RTW baggage allowance: Was BA check-in agent right?

[Voyages]

Checking in using the only priority counter of BA at CPH, part of LONE5 fare, 1 piece of luggage...

===========
Agent: You've got 27 kilos. That's 4 kilos more than the allowance.
Me: Um...can you please check, because I know I am allowed 2 pieces...
...
Agent: Ok... you're allowed 2 pieces, 23 kgs each.
Me: So doesn't that mean I am entitled 46 kgs?
Agent: No.
Me: Huh?
Agent: You either pay for the 4 kgs, or you split this into 2 separate pieces.
Me: But I only have 1 piece of luggage! Can you check with your supervisor please?

*talking in Danish* - I heard something QF, BA, then something RTW, something Gold and Platinum etc.

Agent: Ok I'll let you through this time. But I am not sure if they'll let you check in this much at [other ports].
Me: Thank you for this. [Then I didn't know what else to say]
============

Was the BA agent at CPH right?

*sigh*

 

[Mal]

BA have 23kg bag allowance in Economy, with additional collection for bags >23 kg (up to 32kg)

Gold and Silver BA Exec club members aren't charged the additional collection. OW members are.

I'm not sure if you had a 1x23kg allowance or 2x23kg allowance as part of your ticket (others will be able to comment further), but kicking up a stink when a bag is >23kg is part of the BA scheme of things.

 

[david870mdg]

BA have 23kg bag allowance in Economy, with additional collection for bags >23 kg (up to 32kg)

Gold and Silver BA Exec club members aren't charged the additional collection. OW members are.

I'm not sure if you had a 1x23kg allowance or 2x23kg allowance as part of your ticket (others will be able to comment further), but kicking up a stink when a bag is >23kg is part of the BA scheme of things.

Travelling in more than one cabin

If you are travelling in more than one cabin i.e.outbound in economy and the return in business class, you will be given the more generous allowance for the whole journey.


Travelling with one of our partner airlines (codeshare)

We have partnerships with other airlines to offer you more destinations worldwide, so even if you've booked direct with British Airways, one or more of your flights may be operated by another airline. In this case you should contact the operating airline for information about their baggage allowances.
If you travel with British Airways and another airline during your journey, the British Airways baggage allowance may be more generous and you could be charged for extra baggage by the other airline.



mmmh,

I am lead to believe that BA were not in the wrong.
23kg is per bag; x2
not allowable in one bag over allowance...

 

[anat0l]

I think xONEx products lack the "common" baggage allowance rule that is more typical of the *A RTW products. So the baggage allowance policies of each applicable carrier apply.

In this case, not sure how you were allowed to carry 2 bags rather than 1 in Y, unless you were:

• Checking through to a flight going to the Americas - allowance is then 2 x 23 kg bags
• Were a BAEC elite (not other oneworld elite) - allowance is then 2 x 32 kg bags
• Travelling / connecting to a BA Y+, J or F fare - in the latter two classes, allowance is then 2 x 32 bags (Y+ is 2 x 23 kg bags)

Although it doesn't matter, the fact you got 2 x 23 kg bags means that is what you are allowed to carry, not a simple 46 kg. So the agent was correct. It is rather inconvenient that you were over by a mere 4 kg that you might have had to split to another bag, so you were lucky that the agent (a) gave you a chance to rearrange your things without charging you straight up, and (b) showed discretion to allow you through. BA are known to be very strict on their baggage allowances.

I was caught up in a similar dilemma on NZ domestic last year, where the allowance was 2 x 25 kg bags, but one bag I checked in was over by 2 kg, so I had to repack and check in an additional bag (lucky I had a spare one folded in the main luggage).

 

[Dave Noble]

The agent was perfectly correct. If travelling in economy on BA the max allowance per piece is 23Kg; any piece over that weight then excess fee applies

Allowing 2 pieces of max 23Kg is not the same as a 46Kg allowance

Saying a sincere thank you to the agent for waiving the fee is the correct response rather than sighing

 

[NM]

A OneWorld Explorer ticket operates on the "piece" system and for an economy OneWorld Explorer ticket you are entitled to two pieces. Each airline sets the maximum weight per piece. And in BA's case, they have set the maximum per piece at 23Kg. So if any piece exceeds 23Kg, then they are correct to charge an excess baggage fee.

So checking one bag weighing 27Kg should cost the excess fee for 4Kg over the 23Kg per bag limit. You could have checked a second bag of up to 23Kg for no additional fee. Just because you choose to use one bag instead of two does not allow you to have more than the 23Kg bag limit.

 

[anat0l]

A OneWorld Explorer ticket operates on the "piece" system and for an economy OneWorld Explorer ticket you are entitled to two pieces. Each airline sets the maximum weight per piece. And in BA's case, they have set the maximum per piece at 23Kg. So if any piece exceeds 23Kg, then they are correct to charge an excess baggage fee.

Hmmm... thanks for that NM, so I was wrong about pieces/weight on a xONEx ticket (as per the first page of http://www.oneworld.com/content/library/oneworld explorer fare rule.pdf).

Although the rules simply say "piece system" and don't say what the limits are. So for the OP originating in CPH, although nothing can excuse the OP from having a 27 kg bag rather than a 23 kg bag (a very common Y/Y+ limit for the piece system), how is it figured that the OP was entitled to 2 pieces rather than 1 (given that BA operate a "piece" system on that sector and by the BA rules the OP would "normally" be only entitled to one piece)?

