It's come to this. Excess baggage charges have reached a new low, or actually, a new high. One Wallop Bhukkanasut, executive chairman of Thai Airways, has had to step down following allegations that he used his position to avoid some $5,000 in excess baggage fees. It's enough to make you hunger for the good old days, when you could check two bags for free, carry on a bunch more crap, and save abusing executive power for charging hookers on the company card.

Reportedly, Wallop, his wife, and a friend finagled some special treatment on a flight from Tokyo to Bangkok. They had their thirty-some bags sent to the airport's lost property office to avert customs. The bags weighed in at 398 kilos (over 877 pounds), which is just a tad bit more weight than their first class tickets entitled them to bring aboard. Thai Airways is formally investigating the incident, which took place last November, and will report its findings later this month.