Pollyana

Most airlines have a limit of 32kg per ITEM of luggage - for Health and Safety reasons, as the staff have to lift the bags...... seems Heathrow are now going to enforce it across the board. Doesn't affect the total amount of luggage allowed, just per item.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...on/3671155.stm

JAJ

That doesn't affect the fact that many airlines (for economy class passengers) impose a limit of 20kg in total per passenger if flying via the Far East.

US airlines generally operate the 'two pieces' concept.

One point about additional baggage allowances - you must make sure your baggage allowance applies on *all* sectors of your flight, especially if you're getting to a hub like LHR on a connecting flight. It should be clear on your ticket (or otherwise in writing) - don't accept verbal assurances.

If you turn up with more than the baggage allowance their airline might let you away with it if it's a half-empty flight, but if the flight is full (and many flights from the UK to Australia are completely full) you will likely be in a mess.

Jeremy

Pollyana

Hear hear to what JAJ says - and if you are in doubt about your baggage allowance, forget the travel agent, check with Customer services at the AIRLINE. They are the ones who set your limit, and at check-in they will abide by what appears on your booking on their screen.
When phoning to check, ask if they could check your specific "PNR" thats the booking details on their own system. It may even be different from whats on your ticket, be warned!

coll

When I emigrated a couple of years ago,I flew with sinapore airlines,Our baggage allowance was 34 kilo's per person,but our family of four had almost double that.
To be honest singapore airlines were very good,but still charged £500.00 extra.(I barted this down from £1500.00)
The main point !! although I paid the extra baggage allowance at heathrow,We were breaking our journey at singapore,they advised us not to collect our baggage at singapore but wait till we arrived in Australia, they thought we could get charged again on our stop over at singapore when leaving.
So we ended up staying in singapore for three days with no clothes,my wife and daughter thought this was great!! as they spent most of the three days shopping ( which was proberly as expensive as the extra bagge allowance)

Badge

Indeed.

We had the 64kg each allowance flying to Sydney via LA.

However, as we transited San Francisco - LA we had only 2 pieces of 50lb bags allowed ie in metric 2 * 22kg. So we lost almost 1/3 of the allowance. Which we knew of in advance..

Still did well though.

BM

Philanthropist5

When we flew into Perth on holiday in 1995, we had bought 1 big suitcase for for the trip, at the airport when leaving Perth at the check in desk the case was weighed at 33kg, ( our allowance was 20kg each, 40kg.) a rude spotty jobsworth informed us that the baggage handlers would not touch anything over 25kg, and we were given a handful of QANTAS jiffy bags and told to empty 10kg from the case there and then in the check in foyer.
Talk about stressed and wife in tears.
So this limit is nothing new.

philanthropist

whisky

I had the same problem when coming out on holiday here. Going out from Manchester airport was fine. On the return journey from Perth airport, I was informed that baggage hanglers would only pick up a certain amount of weight in one bag, so was given CLEAR plastic bags to transfer my excess weight in to. Very embarrasing doing that on the floor at check in.

Whisky

renth

I seem to remember it's 30 kilos a piece, strictly enforced. We were only about 3 over on one and 3 under on the other so that was easy.

Anyway as a former baggage handler (Gatwick) I support this limit and it illustrates the fact that in Australia people take health and safety issues seriously.

whisky

I have no dispute with that either, having tried pulling or picking up my Mothers suitcase whenever she was rerturning home to Spain some years ago.
What I found embarrasing, was the clear plastic bags to which you put your dirty washing, and then when it comes off the other end paraded on the merry go round for all to see.
:scared:

Whisky

Gazza

I'm about to book my flight to Perth with Singapore Airlines (LHR to Perth).
I faxed them my visa grant letter and they said I would get 40kg plus 7kg hand luggage.

The only issue is I have to get a connecting flight from Aberdeen to LHR with BMI. They said on phone they recognise the fac t that people use them for connecting flights and there should be no problem. I will try to get a fax/email from them allowing the same.

Gaz

OzTennis

One thing that irks me is with cabin luggage - most airlines have a thing near where you go onto the plane which your hand luggage is meant to fit into. We always make sure ours is able to but you see people struggle on with those suitcases with wheels and handles that are twice the permissable size and they don't seem to care. Invariably the same person then puts this monstrosity in the overhead locker above our seats because their other bags have filled up their own locker!

I just know that if took one of those monstrosities on board I would be pulled up by the 'more than my jobsworth'.

Oh, and incidentally, did you know that a tennis racquet is a weapon? Yep, many airlines insist that they can't be taken into the cabin. 2 big bottles of duty free not a weapon, tennis racquet is! They've been X-rayed so I dismiss the hollowed out handle full of dangerous items theory.

OzTennis

DagBoy

If you had ever see me play you would not dispute that (albeit a rather inaccurate one).

plumber

Flying Heathrow , L A , Auckland , Brissy , with Air Newzealand.
allowed 64kg each .........2adults, 3children = 320kg's.


all the best plum

Gazza

Plumber,

Thats a great baggage allowance.
Do you mind my asking what the price was for an adult fare (+ tax)?

Thanks

Pollster

We were a good 15kg over our limit of 20kgs each (cos we didn't have migrant visas) and both Singapore Airlines (for the international legs Heathrow-Singapore-Auckland) and Air NZ (domestic leg Auckland-New Plymouth) didn't bat an eyelid.

All they did was put a heavy sticker on one suitcase (hubby's) that was 27kgs.

We were also festooned with bags going into the cabin (sorry OzTennis but I was taking if you can't beat them with a big stick, join them approach on this particular occasion) one of which contained two magnums and one jeroboum of champers - I checked with the stewardess twive that they were happy for them to go in a overhead locker and they couldn't really be less worried about where I put them!