20 Kg?

[seanwg]

Hi

My wife is travelling back from BKK in a few days. She'll be flying Qatar Airways.

She has shopped and now has 1 20 KG bag, and another one weighing 32 KG. Qatars website says her limit is 20 kg.. but I can't understand is that PER bag or total. Anyone have experiencing flying Qatar?

My wife spoke to them and apparantly they are going to charge 1500 baht per kg extra, so thats like 40 kg * 1500 baht ~= 1500 US!! They agent / whatever she spoke to didn't know if it was per bag or what. If its 40 kg we have to pay, its more than her ticket!

The Qatar person told her they would then send it cargo.. but my wife is coming to a 3rd party country (Bermuda)... I laughed when she told me it would make it already here .. go Qatar to London then BA here. Funny enough BA from London to Bermuda allows 32 KG per bag

Anyone know?

Sean

[simey]

It's total, not per bag. Would not be a lot of point having a weight restriction per bag! When she checks in they may give her a freebie of a couple kilos, but that kind of excess will cost a lot of money. Might be cheaper to dump it, cargo it, or upgrade her to business class and get the higher limit.

[paulfr]

That does not sound right to me .... $1500.

I would check this myself with a phone call to Quatar.

I checked the website and it looks like a total of 20Kg for Economy Class.

That is 44 pounds. It also said any single piece above 32Kg has to go cargo or be repacked somehow. Looks like you will need to do cargo for that 2nd piece.

Edited May 19, 2005 by paulfr

[IMA_FARANG]

Hi

My wife is travelling back from BKK in a few days. She'll be flying Qatar Airways.

She has shopped and now has 1 20 KG bag, and another one weighing 32 KG. Qatars website says her limit is 20 kg.. but I can't understand is that PER bag or total. Anyone have experiencing flying Qatar?

My wife spoke to them and apparantly they are going to charge 1500 baht per kg extra, so thats like 40 kg * 1500 baht ~= 1500 US!! They agent / whatever she spoke to didn't know if it was per bag or what. If its 40 kg we have to pay, its more than her ticket!

The Qatar person told her they would then send it cargo.. but my wife is coming to a 3rd party country (Bermuda)... I laughed when she told me it would make it already here .. go Qatar to London then BA here. Funny enough BA from London to Bermuda allows 32 KG per bag

Anyone know?

The normal economy fare allows 20Kg for accompanied baggage. For anything over that it is charged at the excess baggage rate. The airline can charge 1% of first class fare for each kilo over the 20kg limit, so it can be VERY expensive.

The long haul flights are already loaded with passengers/baggage and have to watch the fuel load, so often they won't/can't give much of a break on pasenger baggage weight.

You might try upgrading to a business class ticket. That should give a 30Kg limit, and MAYBE a more relaxed attitude from the airline on excess weight. Of course, that costs more for the ticket. It might be cheaper than the excess baggage charges in the long run.

Some airlines have an "unaccompanied baggage" alternative for which baggage can be sent ahead and picked up by the owner later when the owner arrives. Not sure if Qatar allows this or not. Ask about it.

Bottom line...if you carry that much...you have to pay for it somehow.

[lopburi3]

International travel in or out of Asia is normally using the weight method and that is a total weight of baggage at 20kg for economy. The BA flight probably uses the normal North American standard of two checked bags but the 32kg per bag has been lowered by most US carriers and is now about 20kg as a "back saving measure for handlers". With all the fares these days don't know what method of overweight charge is used but believe it used to be 1 % of full first class fare per kilo (or pound?). Not cheap!

[maerim]

In the past with Emirates economy I have got away with 30 kg plus, both here in Thailand and in the UK.

I had to fly here at the New Year with Air France from Manchester UK my checked baggage was 30 kg and in the spirit of the season of goodwill to all men except me, they charged £25 a kilo extra, £250.

This I assume is 1 % per kilo of first class fare as I was bringing two small dogs here I had to check in again at Charles De Gaulle airport I noticed that other passengers were getting away with 10 kg excess and not being charged I did ask why and I got the very helpful shrug of the shoulders.

So all in all I wouldn't put a dog on that airline but I did two of 'em and not only that I put me on it as well.

Never again I would rather walk here.

[seanwg]

its crazy what they charge and get away with. 20 kg is hardly anything... so basically my wife is going to get stung with paying for a 32 KG bag. Crazy. I feel bad already for person at the qatar desk when she checks in!!! I hate airlines. Why can't they spell out on the ticket how much you can carry...

