/Van. Two men grabbed our luggage and put them in the vehicle, then turned and told our guide we had to pay them each $5.00 per bag. There was four of us and 2 to 3 bags each. We were told by our guide to Not Argue with them and just pay. Ten bags, Two men = $100.00
I flew out of the Cairo airport a few months ago, and had a phone charger bank stolen at airport security. It was in an inside zippered compartment in my personal item backpack. It was new, expensive, and very annoying to lose. Men and women were separated, and the officials were (illegally) asking for money. The whole scene was chaotic and I couldn’t keep my eyes on my bag and personal items, I now lock all my bags before any security checks. I don’t know what else I can do…any suggestions?
New Zealand next month. Good advice in this video, thanks!!
My pleasure! Enjoy New Zealand!
Back in the seventies I arrived at Calcutta Airport for a flight to Bangkok. The fare was about $80, the gate man said unless I gave him $10 he wouldn't let me on the flight. That's about $50 in today's money. He did this in full view of other workers so I suspect they all did it. So corruption at airports is nothing new.
Honestly! I’d ship my stuff home ahead of leaving might be worth just not to worry about these things.
Not sure why they wouldn’t think it was your scale that was not calibrated correctly.
The fact that these scams are at the airport security is beyond now😡.
Years ago checking in to go home from Kos in Greece, the women told me I was 1.5kg over the weight, I stood my ground knowing full well I wasn't. I hadn't been over the weight flying out and I infact had been the one one carrying all the sun creams, body washes and shampoos, which had all been used.
She actually backed down and told me that as we were flying as a family we could use the combined weight.
My boys were embarrassed I stood my ground but there was no way 8 was going to pay extra when I knew 10000% I was well under the weight
Thanks for the video. It made me think of why it's such a hassle flying these days compared to flying in the past. The world is just in a different place right now, hectic and kind of like on survival mode. I suppose that's why I tend to fly to places that I know won't cause so much trouble for me when I'm going through the airport these days. I'm thinking of holding off on traveling to certain places until things look better around in the world. Just way too many elections that are going on around the world right now. Thinking of going to Ireland next. Seems like a decent place right now amidst all the things going around in the world.
Wow makes me want to stay home. I can’t keep up with all the baloney humans do to take advantage of a traveler.
I've never used a baggage handler.
Currently in Romania, heading to Hungary, Germany and France this coming week.
Traveling to Jamaica 🇯🇲, and then Paris France 🇫🇷 I’m quite excited 🥂🍾
I have traveled to airports all over the world and the one I felt most uncomfortable in was the one in Cairo. As much as I would return to Egypt in a heartbeat I would look for a flight that went directly someplace else, other than Cairo.
I am leaving for Croatia on Friday flying from Chicago ORD through Zurich to Zagreb! Flying home from Tirana, Albania is the return part of the trip through Frankfurt!!
Be safe and enjoy your trip!
I just returned home from Croatia. Make sure you have enough time between connecting flights in Frankfurt or Munich. I am talking about 3-4 hours. You will have to go through passport control in any German airport once and sometimes twice. The lines are very, very long. Also, when you land in Frankfurt, you do not depart in an enclosed gate ramp at the airport. You will depart your plane on the tarmac, have to descend a steep flight of stairs, and then get on a bus to get to the terminal. If going home your connecting flight is through Frankfurt, again, the lines are very long for passport control. Once done with that, you will have to descend about 4 flights of stairs. then you have to wait for a bus to take you to your plane on the tarmac. This plane could be at the end of the tarmac, so it could take up to 15 minutes to get to your plane. I will never fly through Frankfurt ever again. Good luck and have a great time in Croatia. It's beautiful.
@@patricejohnson4411 I once had a hour and 40 min connection time through Frankfurt (not my choice but booked as part of a promo). I was so stressed and that airport was a labyrinth even if both flights were in the same building. I barely made it to my gate for Venice 15 min to boarding but that flight ended up being delayed. I would never book a connection through Frankfurt if I can help it.
Just booked a getaway to Vegas in December
Your experience in Egypt is exactly why we’re not going there, what happened to you plus all the other issues I’ve heard about we’ll pass for now.
Yes, morocco, egypt etc. There is a commonality to these scams.
I encountered someone behaving very strangely at Pearson when I was last in Toronto, I watched him meander through the Smash Burger seating area asking random people the same couple of questions but wanting to be 6" away from them as he spoke, He then tried to approach my husband and myself and I sharply and louder than I intended, answered the now predictable questions. He then quickly slinked away.
