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Baggage limits- a point to ponder
My wife saw this item in our local paper.
Upon checking in for her flight, a lady was told by the ticketing agent that her large, checked bag was too heavy. The agent suggested the lady needed to remove some items from it and put them in her carry-on bag. The lady pondered that for a second then sagely responded, "Why do I need to do that? Aren't both bags going to be on this aircraft?" and so it goes . . . 
Without getting into the minutia of cargo distribution and aircraft weight and balance, or a discussion of overweight baggage fees, it does make one wonder. 
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A couple offerings. They probably don’t want the ticket agents having to heft bags over fifty pounds from the scale to the baggage belt. I know some have conveyor belts, and business class is normally allowed bags up to seventy pounds. They normally have a ‘helper’ to move heavy bags. Some airlines also weigh the carry on bag … Iberia and Aerolinas Argentinas are two that I have experienced … most recently on our Antarctica trip. They also did not allow over weight bags for a charge. The bags pass the weight check, or you may have to wear more clothes than you planned. Many people had to carry their new ‘parkas’ separately. We were shown how to roll them up into the hood.
I do feel so sorry for the ticket agents. But also think there should be a weight limit for the overhead bins with hand luggage. A couple of years ago, a guy opened the bin above me mid flight and his bag fell on my head…..yes, I know, it explains a lot of things about me 😂. But it actually is a common occurrence.
In Argentina the carry-on weight limit was seventeen pounds. My backpack often weighs more than that, but they didn’t weigh ‘normal’ size backpacks.
I think part of the answer is that heavier bags are an issue logistically and safety wise, not only for the ticketing agent, but also ramp staff loading the cargo bay. Heavy bags, whether the higher weight allowed for business/first class or economy with surcharge, all get marked with a heavy tag to alert staff. I imagine the heavier bags are also overstuffed and more easily burst or break.
And then there's the slightly overwieght bag belonging to a 100 lb. woman and the bag that just meets specs, carried by a 300 lb. guy.
The weight and balance calculations are fairly complicated. They normally use ‘average’ weights for passengers which are of course different for men and women, and they are different in summer and winter. If they are carrying ‘sports’ teams, they normally use actual weights which are normally ‘asked’ weights.
Yup, I remember a not-very-sympathetic flight attendant hit me in head with a hard attache case (ouch) and I had to beg just to get some ice. So I hear ya, British.