Uk Excess Baggage Warning To The Uk

[bsacbob]

hi guy's

Just thought i would post this in the event any of you are planning a trip to the UK to pick up any goodies to bring back to the LOS, Manchester airport (i am sure others will do the same) now have a policy to weigh all bags, including carry on hand bags before you check in.

Be warned they are charging £38 per kg, which you have to pay before you are able to check in, a couple in front of me showed 20kg over, no surprise the lady (a thai girl) just ditched half of her belongings right in the middle of departures rather than paying the excess charge.

what a lovely country.

Edited November 21, 2008 by bsacbob

[wileycoyote]

Which airline ?

[bsacbob]

It was with Etihad, but according to the girls at check in, most of the majors are falling in line to help relieve you of your cash.

[endure]

Did she not see the baggage allowance printed on her ticket and as part of the contract she undertook when she purchased her ticket? If so, why does she believe that the conditions don't actually apply to her? And what does it have to do with England as a country?

[kingwillly]

Did she not see the baggage allowance printed on her ticket and as part of the contract she undertook when she purchased her ticket? If so, why does she believe that the conditions don't actually apply to her?

What, and you've never carried more than you were allowed? you always stuck strictly to the carry on limits?

[endure]

If I ever carried more than I was allowed, which I very rarely have done, and I were to be discovered I'd do what I always do. Take responsibility. Accept the fact that I'd been caught and stump up the extra cash without moaning about it as though it was someone/anyone else's fault other than my own.

[chiang mai]

My first flight from the UK to the US was in 1970 with Pan Am and the (one year) ticket cost £280 return. The baggage allowance then was around what it is today and excess was charged similarly. Being a student who was emigrating I was poor and did exactly the same thing as the couple mentioned earlier, dumped loads of clothes and books in a pile on the floor near check in until I got within range of my allowance and the check in lady took pity on me. Some things never change except today it is doubtful if the check in person would take pity, plus the traveler would likely get slapped with a fine for littering or receive an ASBO.

Edited November 23, 2008 by chiang mai

[sceadugenga]

I've abused the system shamelessly for as long as I have been traveling. I have this totally horrified, shattered, dumb expression I reserve for check in attendants when that outraged look appears on their faces.

My record for a check in bag is 36kg at Adelaide Airport where the attendant refused to check it in so I left, took out 4kg in books, (friends were waiting to see me off) and returned with 32 kg which they accepted. On that flight I also had a carry on bag with all the "heavy" stuff in it that must have totaled 15 kg plus a George Foreman Health Grill in a large shopping bag.

I've found that Singapore Airlines is the most tolerant in this regard.

[Ricardo]

Etihad have, until very recently, had a reputation for being somewhat more generous on weight, than airlines like Qatar or BA, for example. So this shock may be connected more to a change-of-previous-policy.

Thai were always very generous too ... so they ought to be, at those prices !

If this is an airport policy, rather than airline-related, perhaps one might discretely add a few extra items to the carry-on, after check-in ?

Sad also that Sainsbury's & Tesco & Lidl don't have outlets in Duty-Free, or one could stock-up on lime-marmalade & cheese & Xmas-foods after check-in & airport-security. Munch munch !

[dee123]

while most people were making their fortune buying and selling cheap electrical gear and lacoste T shirts .. my time was spent in the Telly Tubby - Banana trade

Edited November 24, 2008 by dee123

[englishoak]

I travelled from london heathrow last year and a man was being told in front of us he would have to pay XXX for being 10kg over. He was most annoyed and pointed out the man before him weighed at least 30 kg more than him ( body weight ) so whats the charge for him being a fat ^&*&%$£.

I thought it a very sound point myself but of course it did him no good. I've often thought the same as my wife is only a little over 45kg yet regularly see others 3x her weight travelling with the same allowance. Just seems wrong to me. Also if anyone has sat next to a overly large person on a plane they will know it feels like they are being squashed. Very uncomfortable on a long haul.

Sorry if I have offended anyone btw.

[davee58]

hi guy's

Just thought i would post this in the event any of you are planning a trip to the UK to pick up any goodies to bring back to the LOS, Manchester airport (i am sure others will do the same) now have a policy to weigh all bags, including carry on hand bags before you check in.

Be warned they are charging £38 per kg, which you have to pay before you are able to check in, a couple in front of me showed 20kg over, no surprise the lady (a thai girl) just ditched half of her belongings right in the middle of departures rather than paying the excess charge.

what a lovely country.

er... Am I missing something.

Policy for airlines is generally 20Kg check in, plus 7Kg (or 9Kg) carry on for Economy, some airlines differ slightly, and normally they turn a blind eye to a couple of kilo over.

These limits are normally printed on the ticket or in the T&C, excess charges are made available on the net.

Obviously if people abuse the system by taking 20Kg over the limit, it stuffs things up for everybody else, and everybodys bags get weighed. Why did they take things they did not need, (they ditched it).

Stay within the limits, or don't exceed by too much, smile and be polite, and you will be OK.

Nothing to do with the country, though I agree that the UK has lost the plot.

[bracken]

I have flown twice from Manchester in the last 2 weeks, once with Lufthansa and once with KLM, both times i was carrying a toolbox which weighed which weighed 36kgs plus clothing and never had a problem. Maybe it is Etihads policy now they have started getting a bit more popular