I felt bad for possibly coming across as rude but I could smell that something wasn't quite right and a few minutes later, a lady at a nearby table thanked me for interjecting because she was uncomfortable with his mannerism.
Megan & Ollie,
G'morning!!!
I like the idea of buying a giftcard.👍👍
Just my inflation-adjusted two-cents worth, but, I suspect that as American or Canadian travelers, due to our respective governments, we're the "targets" of scammers.
That makes a hole lot of no sense…
And the info about the gift card is wrong, you can’t use them in different countries, unless it’s a credit card gift card.
@@corina4546,
Have you not followed global news for the past thirty years?
No thanks to our respective governments, Americans, Canadians and Brits are the most despised of the global community!
@@corina4546,
Have you not followed global news for the past thirty years?
No thanks to our respective governments, Americans, Canadians and Brits are the most despised of the global community!
I am going to New Zealand next month for the first time hope it will go well for me
Next month going to Barcelona... onto a cruise to other ports in Spain & Morocco..
FYI, the global chain gift card suggestion does not work for all countries. I have had US purchased gift cards that I tried to use in Europe that were declined, and was told I could only use them in the US. This was about 5-6 years ago, so there could be new updates since then. I have not tried using foreign purchased gift cards in the US, but I would not take the chance unless I knew I would be returning to that country soon enough to not find it a hassle to store.
I always keep my foreign money to use for next time. Mind you, one doesn't need cash much these days. In all my years of flying, I have never yet had anybody weigh my carry-on. This year, sadly, I did get scammed by a taxi driver outside of Gare du Nord. I really do appreciate your videos.
Great to know you enjoy the videos.. Look forward to seeing you back here next week!
For many countries outside of Europe, it’s illegal to take their money. I wouldn’t want to risk it. I’ve had my carryon weighed many times.
@@Nubianette I wonder why that is? I have had no issues with Euros or pounds. I never have very much
@@renferal5290 it’s not euros or £. It’s other countries around the world. Morocco, maybe Algeria, and one other country I planned to visit. Other countries put a limit on the amount you can take out, like the US (it’s relatively a lot).
Australia (Tasmania) next Saturday for 3 months
Australia and New Zealand.
I also had an experience in Beijing airport, where a male security guard pat me down (I'm a female). I have said "no" and pointed to a woman security lady but both ignored me despite the fact that I am Asian but not Chinese speaking Asian.
My next flight is to Mulhouse, France as I will be attending a music festival in Basel but it’s too expensive to stay in Switzerland.
We will be traveling to New Zealand and Australia.
Thankyou so much
My pleasure! Safe travels!
Portugal here I go.
Yes this is the best scam video. Only US travel right now. International not sure when next or where.
Hello! My wife and I are embarking on a trip from Miami to Barcelona, Spain. We have a 7-day cruise planned, but before that, we intend to spend 4 days exploring Barcelona as tourists. After the cruise, we plan to head to Madrid for another 5-7 days of sightseeing.
We are currently looking for the best airfare options for our round-trip journey from Miami to Barcelona and then from Madrid back to Miami. In between the two cities, we are considering taking the train. Any advice, especially regarding travel agents who could assist us in finding the best deals, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide!
Palolem, tired of Arambol. Gotten too dirty in here.
I used to be there also. Isn't Colva better?
Thanks for the video. I've tried purchasing portable luggage scales and could not figure out how to use them that I just gave up. I've had three incidents where my luggage was overweight and two of those they allowed the checked bag through and didn't charge the fee. The other time in Rome (FCO), the agent requested that I rearrange my luggage vs demanding I pay the fee. I wish I could find a luggage weighing tool that I can actually use and that doesn't require me to lift my luggage up using the tool.
You only have to lift the bag a few inches off the floor, just enough to clear the floor to register the weight. We carry a portable scale all the time. Very easy to use.
They are the only type of portable luggage scale I am aware of. I agree they can be awkward especially when trying to weigh larger checked baggage.
This might offend some but you really do have to consider the country you're traveling to. Ones where corruption is high, wages low and most people are struggling, such scams are more likely, and the opposite is likely true of of countries where this isn't true. There's also a "tradition" of corruption in some countries and societies that some travelers might not be aware of.
And, no doubt, some locals justify it because they think that all outsiders are rich and look down at them so it won't be a big loss and they also deserve it. They also likely have legitimate grievances against their own government and management so they take it out on outsiders. It's one of the hazards of traveling to areas that are not democratic, prosperous and liberal.
I had a merchant in Mexico who told me the Mexican bills expired and would not be good in the future. I believed him, but didn’t give up my currency and came home with my $$ and ready for another trip later.