BA allowances..

Hi all,

I'm off on a filming / research trip to the canaries on Saturday and just rang BA to check my 'checked bag' allowances..:

1 x bag up to 23kg (new policy)... But up until Sept they are still allowing 32kg to get people used to the changes...COOL.

Sport diving equipment (list on website) another bag, free of charge, up to 32kg.

So in my terms..Thats two of the buggers up to 64kg...NICE !!!

I will try and fit my camera gear into the dive bag..

Even when this drops to two bags up to 46kg it should still be pretty good. Good ol EVO..

Dive safe

DeanB

HI Dean,

Be aware of the H&S in that they only will lift up to 25KGs, I have seen people

refused & have to buy extra bags, then being charged. I am off to the Red Sea on

Alex's workshop again this year flying with BA & have been told you can have bags up to

23KGsX2 (1 sports) & as long as you can lift your hand luggage in to the overhead lockers

it will be OK. But I am still only going to take what I need. As for hand luggage 10Kgs will

be enough. I hope you have a great trip & this is just a word of warning!!

Andy

But up until Sept they are still allowing 32kg to get people used to the changes...COOL.

The timing you referred to doesn't seem to have been communicated to the ground staff at the airport. I was at Heathrow last month and the they were enforcing the 23kg already. My bag was 25 kg and they made me take things out and check in a second bag.

Jing

Cheers for the advice guys..

Will watch my weight... No Fatboy jokes please..

Dive safe

DeanB

The British charter airlines, which we often have to use for the Red Sea, are getting tighter. I'm flying to Egypt on Sunday and Thompsonfly are stating 20kg plus 5kg hand luggage. Their list of sports equipment doesn't include diving kit! I shall have to start using a golf bag I am reassured by the travel agent that they will allow an extra 5kg on production of a PADI card It used to be an extra 10kg.

Looks like I shall have to stuff the old photographers jacket again, wear 3 "T" shirts, shorts and swimmers. Anyone tried wearing their BC - it would play havoc with the X-ray machine! You feel a bit of an idiot wearing fins in the departure lounge.

I shall have to be even more innovative once Amphibico come up trumps.

Enjoy the Canaries Dean.

Roger

Cheers Roger,

A girl from our old dive club wore her BCD on a flight once, very odd looks but she was o.k... Just remember to take off the tank strap.

Dive safe

DeanB

I've got some great images of everyone walking around departure lounges with SCUBA gear on!!!!

But as jing said the ground staff aren't really paying much attention to this. I flew BA in March and I had to 'reason' with them for the extra allowance. Best bet is to get it in writing....

Then all you have to worry about is them trashing it, leaving it behind or sending it to the other side of the world!

Jon

I've got some great images of everyone walking around departure lounges with SCUBA gear on!!!!

Trust me I weigh in at 75kilos and the wife at 50 kilos.

Seems that the baggage allowance certainly shold account for that but I do have a contingency plan to wear my BC and backplate (complete w/ SS buckles) if anyone gives me any grief about the carry on weight.

It will be really interesting to get a shot of me with my Photo vest loaded up with all my lenses, a BC on and a housed camera around my neck.

I can't think of any violation there can you??

Might as well go all the way, wear the mask and have your regulator attached to a tank. That way you're covered if the tuburculous guy decides to fly around the world again.

Anyone tried wearing their BC - it would play havoc with the X-ray machine! Roger

Yes, I have!

In March I flew XL from Bristol to Sharm. I had the 'check-in girl from hell', initially she was fine & then for some reason she just turned officious and started giving me a real hard time over my excess baggage weight. It got so bad that she refused to allow me the extra 10Kg 'divers allowance' because I didn't have my certification card to show her, despite my case being open & all my dive kit visible..... So I took my BC out of the case (along with it's pony bottle!) and wore it, as well as putting lenses in my pockets.

I had to take it off for the security scanner, but nothing was said about my 'attire' when I boarded the plane.

On my last two trips I have taken my Amphibico Phenom and Z1 as hand luggage.

Is that a camera sir? Yep. It looks light I guess . One trip was with Air France/Klm (business), the other with Thomas Cook (cattle).

The other trick is to use one of these small belt bags (fanny packs??). They can hold easily +10 KG if you load them with first stages, regulators, computers, bolt snaps.

The other trick is to use one of these small belt bags (fanny packs??).

for you Brits... these go on the backside

What about carry on allowances?

Is Heathrow still enforcing a one carry-on only rule, like they were when I flew through there in April?

What about carry on allowances?

Is Heathrow still enforcing a one carry-on only rule, like they were when I flew through there in April?

definitely yes. checking sizes as well. if you have a coat or handbag, those must fit inside the carry on too. i guess fanny packs with regulators won't work unless it is the only carry on.

definitely yes. checking sizes as well. if you have a coat or handbag, those must fit inside the carry on too. i guess fanny packs with regulators won't work unless it is the only carry on.

I normally put the fanny pack under my coat. I have never been asked to take of my coat at check in.

Coat in carry-on??? You are joking, right? What's next, your shoes as well.

I normally put the fanny pack under my coat. I have never been asked to take of my coat at check in.

Coat in carry-on??? You are joking, right? What's next, your shoes as well.

Didn't you know? Soon we'll all be flying naked.

Heathrow was a nightmare when I was there just a month ago. Fanny packs, coats etc all needs to fit into the single carry on. Computers, shoes, mobile phones, PDAs all need to be taken out and put through the x-ray machine outside of the bag. I was transferring from Terminal 4 to Terminal 1 and it took me 70 minutes of queuing to get through. This is what BAA says:

"Passengers are allowed to carry ONE item of hand baggage.....Other bags, such as handbags, may be carried WITHIN the single item of cabin baggage, NOT IN ADDITION...... All items ...... will be X-ray screened....... all laptops and large electrical items must be removed from the bag and placed in a separate tray"

Should be fun trying to wear a BCD and a fanny pack of regulators through security

I have flown through heathrow on several occasions in the last year - it being my local airport.

I have worn a coat on most of these trips and I can confirm that I have never been asked or seen anyone asked to ensure that it fit within hand luggage.

The UK hand luggage rules can be referenced at this link

BAA Security Restrictions

All items of hand baggage must fit into a single bag. Interestingly the max bag size is bigger than that allowed by some airlines (Singapore for example).

You must however place coats through the xray machine and sometimes but not always shoes.

The link does not work. But it seems like it is not a joke. I think I'm going to stick to normal airports like Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris or Dusseldorf. All within two hours from where I live.

Link works for me but all info on heathrow security is at www.heathrowairport.com

Look on the bright side early July last year they weren't allowing any hand luggage, not even a book !