Baggage..The hidden cost

[jackcollins1960]

Ok I give in…I have already said the KG’s are important…but nobody here wants to concede that 23KG is more likely the norm for most carriers (or even a significant portion …read One World) on the Australia – U.K. route.

Time to exit this one way street!
Ciao

 

[JohnK]

However - if i asked a TA to tell me if there were any significant differences I would not expect to be told about a 3kg baggage difference. i would expect to be told:

You mention so many valid (and good) points it would not have hurt to leave the 3kg difference in baggage allowance as a valid point.

I know I would be drawn and quartered if I booked a flight for my mother and she could only take 20kgs with her.

 

[Flashback]

Ok I give in…I have already said the KG’s are important…

Yes, you've said that after the fact. It was never mentioned to the TA before booking, and unfortunately they cannot read minds

 

[Flashback]

You mention so many valid (and good) points it would not have hurt to leave the 3kg difference in baggage allowance as a valid point.

I know I would be drawn and quartered if I booked a flight for my mother and she could only take 20kgs with her.

That being the case though, you know that baggage limit is one thing of importance to you when booking the flight so I dare say it would be something you'd check before booking rather than just assuming it is or isn't 23kg

 

[Oneworldplus2]

...you know that baggage limit is one thing of importance to you when booking the flight so I dare say it would be something you'd check before booking rather than just assuming it is or isn't 23kg

I agree. If it was going to be an issue, maybe it should have been higher on your list of priorities. Then again, it's easy to say that now.

I can only see a few ways out of this;
1) Pay for the extra weight, and cop it on the chin (often known as the "bend-over method")
2) Try to pre-pay for extra weight allowance, it might be cheaper
3) Look for people on AFF or Flyertalk (preferably with status), who are going to be on the same flight, and see if they can take 5kg off you. You never know what a bottle of duty free will achieve (certainly cheaper than what the current airline is going to charge you)
4) Smile at check-in, you never know... (I've had luck in the past)
5) Re-book with another airline

 

[Dave Noble]

3) Look for people on AFF or Flyertalk (preferably with status), who are going to be on the same flight, and see if they can take 5kg off you. You never know what a bottle of duty free will achieve (certainly cheaper than what the current airline is going to charge you)

If there are any mad enough to take responsibility and liability for the contents of a random stranger's luggage

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Just putting it out there.
Stranger things have happened.

Would l do it? No way! But, you never know...

 

[serfty]

FWIW, until the last year or so, Qantas' International (Non Pacific) weight limit for economy was 20Kg.

Status added an additional 10 Kg or more.

Of course, that's only an aside - weight is never an issue for me if travelling solo as I almost never check luggage.

I do know however, that if I am travelling with SWMBO, baggage allowances are very important. :-|

 

[markis10]

Ok I give in…I have already said the KG’s are important…but nobody here wants to concede that 23KG is more likely the norm for most carriers (or even a significant portion …read One World) on the Australia – U.K. route.

Time to exit this one way street!
Ciao

The norm used to be 20kg allowance for non North American destinations while 50lbs was the mandated one for airlines using the weight system for North America, some airlines still refer to the "standard' in their terms and conditions, now for those using weight systems its moving to 23kg which of course is what 50lbs is, so they align worldwide.

Only half the airlines (jet operator) in Australia that provide checked bag allowances across all fares offers 23kg versus 20kg. In our own backyard, 23kg is not the norm, and even that example is new for both the airlines that provide it.

 

[Dave Noble]

Of Australian airlines internationally

Qantas offers 23Kg, though this was 20Kg until recently
Pacific Blue offers 20Kg on Go or Blue Saver fares
Jetstar offers 20Kg on economy fares which include a luggage allowance

so hardly the standard to allow 23Kg

Just checking a few airlines that operate or codeshare into australia, from this morning's 1st arrivals ( and ignoring US flights where allowances are different ) up to 0645

Jet Airways
Lufthansa
Singapore Airlines
Lufthansa
finnair
Air Malta
Cathay Pacific
Air China
Alitalia
Korean Air
JAL
Malaysia Airlines
Etihad for tickets issued prior to June 15 2010

all still have a 20Kg limit.

Air New Zealand allows 20Kg on flights from Australia to London

whilst
AF
BA
VS
Etihad for tickets issued since June 15 2010

Allow 23Kg

and Emirates allows 30Kg

Ignoring the anomoly of EY ,

15 out 19 allow 20Kg
4 out of 19 allow 23Kg
1 out of 19 allows 30Kg

This wasn't cherry picking airlines but just going through the list of arrivals at Sydney Airport this morning and does not suggest to me that 23Kg is the norm and in fact seems to support the asserion that 20Kg is the normal economy allowance. Even of the OW carriers in the list 60% have a 20Kg allowance

Since OneWorld was referred to ... The OW Allowances

NO ALLOWANCE - 1 Airline ( AA)
20 Kg - 5 airlines ( CX, JL, AY, RJ, MA )
23 Kg - 4 airlines ( BA, QF, LA, IB )

MX, being in North America, operates generally a piece based system.

