Has anyone ever been charged excess Baggage ??

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JamieB

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I flew back with my girlfriend through hkg with Qantas last month.
When we checked our baggage through we had two bags which were 33Kg and 35Kg each, the lady at the check in said she would normally charge excess but would let us through this time.
She also said we would have our carry on checked but it never was, were we just lucky or is this normal?
 
Last time I was in BKK I carried 40kg through on a BA operated QF flight, the check-in lady had a crack but didn't charge anything. On a domestic flight they definatley would, but haven't had any drama's on an international service yet. The secret is to be polite and friendly, don't give them a reason to dislike you!
 
I had an experience with CX in HKG that they said my luggage was too heavy... They told me to take about 8kgs of checked luggage out and put it in my carry on ?!?!?

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

As it turned out the flight was oversold, and I as a ANFF (just the base one) was operationally upgraded! :D

I still took up a whole overhead bin thought...

D P G

PS: I don't make a habbit of having too much luggage, and generally travel with just carry on or a small 10kg bag. In this instance I was heading to the UK for a year!
 
I know people that have been charged for being 10 Kilo over, conversely I know someone that didn't have to pay in internation economy with 70Kg!!!
 
Beware of Air France

Yes, Air France for a flight from Nuremberg to Paris last year. I had a suitcase, ski boot bag, and skis in a bag that weighed 32kg in total. I was charged $A 100 in excess baggage and to make it worse, the stupid check-in agent (who was also the hostie) told me in German, when the rest of the check-in had been done in English. I speak a bit of German but not enough to understand that I had to pay the excess and at another counter. I didn't find out until I was boarding and the cow made me go back through security and pay before I could board. :evil:

Didn't have any problems with Qantas, BA or Finnair on that trip.
 
13 years ago, I was flying back from LHR to CBR on QF with a 42kg single piece of luggage.

The flight was relatively full and was charged for 6 kg at GBP 15/kg (or about AUD$250 all up).
 
Never charged excess baggage but on last year's UK trip (sorry - it was 2004) we were told that one suitcase was over the 32kg limit and we would have to redistribute our luggage. The last thing you want to do after carefully packing for a month O/S is to be scattering belongings around at check-in whilst Master 4 and Missy 2 ask "Are we there yet?".

Usually when travelling alone I never check baggage - just pack a soft bag with clothes and toiletries, and sundry gadgets and the laptop go in the Qantas FF bag (the one they sell for $50). I've only been weighed once and the former came in well under 7kg. They never seem to bother with the "laptop" bag and I'm glad they don't!


Cheers,

AC
 
Many years ago I flew CVG-LAX on Delta and then LAX-SYD on Qantas and I had 27kgs in checked luggage and 2 carry on bags full of books and printed material from a conference. The carry on bags weighed 30kgs in total. Nothing was mentioned of it and it wasn't checked for weight. By the time I walked from LAX domestic to international my 2 shoulders and hands were aching so much I could not lift them. Lucky there was a 4 hour transit at LAX to let me recover.

I know someone that brought back over 70kgs in checked luggage and carry ons from ATH on a number of occassions on various carriers and not a word was said. I suppose it depends on luck more than anything else.
 
JohnK said:
I know someone that brought back over 70kgs in checked luggage and carry ons from ATH on a number of occassions on various carriers and not a word was said. I suppose it depends on luck more than anything else.

Luck does come into it, trouble is is that it is an expensive game if you lose

Dave
 
HKG is bad for that, been charged twice for being 5kg over by CX, almost got charged in Sin but the agent realised by status and said dont worry about it, that was travelling with the ex and her kitchen sink mind you.
 
Dave Noble said:
JohnK said:
I know someone that brought back over 70kgs in checked luggage and carry ons from ATH on a number of occassions on various carriers and not a word was said. I suppose it depends on luck more than anything else.

Luck does come into it, trouble is is that it is an expensive game if you lose

Dave
This is the same person that used to bring in 6 litres of spirits and 6 cartons of cigarettes and never paid any duty as he always got away with the line "these are presents from relatives". Miss those good old days when no one seemed to care what you did.

In respect to the luggage issue, most items were presents from relatives to close and distant relatives here in Australia. These relatives were at ATH airport so if any weight hassles then the additional presents overweight would just be taken out and no excess baggage money would be paid. You'll never know what you can get away with unless you try.
 
NM said:
I have never been charged an excess baggage fee.

But have you ever done the 9* 232 Kg check in and got away with it ? :) ... plus even more amusing when there is someone at the desk next to you getting hassled for being 20Kg over :)

Dave
 
Dave Noble said:
NM said:
I have never been charged an excess baggage fee.

But have you ever done the 9* 232 Kg check in and got away with it ? :) ... plus even more amusing when there is someone at the desk next to you getting hassled for being 20Kg over :)

Dave
Nope. Never been charged because I have never been over the limit!
 
Never been charged either.

Have been over the kg limit, but never more than a few kg's over a couple of times.

Whether you get charged or not depends on the mood of the Check-in agent, your mood and persona, how full the flight is, whether the Check-in agent gets "spotter" fees, culture of the airline, and your FF Status/Ticket class.

All of these can join to give you a massive bill or waived through.

The biggest thing to watch out for I believe is baggage allowance on Codeshare flights. That is the time when you're more likely to get charged methinks...
 
Major over limit once; no problem, no charge.

1998 QF2 LHR-BKK in whY. Total allowance of 110kg, Baggage checked: 127kg.

(Emerald me=*40Kg, QP mrs serfty 30Kg, MIL 20Kg, 6yo mini serfty 20Kg)

(*back then Emeralds had 20Kg additional, now it's 15Kg),
 
serfty said:
Major over limit once; no problem, no charge.

1998 QF2 LHR-BKK in whY. Total allowance of 90kg, Baggage checked: 107kg.

(Emerald me=*40Kg, QP mrs serfty 30Kg, MIL 20Kg, 6yo mini serfty 20Kg)

(*back then Emeralds had 20Kg additional, now it's 15Kg),
Let's see ... 40+30+20+20. I make that 110, not 90, making the 107 kg within the limit. So is it the MIL's allowance you were forgetting, or mini serfty's?

Either way, a psychologist/psychiatrist would have a field day. :D
 
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Alan in CBR said:
So is it the MIL's allowance you were forgetting, or mini serfty's?

Either way, a psychologist/psychiatrist would have a field day. :D
Not sure about the psy-t's but I was wrong in the amounts with what I remembered. :oops:

The total was definately 17Kg over; so the weight musht have been 127Kg if the allowance was 110.
 
Flew American this morning and saw a couple charged USD$100 for marginally overweight baggage. Pretty poor form imho.
 
odoherty said:
Flew American this morning and saw a couple charged USD$100 for marginally overweight baggage. Pretty poor form imho.

What is poor form about it? Either the luggage was within limits and no fee payable or the luggage was over and the fee liable

Dave
 
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