Phantom weight at Newark
- A New York City News Service probe found many Newark Airport baggage scales misread checked luggage weights. (nycitynewsservice.com) - Tests showed more than one‑quarter of baggage‑weighing devices at Newark malfunctioned, higher than JFK and LaGuardia. (nycitynewsservice.com) - Faulty scales could lead to unexpected overweight fees and extra friction for travelers checking bags. (nycitynewsservice.com)
More than one in four baggage scales tested at Newark Liberty International Airport gave inaccurate readings in the latest state checks, a rate higher than at John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia. (njspotlightnews.org) NJ Spotlight News and New York City News Service reported that Newark’s scales were wrong 27% of the time in the most recent tests by New Jersey regulators. The same report said New York City officials inspect scales at Kennedy and LaGuardia more often. (njspotlightnews.org) The practical problem is simple: airlines use those scales to decide whether a checked bag crosses the weight limit that triggers extra charges. NJ Spotlight News reported some carriers can charge as much as $200 for an overweight bag. (njspotlightnews.org) The outlet also reported that New Jersey’s Division of Consumer Affairs has not examined Newark’s baggage scales since 2023, while the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection runs regular inspections at the city’s two big airports. NBC New York reported that city inspectors found 2 noncompliant scales out of about 900 at Kennedy and LaGuardia in a 2024 inspection cycle. (njspotlightnews.org) (nbcnewyork.com) New Jersey’s own 2023 enforcement push showed the issue was already substantial at Newark. In a December 19, 2023 press release, the Division of Consumer Affairs said inspectors found inaccuracies in 100 of 366 baggage scales at Newark, and condemned 81 of them, a 22% failure rate. (njconsumeraffairs.gov) That means the 2026 reporting did not uncover a one-off glitch at a single counter. It described a pattern in which Newark’s failure rate remained elevated after earlier enforcement and repairs. (njspotlightnews.org) (njconsumeraffairs.gov) The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told NJ Spotlight News that “world-class service” includes fairness in commercial transactions and said it would keep working with terminal operators and airlines on corrective measures. The agency gave NBC New York a similar response after city inspectors found bad scales at Kennedy. (njspotlightnews.org) (nbcnewyork.com) New Jersey’s Division of Consumer Affairs told NJ Spotlight News that staffing issues explained the gap in annual testing. Until inspections resume consistently, travelers checking bags at Newark may have to trust a number on the screen that state records have repeatedly shown can be wrong. (njspotlightnews.org)
