Luggage allowance exceeded - a small victory

That'd be discrimination against big people. Can you imagine paying full fare for a kid over 2? That's ludicrous but a seat is a seat.

what is the age limit for free kid travel. I thought they only flew free if they were going to be on someones lap up until a certain age and then they do have to pay full fair. i dont have kids so am not 100% sure but i have heard my friends moaning about it. Personally i think kids prices should be trebled for under 2's. There might be less on planes in future. I always seem to get a seat in front of the screamers.

Look at it this way. You are buying a ticket for a seat on the plane. So if you weigh 80 or 180kg, if you can fit in the seat without hindering others, it's yours. The cabin luggage weight limit is for safety in case of a crash or turbulence etc. Checked luggage is weighed because it's considered cargo. Different pricing altogether.

I have sat next to a few BIG people on planes and they take up more than just the width of their seat so they should have to pay for 2 seats. It might be called discrimination, but i dont care. Paying for a seat and only getting 3/4's of it isnt right either, which is what has happend to me before.. If the world we lived in was not so bl00dy PC things might change.

some airlines dont weigh your hand luggage and there is no limit, as long as it is within the size limit.

Stew

I don't feel too guilty about trying to sneak a few extra kilos through. After all, they'll let you onto a 'plane with as much duty free as you can carry, but then that's profitable weight...

I don't feel too guilty about trying to sneak a few extra kilos through. After all, they'll let you onto a 'plane with as much duty free as you can carry, but then that's profitable weight...

Profitable for who ? Not the airline, they would prefer that you hit the duty free on board the plane.

So why do the airlines tolerate bags of duty free ?

Maybe it is just a 'not rocking the boat situation' or maybe we are just the ugly, dozy, fat wildebeest travelling through the pack of predators on our annual migration and there is tolerance and respect between predators!

Paul C

Profitable for who ? Not the airline, they would prefer that you hit the duty free on board the plane.

 

So why do the airlines tolerate bags of duty free ?

 

Maybe it is just a 'not rocking the boat situation' or maybe we are just the ugly, dozy, fat wildebeest travelling through the pack of predators on our annual migration and there is tolerance and respect between predators!

 

Paul C

Yup, if you're spending money on your journey, they like you because you're supporting the whole economic edifice of air travel. If you buy something in that departure lounge, it's going on the 'plane. The airlines need to maintain good working relations with the airports, as they are inter-dependent, not that that stops them trying to flog their own tat once you're on board. And of course that comes as a brutal irony for the traveller trying to get his camera kit on board - 'Sorry sir, there's no space for your belongings because we've filled the holds with Toblerone and scale models of the aircraft.'

Still, it's all part of the deal you sign up to when you buy your ticket, and rules is rules. I think the best advice is to do your homework and be aware of the airline's exact policy. You'd be amazed how many check-in clerks are unaware of sports allowances and other fillips to the travelling wildebeest.

I saw some guy the other day with a photographers vest...you know the one with giant pockets front back and rear. He was so packed I thought he looked like a military guy with his vest on!!! I had to laugh.

I'm going the same way but once I find the right vest I'm going to add matching cargo pants so as I can carry more stuff with me.

I'm going the same way but once I find the right vest I'm going to add matching cargo pants so as I can carry more stuff with me.

I wear them tooooooo LOL

I will get Louise to take a photo of me when I go to the airport in a few weeks time and will post.

Stew

I disagree because different companies with the same airplanes allow for different cabin luggage, so it doesn´t seem like a safety matter... About checked luggage, there are always many travellers that don´t reach their limit, so I think it would be fair to allow others use those extra kilos...

It's precisely the different enforcement that is causing the majority of the problems. A few US airlines allow up to 40lbs for cabin luggage. Virgin Atlantic allows 12kg with 16kg total for 2 bags... confused yet? UAL doesn't even have a weight requirement as long as it fits within the dimensions BUT:

may be required to travel as checked baggage if the bag cannot be safely stowed on a particular flight.

Airplanes don't make that distinction. The cabins have a weight rating written right there. Probably 50% under for safety but it's still there. The reason why some airports enforce more than others is due to public safety issues in the country. I routinely got stopped by Oz airport staff only to be waved on by airline staff, who have to OK it.

what is the age limit for free kid travel. I thought they only flew free if they were going to be on someones lap up until a certain age and then they do have to pay full fair. i dont have kids so am not 100% sure but i have heard my friends moaning about it. Personally i think kids prices should be trebled for under 2's. There might be less on planes in future. I always seem to get a seat in front of the screamers.

