WhatToDo82

Email response from Singapore Airlines as follows (this information relates to me telling them I will have a Skilled Migrant Visa) :

Please be advised that for flights departing from London
Heathrow/Manchester and if you hold an unused/unstamped/not validated
Residence visa for New Zealand, then you will be entitled to the migrant
baggage allowance (40 kilos, per seat passenger).

This visa has to be used for the first time to enter into New Zealand and
the migrant baggage will be granted after, the visa has been verified by
our staff at the check-in counter on the day of your departure.

You can have as many items of checked luggage as you wish provided:

The total combined weight of all the items put together does not exceed
your total checked allowances
No single item of baggage exceeds 32 kilos in weight, as a health and
safety requirement

If you are not holding the correct visa mentioned above at check-in, then
you will be entitled to the standard free checked baggage allowance of 30
kilos per seated passenger.

We hope that the above information helps.

nzneville

Sorry Davros, but QANTAS gives you 30 kilos checked baggage allowance between London and New Zealand, the same as Emirates, as they codeshare. Also, if you are a QANTAS Club member or hold Silver FF status, you get 42 kilos instead of 30 kilos. The rule is that you must be on a QANTAS flight or a codeshare that has a QANTAS flight number.

TommyLuck

This depends on when Davros asked as this only changed relatively recently.

The other good thing about Qantas and Emirates is that it's just a weight limit and a weight AND pieces of luggage limit.

You can have as many bags as you like as long as the average is 30kgs per person and no one bag is heavier than 30kgs.



To the OP;

On baggage allowance we managed to survive over 3 months with the standard baggage allowance we were afforded with the various airlines we used. I even travelled with stuff that went unused.


On the banking there is no reason not to set up your bank account whilst in the UK. Do not wait until you get to NZ to do, it is a huge faff these days, as I found out when I got here.

On the plus side, the wife (who already had an account in NZ) was forced to bankroll me

nzneville

[QUOTE=TommyLuck;11155421]This depends on when Davros asked as this only changed relatively recently.

Depends how you define recently, as I made a booking at the beginning of April last year and it was alrady 30 kilos, exept for North and South America.

M_and_M

Air NZ I have found had the best price, each time. £75 each to buy extra luggage.

We got bank account in NZ from UK before we left, very easy, and very useful to send money in advance. Once we arrived that bank wasn't the best any more, the switch was easy. Transferring funds takes about a week. If you use HiFX it avoids international banking transfer fees, competitive exchange rates also.

M_and_M

I stopped using them when they DID check a bag weight for a friend who was travelling with team GB to China (I went too but I was ok) and was charged £500 per kilo for her bag being over!

Northern Henry

Really? Eeek! thats some luggage: for clarity - ANZ baggage charges

M_and_M

It was a 30kg allowance, and we were travelling to the triathlon world champs, so had bikes with us. Her bike wasn't that much over but the charges were...

TommyLuck

All I know is that I booked a multi-stop with Qantas in August 2012 for flights in May and June 2013 and I was restricted to 23kgs, whilst all around in me in check in were blatantly lugging around more than than that.

I can't remember specifics (because I couldn't change anything and I'd planned for 23kgs anyhow) but it was explained to me at the check in counter at LAX that because I'd booked before a certain date I was on the old weight tariff.

So at some stage between August 2012 and May 2013 they changed it.

Anyway, this means that you're right now, but Davros information isn't that old.

Ray3324

thought id update this thread:

London to Christchurch: one way flying end of April
Air new Zealand - £900 - 23kg - 31hours flight
Virgin - £708 - 24kg - 26hours
Qantas - £713 - 32kg - 30hours
Singapore air - £699.50 - 32kg - 25hours
Emirates - £715 - 30kg - 28hours

Found a really cheap way to get to the airport, bloody coach (never thought id say it). From somerset to heathrow £10.50 each for me and the wife 3hr travel. Amazing price if you book ahead. Went with NationalExpress

Extra baggage - using PSSremovals. To airfreight 40kgs tools approx. 11cube will set me back around £400 door to door.

Hope this helps others in future

BEVS

Have some BE karma Ray3324 for sharing with others. Very helpful

moonie2011

Only if it's a permanent vise, WTR, work visas etc they won't

moonie2011

If you open an ANZ account then fly with emirates then you get double luggage, 53kg BUT can only fly into Auckland, but bear in mind internal flight luggage allowance if you have to fly somewhere from Auckland

gazmac

May I ask why not?