On our recent trip to South America, we had organized a direct flight from Miami to Buenos Aires with a short stop before taking a local flight to Iguazu Falls and back.
While American Airlines had a generous luggage allowance (even more so for elite members) we saw that our local Aerolinas Argentinas flight was not so generous.Not only did they have a strict 8kg carry-on allowance with a maximum height of 22 inches, but they also even specified personal item weight at 3kg each. Further, their checked bag policy was also limited with only a 15kg allowance per bag and a maximum size of 168 linear inches (the sum of your bag’s length, width, and depth).
Our usual check-in bag that we use for scuba equipment was bigger than this and even at two-thirds empty it weighted more than the 15kg allowed.
After almost running to the store to buy yet another luggage we decided to check with the hotel about leaving a suitcase behind for the 3 days we would be at Iguazu Falls. We were happy and appreciative when they obliged. We could now fill up that huge suitcase to over 50 pounds and just leave it at the hotel doing the 3-day trip to the falls with the two carry-ons.
Instead of our usual roller boards, we opted to take our lightweight safari bags with us instead. While not great to carry these through the airport, the light weight would let us pack them with a lot of stuff within the 8kg limit on the internal flight.
See our post: How to Travel with Only a Carry-on
Conclusion
So if you are going to arrive at a hotel and do a day trip or a few days returning to the same city, check with the hotel about leaving a bag with them so you can travel light. Hotels have a secure area and generally there is no charge (but a tip for the bag handler is a good idea and surely appreciated). Think of the baggage fees they saved you!