When we left Seattle, Lesley thought that our suitcase was over 50 pounds, which I was told is the weight limit above which the airlines assess extra fees. We emptied out a few things to make sure we could bring it without having to pay extra (in addition to the $15 bag fee). It turned out to be 36 pounds with everyone's gifts included. However, with all of our return gifts (which included several books), it was exactly 50 pounds. So, I'm glad we left the hair drier at home.