 

[NM]

Although the rules simply say "piece system" and don't say what the limits are. So for the OP originating in CPH, although nothing can excuse the OP from having a 27 kg bag rather than a 23 kg bag (a very common Y/Y+ limit for the piece system), how is it figured that the OP was entitled to 2 pieces rather than 1 (given that BA operate a "piece" system on that sector and by the BA rules the OP would "normally" be only entitled to one piece)?

Not sure where you find it stated. An e-ticket receipt and a paper ticket just show "PC" in the baggage allowance field. It always used to be that flights to or within North America (and some selected other countries) had to use the piece system and it was 2 pieces for economy class. And an ATW itinerary such as OneWorld Explorer always has to travel through at least of the countries that mandated the piece system, so such a fare was defined to use the piece system. Regs have changed and not no longer essential for fares to always use the piece system for some of those countries, but OneWorld Explorer has retained the piece system in its rules, but does not seem to anywhere define the number of pieces per cabin.

 

[serfty]

I have puchased three xONEx's, the first two were paper ticketed.

On each of the vouchers was the annotation indicating 2 pieces.

 

[NM]

I have puchased three xONEx's, the first two were paper ticketed.

On each of the vouchers was the annotation indicating 2 pieces.

just checked some old paper and e-tix (none of mine are hand-written) and they all just have "PC" in the "Allowance" field, so not clear. But I am sure I have seen it as 2PC on some. Maybe need to dig through some archive boxes of paper tickets to check them all.

 

[Voyages]

All of my flights in this booking have a baggage allowance of 2 pieces. It's an ETKT and it says "Included: 2 pieces" under the 'Check Baggage' column in the online booking for each flight.

And I meant it when I thanked the agent .

 

[overrun]

Everyone is being too nice. I was in the UK when this rule was brought in, and heard the discussion. It is nothing more than a revenue raiser. A clever person in BA thought they would make a lot of money by introducing this rule. And they do. This is nothing to do with weight and baggage and aircraft - it is all to do with getting a heap more money out of you when you are unable to refuse.

I was flying on a local Iberia flight in Spain the other day (who have copied the BA rule recently), and watched as traveler after traveler got caught by it and paid very hefty excess baggage charges indeed.

If you do get caught, one temporary solution is to move the excess weight to your hand luggage and hope they don't weigh that.

Cheers
Overrun

 

[Dave Noble]

Everyone is being too nice. I was in the UK when this rule was brought in, and heard the discussion. It is nothing more than a revenue raiser

I don't see how recognising that the BA staff were correct and that the allowance is 23Kg per bag ( same as QF and AA for example ) is being too nice. The allowance is defined and is what needs to be followed

Dave

 

[overrun]

Dave, I fully agree with you that the

BA staff were correct and that the allowance is 23Kg per bag

. I plan for it and comply with it when I fly those airlines.

But my opinion is that the rule was set with malicious intent, and I wanted to express that opinion.

 

[Dave Noble]

Dave, I fully agree with you that the . I plan for it and comply with it when I fly those airlines.

But my opinion is that the rule was set with malicious intent, and I wanted to express that opinion.

What malicious intent? They lowered the max weight allowance per bag for economy, that is all . Nothing malicious there and the allowance is the same as Qantas's even

BA also have some very good rates for those wanting to take additional pieces and are one of the better choice airlines if travelling with extra luggage

 

[Mal]

If you do get caught, one temporary solution is to move the excess weight to your hand luggage and hope they don't weigh that.

BA don't have a weight limit for carry-on baggage - only a size limit. So as long as you can lift your bag unassisted it is fine.

I also agree that 23Kg is a low limit, and would much prefer the 32Kg. A lot of airlines are all rejigging their weight limits, which is frustrating - but not really avoidable if you want to fly them.

Like Dave Noble says, BA is one of the better airlines for excess luggage...

 

[anat0l]

BA don't have a weight limit for carry-on baggage - only a size limit. So as long as you can lift your bag unassisted it is fine.

I'll be damned - it seems you're right.

I gotta test this next time I fly BA (only) by bringing some bricks on board :mrgreen:

Just kidding.

Seems that travelling HLO with BA is inherently a lot easier.

 

[Mal]

I'll be damned - it seems you're right.

BMI are the same. Seems to be a UK thing. I'll be trying out ~25kg on my trip back to Oz I think

 

[Kefci2000]

BA don't have a weight limit for carry-on baggage - only a size limit. So as long as you can lift your bag unassisted it is fine.

I also agree that 23Kg is a low limit, and would much prefer the 32Kg. A lot of airlines are all rejigging their weight limits, which is frustrating - but not really avoidable if you want to fly them.

Like Dave Noble says, BA is one of the better airlines for excess luggage...

I got told by staff at checkin that I was over the 23kg limit and I was flying "Club World". When I mentioned the baggage limit was higher for both "Club World" and travelling to the Americas, she just said I will let you through this time!!!

I am travelling Euro-traveller next week (but booked with QF J class) so I hope they are more forgiving.......

 

[serfty]

I got told by staff at checkin that I was over the 23kg limit and I was flying "Club World". When I mentioned the baggage limit was higher for both "Club World" and travelling to the Americas, she just said I will let you through this time!!! ...

Standard defence mechanism; don't admit being wrong (after realising it) ... simply put the PAX on their way with as little further fuss as possible lest some notice the error.

FWIW in relation to the OP, the Agent was correct. However, the rule has been properly documented on the oneworld website for some time (after the genesis of this thread): (http://www.oneworld.com/content/library/oneworld explorer fare rule.pdf)

Baggage Allowance

Two free pieces of 23 kilos each shall be permitted. Additional allowances may apply. Refer
to individual carrier websites.