Babsw

just wanted to make you all aware that Emirates weigh your hand luggage at check in and it is £35 per kilo for every kilo over the 7 kg allowance.
We were lucky and had a nice check in man who allowed us to transfer some of our hand luggage into our suitcase as we were slightly under on the suitcase allowance but he said we would have to be quick and discreet as the Emirate people usually took you out of the queue to do this and made you go to the back of the check in queue (which by then was snaking round the concourse and we wanted to try and get five seats together).
We were all prepared at Dubai airport but no one checked them there although they were fining any one who was over on their suitcases. £35 a kilo is a heck of a fine so be aware!
Other than that and being searched at Dubaia for a non existent laser pen i have to say Emirates was the best airline we have ever flown with, fantastic food, bigger tvs and loads more choice of films etc and great service.

Rainydaze

I think all the airlines are cracking down on handluggage weight at the momemt, I suspect it has something to do with the soaring price of fuel.

I travalled to Oz with Malaysia Airlines in early September. Packing was an absolute nightmare, trying to fit what I needed into 20kgs in the case. In the end my handluggage was probably about 7kg (as opposed to the 5kg weight allowance) but there was no way I could reduce the valuables in the case or let them go in the hold. I was fully prepared to have my stuff weighed and pay excess baggage if necessary, and indeed it was weighed at checkin at Heathrow, but they let me away with it.

I suppose you just have to decide if you're willing to take the chance in overloading, and be prepared to pay if you know you're going over the limit...

h2oskineil

When we left the UK in Jan 2006, Emirates wanted 600 pounds for our excess baggage.
Our fault... we packed the bathroom scales before we weighed the suitcases!

Red_V_Roger

The soaring price of fuel thats now dropped to around $80 from $140-150!

We risked it and got away with it...would have cost us a fortune. The guy that checked us in at Manchester did not even look at it, whist the woman checking people in next to him was weighing and calculating every last item.

bcworld

I'm not surprised Emirates would be picky with carry-on.....the amount of people they manage to cram into a 777 means overhead locker space is really at a premium.

Mikeyc

That’s why it’s better to fly to Oz via the USA – 2 bags each at 32kg, PLUS Hand luggage!

Much better than 1 bag at 20kg

Mikey

bcworld

Mostly it's 2 x 23kg now....few accept 32kg bags for economy.

EdnaAverage

Hear Hear! Don't fly with them unless you've been on a strict diet beforehand, loads of legroom but the seats are far too narrow due to 10 rather than 9 across down the back. I was wearing most of my food on arrival in Dubai, having had the misfortune to have been given a middle seat

And as for that refugee camp style hell hole that is Dubai airport....!

On the plus side, their taxes do seem cheaper than the others and the AVOD is alright.

Edna x

Perthforme

Best tip for hand luggage is don't put the full wait of it on the conveyer belt . Hold it off a bit , works very well i , sorry a " mate " finds

Pollyana

Hellish airline, would rather swim!

The one time I flew with them they were havng problems with a gentleman of arabic appearance who had a computer. Yep, a desktop computer, both hard-drive tower and monitor (in the days before flat-screns), and wanted it all to go on as hand luggage. He was at the gate arguing with the boarding crew. Their main point was "you can't take it cos even if you get it in the locker it could fall on someone's head. His reply centred around the argument that he could put it in the aisle if there wasn't a spare seat.

According to the airline world a lot of the probelms with luggage are down to the culture of the country that provides the majority of passnegers. With AEmirates they have passengers who are unused to hearing the word "NO" and who like to buy Western electrical stuff to take home with them. I have friends who are airline crew and they say that excess hand luggage is a more serious issue for Emirates than for many other airlines.

plantpot

Oooo I have never had this problem, Is it a new Emirates' thing? Am flying to Uk from Dubai but then taking Singapore airlines to Sydney when I come back in November. I usually have so myuch excess baggage and they always let me get away with it, I had 55 kgs one time and they didn't charge me, I guess it did help that the plane wasn't busy any of those times

I had better get real before I go then ....

Lenmil

We got pulled by Emirates at Newcastle for being over weight. But they let us off after pointing it out. Would have coast a small fortune. I got stung by Rex at Melbourne. But that is a small plane. Had to carry only my laptop, no power supply etc, just the laptop in a thin bag. Tis the way it is. Was great flying over "Sisters Beach" mind you over Northern Tassie. But Emirates have always been good for us to fly with. Only troble i had with an airline was with BA who lost my luggage in NY. Got it back next day. But i missed going to a party on one of the twin towers. Oh well.

Centurion

And not forgetting that the US routing is a longer travel time and more expensive in the first place. Personally I would find both of those reasons very compelling not to bother and just send a couple of suitcases excess baggage for less than the fare difference and save myself the travel hassle.

joho

I often wonder what the hell everyone brings that weighs so much. My god when I go on holiday I get out what I want to take then take half as I would never wear it anyway.

When we came over to live we had 40kg each for 5 of us and I still had 40kg spare, we even packed sheets and camp beds. Now come on for god sake what cant you live without for 6 weeks or so.

Jo

plantpot

It's the stuff we get given when coming back that weighs a tonne, usually xmas pressies etc....