Free travel is under 2. Child economy tix from 2-11 usually around 20% less than adult fare but you get less luggage allowance and crappier meal , except biz class where it's full fare.

Free travel is under 2. Child economy tix from 2-11 usually around 20% less than adult fare but you get less luggage allowance and crappier meal , except biz class where it's full fare.

Crappier meal, jesus christ that must be hard work trying to make something that is worse than the usual fayre, especially if you are on a british carrier.

Stew

Crappier meal, jesus christ that must be hard work trying to make something that is worse than the usual fayre, especially if you are on a british carrier.

Quite right Stu - I really wish that they would give up the whole 'meal' farce and :-

1: Sell decent sandwiches.

2: Give the saving to charity (not going to happen)

3: Drop the fare (not going to happen)

Give the rubber chicken a rest!

Paul C

Crappier meal, jesus christ that must be hard work trying to make something that is worse than the usual fayre, especially if you are on a british carrier.

LMAO!

Comment from a passenger on a Virgin Blue flight that I was on here in Oz - "You mean we have to pay extra to be poisoned now!?"

This thread really made me laugh. Thanks! Now I gotta ask Santa for a Photo Vest, Cargo Pants, and a new regulator necklace. Wonder what I can wear for ear rings?

It seems Bali airport is bloody notorious, even for me Indonesian living in Singapore was not spared. Here is my story like what I wrote in FiNS:

Me & wife carried 2 suitcases; one for my diving gear and one for clothing. On the Singapore - Bali leg there weren't any hiccups my diving bag is ~30 kg and my suitcase is ~13kg we bought bagage allowance 2 x 15 kg and we paid additional S$25 in the airport for another 15 kg for sport gear handling. So total we got 45 kg allowance and our bags actual weight is ~43 kg. We are happy starting our trip and quite impressed with AirAsia, this is my 2nd time using AirAsia and first time for my wife.

On the return leg, we felt that our bagage weight is going to be a problem due to wet gear and some items we bought in Bali. So we decided the day before departure to do online check-in in Airasia and paid additional weight allowance. So we have total 35 kg allowance. When we check-n in Bali for the flight we have diving bag at 31 kg and 22 kg suitcase, what shock us is the the guest service is counting that we excess sport gear allwance by 16 kg!!!! after we paip Rp. 150k for 15 kg sport gear (mind my diving gear bag is 31kg)

Damn pissed off and queue behind us quite long and it 5 am

He mentioned that dive gear/sport gear can't be count as normal bagage. Based on my normal calculation I have 35 kg allowance + 15 kg sport gear at Rp. 150k = 50 kg and our 2 bags total weight is 53 kg, we only have excess 3 kg that we are happy to pay.

We almost bang table on check in counter and no manager on duty and we are cornered, we have to pay this bloody excess close to S$150 (USD 120). To cut short, I just note the name of the person on the counter and I made report in AirAsia counter in Terminal 1 when we landed in Changi and they confirm we only have excess 3 kg not 16 kg, so we lodged official complaint. So guys just beware if you facing this problem, me & wife was so angry and I will not let this go if no reply I will write to ST forum or to Kompas in Indonesia.

The war still not end yet we are waiting for Airasia it takes bloody 14 days to respond.

I'm currently sat in a departure lounge reading this thread and coincidentally having just had to transfer lenses, camera, etc into my Domke photographers vest; all in front of the check-in girl and with no concern on her part.

BUT the reason for posting is that since I sat down in the lounge a guy come up to me, mentioned he'd seen my interaction at the desk and suggested I take a look at this: http://www.stealth-gear.com/

He was wearing the Stealth Gear jacket and trousers and proceeded to show me how much he had in them:

D3,

full-size laptop,

very thick bird-watching books,

full size binoculars,

4-5 lenses,

big bottles of water,

...... it was like watching a magician!!!

Despite all the above, he looked no more bulkier than if the clothing hadn't any items in, quite a feat.

I'm going to investigate further when I'm back to the UK.

R

I take my padded pocket weightbelt on all trips - I might have to wear it and stuff the pockets full of small pieces of gear.