Watch Your Weight On Qatar Airways

[andy1308]

Not for the first time Qatar Airways was strictly enforcing its 20kgs allowance for economy passengers yesterday. I was under but around 10 people checking-in before me were either being charged excess or having to ditch some of their luggage to meet the weight. One I saw was 26kgs so you don't have to be too much over to suffer. This was for a flight from Bangkok to Doha with many Europeans heading home.

I know Qatar can be at the cheaper end, certainly on the London-Bangkok route but just be aware they are one of the airlines in my own experience that do strictly enforce baggage allowances.

[Shrubbery]

With the increase in fuel and landing fees at some airports I have a feeling that other airlines may well start clamping down on passengers over the 20kg limit.

I am the first to admit I am very rarely less than 24/25 kg but I always ensure I am polite and courteous towards to check-in staff. So far so good.

[PhilHarries]

Last year, first time in 20 odd years of intensive international travel, I picked up a couple of excess baggage charges. KUL to LHR by Malaysian (boy do those guys know how to charge) and then BKK to DAD (Da Nang) PB Air.Funnily enough EVA from LHR to BKK, same baggage, didn't charge.

[torrenova]

I made an argument about the following situation:

Guy 120kg with luggage 20kg

Girl 50kg with luggage 30kg

The guy pays nothing but the girl pays for 10kg extra luggage.

I won an argument with JAL years ago with overweight luggage on the 25kg difference between my then wife and I. At some other desk, they wanted something like £25 per kg which was far more than I'd paid per kg to transport myself.

[onzestan]

Not for the first time Qatar Airways was strictly enforcing its 20kgs allowance for economy passengers yesterday. I was under but around 10 people checking-in before me were either being charged excess or having to ditch some of their luggage to meet the weight. One I saw was 26kgs so you don't have to be too much over to suffer. This was for a flight from Bangkok to Doha with many Europeans heading home.

I know Qatar can be at the cheaper end, certainly on the London-Bangkok route but just be aware they are one of the airlines in my own experience that do strictly enforce baggage allowances.

26 kilos total, that's 30 % over the allowance. I wonder how you can qualify this as only slightly over.

Anyway since it's well known that you can only bring 20 kilos why complain if the rule is enforced?

cheers

onzestan

[briley]

Although the site doesn't mention it any more if you join the Qatar Frequent flyer program you get a 30Kg allowance. You can join before your first flight, print out a card and immediately add your number to the booking.

Believe it is the same with most of the middle east airlines.

[ClaytonSeymour]

Although the site doesn't mention it any more if you join the Qatar Frequent flyer program you get a 30Kg allowance. You can join before your first flight, print out a card and immediately add your number to the booking. I certainly hope you're right; we joined their frequent flyer program prior to booking our flights to/from HKG. I'm sure it states that you have to achieve Burgundy status prior to acquiring the extra 10kg.

Believe it is the same with most of the middle east airlines. It certainly is with Gulf Air.

[offset]

Just been notified that the limit on Eva as been reduced to 23 kgs as from today

[apetley]

Although the site doesn't mention it any more if you join the Qatar Frequent flyer program you get a 30Kg allowance. You can join before your first flight, print out a card and immediately add your number to the booking. I certainly hope you're right; we joined their frequent flyer program prior to booking our flights to/from HKG. I'm sure it states that you have to achieve Burgundy status prior to acquiring the extra 10kg.

Believe it is the same with most of the middle east airlines. It certainly is with Gulf Air.

To get an extra 10k's of luggage you have to have Burgundy status ie 50pts.

A typical return flight between Bkk and London is already 80pts so I guess that is ok even if it's your first flight.

Worth checking with QA first though.

[Ricardo]

If you have to achieve Burgundy-status before you get the extra allowance, and your BKK-LHR/LGW/MAN only earns you 40 points, then you don't reach the magic point until part-way on your return-flight. As I found on my first trip with them !

So no, you certainly don't benefit from the FF-card, until your second trip, with Qatar Airways.

Fall back on the old routine, maximum books/CDs/heavy items in your shorts/jacket-pockets, also wear as many clothes as possible, to reduce the weight when checking-in. Buy sweeties & new-books & magazines at Duty-Free, not before check-in.

Also be aware that Qatar do very-often weigh your carry-on bag (just one allowed in economy), and are IME the strictest airline I've flown with over the past decade, they really don't give anything away ! And that the trolly-dollies in economy, on their pre-meal drinks-service, can give you a G&T or wine to go with your meal, but are not allowed to give both. Just the one drinks-run, by the way, on most flights. All in the interests of improved customer-satisfaction, they're really not cheap b*stards, it says so on their incessant adverts !

[londonthai]

air china gave me 30kg on the LHR-BKK route economy class, they checked in as well my oversized (and overweight) hand luggage. On my way back from BKK they tried to cut my allowance to 20kg, but I insisted and the shift menager let me through with 30kg. To avoid problems with a heavy hand luggage leave it on the trolley behind you, don't show it to them and don't weight.

BA gives 30kg on a direct flight