Cathay Pacific

I am traveling to Indonesia in a few days on Cathay Pacific. I noticed that they have a ridiculous weight limit on carry-on stuff--15pds. I have a lowpro roadrunner with many L-lens and mkII 1ds in it, and a secondary bag with a computer in it. Obviously, I do not want to check it under the plane. It weighs in at 33 pds (without the secondary computer bag). Has anyone had any experiences with this airlines? Are they that serous about carry-on stuff that they are going to make me check it under the plane? If so, will they let me put the camera around my neck and stuff some lens in my jacket?

Any suggestions, mark

I fly in all kinds of airlines (although never Cathay) and they all have the 15 pounds limit, but they never check it. I wouldn't worry. If you are still worried, just keep the back pack on your back or on the floor close to your feet in the counter and outside their view. I bet they won't check the weight. They will only make you check stuff in if it doesn't fit in the cabin.

Luiz

I fly CX about twice a year for the last 15, I have NEVER been questioned by them about my Lowepro Phototrekker (at about 35lbs) and laptop bag. Just make it look light! Don't hunch down and huff and puff your way to see the ticketing agent or the gate agent...

Stu

I'll echo the above, never had Cathay weigh my carryon. Qantas did though, at the ticket counter. Charged me $100 and said it was too heavy for the overhead and made me check it as an extra bag. On the return, Qantas was going to charge me again, but this time I was ready, explained about it being loaded with camera gear and some other lies I'm too emabarrased to admit to here, they still made me check the bag but didn't charge me.

In future, if I were with another person, I'd have them watch my carry on while I checked in and then get it back from them afterwards.

Rand

I'll echo the above, never had Cathay weigh my carryon. Qantas did though, at the ticket counter. Charged me $100 and said it was too heavy for the overhead and made me check it as an extra bag. On the return, Qantas was going to charge me again, but this time I was ready, explained about it being loaded with camera gear and some other lies I'm too emabarrased to admit to here, they still made me check the bag but didn't charge me.

In future, if I were with another person, I'd have them watch my carry on while I checked in and then get it back from them afterwards.

 

Rand

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You didn't use that "I'm a Priest" line again did you? I'm kidding.

more and more airlines are getting stricter about applying the rules that are already in place for years on weight limits for carry ons.

for example, a colleague of mine flies emirates a lot, and they are very strict.

However, I usually fly KLM/Air-France and have not yet gotten any comment if I check in 10 kg's overweight (without the 20kg backpack...)

CX is sometimes fanatical that your biggest carry-on fits their template. But soft sided bags usually go through because they look "squishable"

Roller bags have caused problems with my other dive companions.

stu

I fly in all kinds of airlines (although never Cathay) and they all have the 15 pounds limit, but they never check it. I wouldn't worry. If you are still worried, just keep the back pack on your back or on the floor close to your feet in the counter and outside their view. I bet they won't check the weight. They will only make you check stuff in if it doesn't fit in the cabin.

 

Luiz

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Luiz,

I fly Cathay all the time, and have been doing so for more than 20 years. CP used to be a great airline, but they're not any more. You're right that Cathay is usually reasonable about carry-on bags (but the airport authorities in HK aren't - see below!). CP is very strict on the checked bag weight allowance. If you're more than a few pounds over, you will pay. (I had to pay over HK$1200 (about US$160) when I flew back from HK to Bali two weeks ago.)

More important, if you're routing through Hong Kong (i.e., leaving the airport and rechecking in - not just transiting between flights), the airport people will not allow you to carry more than one carry-on unless you have a business or first class boarding pass or a special tag issued by Cathay, which Cathay usually will not give you. HK Int'l is the only airport in the region that does this, and it's infuriating. (You're probably ok if you're just transiting.) The only way I've been able to finess this is to split up cameras and lenses in both carry-ons (my Lowepro back pack and a second carry-on, a Pelican case that just fits the dimensions limit rack at the airport). If you show the people at the entrance to the immigration area that you have cameras/lenses in both carry-ons, and provided the bags aren't too big, they might give you a pass, but there's no guarantee. (That's why my second bag is a Pelican, which can be checked if necessary. But keep in mind that if the airport people insist that the second carry-on be checked, Cathay can and usually will charge you for the additional checked piece and its weight.)

One more thing, if your Cathay ticket is part of an multiple international ticket which includes an origin in the US (and maybe Europe, I'm not sure), then they are supposed to give you a 20 kg weight allowance, not 15, and that usually means you can get by with 25 kg in practice. The 15 kg limit only applies to tickets covering journeys with one or more legs entirely within the Asian region.

I hate flying, hate airlines. But if I have the choice, I much prefer to deal with problems like these on Singapore Air than CP.

Frogfish

Qantas are also enforcing a strict weight and piece policy policy at the moment.

I haven't had as much trouble with carry on as I have had with attitude from inflexible / tired check in clerks - although I now leave my "heavy" carry on with some one else as I navigate the check in and then the excess baggage counter. ( I average 40kgs excess each trip ).

It really pays to know your ticket / frequent flyer frequent flyer allowances - sometimes the cheap ticket + baggage costs more than a more expensive /flexible ticket.

My 2 cents

What pmooney says is very true, particuarly on tough airlines (like Cathay) out of some airports (like Hong Kong) where checked luggage weight and carry-on limitations are rigidly enforced for economy class passengers.

I can think of at least four occasions in the past five years when I've tried to travel on a cheap ticket, but was then hit with overweight charges so bad that it would have been cheaper to fly business. (On one of those occasions, I was able to pay cash on my card for the upgrade to business, twice the economy ticket price, but still worth it.

Frogfish