[lopburi3]

Baggage Allowance

First Class - 40 Kg

Business Class - 30 Kg

Economy Class - 20 Kg

Note: Any single piece of baggage weighing over 32kg must be repacked or sent as cargo.

Source Quatar Airlines website

[seanwg]

Interesting I just spoke to a Qatar airways person on the phone.. because we purchased a ticket with BA and BA allows 2 * 32 kg, Qatar does 2 * 32 as well. I hate airlines!!

We'll see what they say when she checks in!

[maerim]

One point that has not been made and I have never seen it questioned is the weight of the passenger.

Now you can have a 45 kilo woman with her 20 kg of baggage ane a fat sod of 140 kg with his ( or her if is she is from the states ) 20 kg of checked baggage am I missing something here?

[The_Other_Mac]

One point that has not been made and I have never seen it questioned is the weight of the passenger.

Now you can have a 45 kilo woman with her 20 kg of baggage ane a fat sod of 140 kg with his ( or her if is she is from the states ) 20 kg of checked baggage am I missing something here?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Being closer to the lower end of the scale, that's struck me before. People like me are the reason airlines are starting to put a limit on your handluggage.

But I'd like to see them try to put an upper limit on how much clothes I wear.

[Rinrada]

Never paid a penny/cent/baht/rial/kobo/dong/centavo/peso/lek/rupee/drach/franc..or Euro for excess baggage but then my toothbrush has never weighted very much.

Dont even bother about that anymore since its easier to just half inch a couple during thr flight.

K.W on the other hand..............

[slimdog]

If your wife is able to:

Join the Privelege Club of Qatar airlines prior to checking in. Even at the lowest cardholder "Burgandy" the airline will allow an additional 15kg free.

Details at:

http://www.qmiles.net/?burgundy

Enrol on-line at:

http://www.qmiles-enrolment.com/

Maybe of some help

[seanwg]

Cool she has that card. I'll tell her... these airlines are such a joke. Good to know all the little hints!

[a man with a plan]

I have an aussie friend who was going back to Australia after having lived here for a year. She had been collecting all these nice trinkets and the best souveniers for her family she could find. When she got to the airport she was over the limit, the extra weight fee was extortionate and she couldn't afford it - she called me in tears after having to go through all her stuff and throw away about fifty percent of it.

So, bottom line is you'd better find out the weight limit for sure.

[Axel]

Actually, I do wonder if this thread is serious.

The rules are very clear, as lopburi3 pointed out, 20/30/40 kg for economy/business and First Class respectively.

BTW, this is the overall weight incl. 1 bag to be carried by hand on board, but excl. reading material, walking stick, coat etc.

If North America is included on the trip the rules change to what is applicable there, i.e. 2 bags. (weight limitations are applied for safety/health reasons and overall mesurement of the bags is specified in the rules.)

North America includes Carribean, Canada, Mexio and the USA excl. Canal Zone.

Detailled rules for ex. here:

http://www.delta.com/pdfs/contract_of_carriage_intl.pdf

If I understand the OP correctly, the wife got 1 20 KG bag, and another one weighing 32 kgs and flies via Bermuda. Great this implicates 2 bags are allowed.

Although some carriers limit now to lower, 32 kgs (via North America) is the standard, every thing over 20 kgs will be labelled HEAVY, a warning to the handlers. So she might just get away.

Apply for a loyalty club card, you get some extra allowance and a friendlier service.

If the weight rule applies, one can use more than 2 bags, but the total must not exceed the limit whereby carry on board should not be more than 7 kilos for safety.

Having said all this, usually the check-in staff is not acting too wild. 1-2 kgs over for economy, "OK, but next time no", for business by an unpublished rule up to 8 kgs above 30 will be accepted by most airlines, but this rule is NOT enforcable. Of course, if somebody raises he*l at the counter you might meet a staff member who sticks to the rules.

BTW, I am not working for any airlines, just flying a lot.

[simple1]

Flying BKK - Syd unaccompanied baggage cost me around A$3/5 per kilo. Can't remember exact amount. Only hassle is sometimes the carrier is unable have the luggage loaded on your flight so you have to go to the airline cargo freight area to collect bag/s maybe 24/48 hours after you arrive at destination. Also you are obliged to complete various forms for Customs & their might be a long queue. It took me about 90 minutes to complete all the paperwork and hanging around waiting for my bags at the freoght terminal. Not fun!