More OW airlines have a 20Kg allowance than a 23Kg allowance

Dave

 

[drron]

Though the norm is changing.SAS goes to 23kg from 20kg in Y from 1/10/10.How do I know-we have SAS flights in August and are trying to keep our bags to 20 kg.The first bag comes in at 19.9kg but havent been game to weigh the second yet.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Another option l just thought off that might get you out of this.

Change your suitcase to a lighter one. Samsonite have just released their new "Cosmolite" range of suitcases.

Welcome to Samsonite Australia.com



Welcome to Samsonite Australia.com

View attachment 1075

Comes in @2.26kg

As always, shop around. You can always get a better deal. My father got one off the net for half price to retail price. Right before his "webjet" trip.

 

[notmensa]

I wonder if the OP lodged a complaint with the travel agent? Or the fair trading / consumer affairs department in his state? Or a police report for, you know, the 'theft by trickery"?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

A colleague just got back from a trip to Manchester who flew Qatar & wasn't overly impressed by the whole journey saying they were okay but wouldn't travel with them again.

One reason was that in each direction when they had a change of flight in Doha, Qatar they were on standoff bays ie had to get a walk down aircraft stairs & catch a bus to the terminal which is quite a distance from where the plane was parked. There was a further wait on the bus before they could disembark.

This may just be a temporary thing as I understand there a major renovations happening at the airport at the moment but may be a big issue for people particularly the elderly or those travelling with infants and small children.

The other reason being that despite calling the airline prior to travel to cross reference bookings the airline refused to put her next to her friends in the bassinet row when she was helping them with their baby.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

the airline refused to put her next to her friends in the bassinet row when she was helping them with their baby.

.

They may have wanted to keep the bassinet row for other pax who actually had babies.

You said friends and so I assume there were 2 of them already. The extra third pax may well have prevented another pax with baby from using that row.

 

[straitman]

We got back from NZ on Tuesday with 22-23kg bags only to find V-line would only accept 20kg for the train trip home :!: :evil:

 

[ozbeachbabe]

They may have wanted to keep the bassinet row for other pax who actually had babies.

You said friends and so I assume there were 2 of them already. The extra third pax may well have prevented another pax with baby from using that row.

On the side they were on there was only one bassinet which had been reserved for the friends plus their baby so pointless putting another pax there with an infant if there wasn't another bassinet to use.

Seeing as though somebody had to sit in the seat (flight was chockers) it may as well have been her but the airline didn't see it that way.

 

[Dave Noble]

On the side they were on there was only one bassinet which had been reserved for the friends plus their baby so pointless putting another pax there with an infant if there wasn't another bassinet to use.

Seeing as though somebody had to sit in the seat (flight was chockers) it may as well have been her but the airline didn't see it that way.

Someone with a baby can trump a pre-existing request for a seat there over someone without a baby. Other passengers have no special right to the bassinet row. Perhaps someone had already been allocated that seat.

My sister and partner were travelling on IB with an infant and alhough they were initially allocated the bassinet position, when allocating the seat in advance, was told that the partner could end up being ejected from his seat if there was another bassinet request

As far as buses at a terminal goes, that wouldn't bother me; at least a bus tends to drop off right near immigration and can save a lot of walking

Dave

 

[Oneworldplus2]

One reason was that in each direction when they had a change of flight in Doha, Qatar they were on standoff bays ie had to get a walk down aircraft stairs & catch a bus to the terminal which is quite a distance from where the plane was parked. There was a further wait on the bus before they could disembark.

I did PER-BKK (via HKT) on Thai, Airbus A330 last year. At HKT, it used an aerobridge, while at BKK, bussed it to the terminal. Considering that the Airbus is a pretty big plane and was full, l would have thought that it would have been allocated a slot for disembarking @BKK. The buses were efficient, air conditioned and ready to go when we landed in BKK and we were dropped off about 50 meters from the baggage carousel.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Actually - following oz's comments about the disembarkation in Doha - if the OP told the TA they wanted suitable flights for his 85 year old then I WOULD expect the TA to mention the use of stairs for the transit.

On this basis it may well be possible to advise the TA that the selected flights are not suitable for purpose and seek a refund / transfer to different airline. (of course the actual flying is 'suitable for purpose' - it gets you from A to B - but the ground arrangements etc are also part of the product being sold and those too need to be suitable.

Worth a try. (Unless of course Qatar comes back to say they will provide special elevator assistance at Doha.)