After my suitcase got searched and my bras and panties tossed all over the counter and even on the floor, I always pack them in a couple ziplock bags. Security can feel through the bag that there isn't any contraband hidden in there and some bit of privacy and cleanliness is maintained.

The "over weight" stories amaze me; I cannot be the only person who puts it on the scale before leaving home.

We never depart with a 'checkable' suitcase more than half full or 25 pounds. The whole reason for compressing clothing isn't so much to shove more in before leaving home but so when you arrive they don't have wrinkles or stains from going through hand-checking Security folk and when you depart there is room --and weight allowance to spare--for the things you bought to bring back.

Another good use for ziplok bags is to protect your camera equipment from dust or rain while traveling. You wouldn't want to leave your camera in one very long, or condensation inside the bag could occur, but as a temporary measure they work well.

cupid-

We also weigh our bags carefully, since we are often carrying scuba equipment, which is heavy. I just weigh myself on my regular scale, then weigh myself holding the bag. No problems! So easy!

I suspect many people get the overweight issues coming home from trips, where they may not have access to a scale. We take a fish scale (you hang the fish from it on a hook to weigh it). It is cheap, small, light weight, and gives us a good ballpark weight. I just saw them sold in the Magellan catalogue as travel scales, but we got ours at the fishing department of Walmart or somewhere like that.

cupid1~~ It was only overweight as a carry-on. Not overweight as a piece of checked luggage. This was my 22" weighing less than 25 lbs packed (but more than the 13 lbs British Airways allowed at the time). And yes you're right, I always weigh it on the bathroom scale and double check allowances these days.

Regarding the "space bags" that you vacuum. My husband saw a lady in an airport that had used these, then got subject to search by TSA. The bags were opened, filled back up with air, and she was stuck with no way of closing them back up to fit in her suitcase.
I use them but only to reduce wrinkles and take into account that they may be opened by security. love ziplocks for organization -especially for cruises where there is such limited space in the cabin.