Ran into a pretty frustrating situation at CDG before a flight to Athens.
Before heading to the airport I got an SMS from Air France saying the flight was full and inviting passengers to check their cabin bag for free (up to 12kg). At the airport I asked an agent if it was mandatory and they said no, it was optional.
But after security there was a mandatory weighing station. They weighed my carry-on plus personal item together, which came to 14.5kg, and sent me to a counter.
At the counter they demanded €70 for excess weight. I showed them the SMS about the free checked bag. My actual carry-on alone was 9.5kg, which was under the 12kg limit mentioned in the message, but they refused to honor it because the combined weight of both bags exceeded the normal cabin allowance.
Felt like a bit of a trap.
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