I've never had an issue with an airline not accepting a 3 ball tote at check-in, but they will charge you an overweight fee if it weighs over 50lbs. Now getting a 3 ball tote, with 3 balls in them, checked in without an overweight fee is challenging. You either have to throw 14lb or less bowling balls or have one of the few totes that come in under 5lbs and which then you can pack 3 15lb balls in providing they are under 15lbs after drilling. I'm sure as this thread goes on, people will tell stories of getting their totes through with 16lb equipment, but those are out of the norm, the norm is what I described above.