Luggage Overwieght... How Do You Deal With It?

[oz457]

How hard I try to do my best, every time I'm leaving Thailand, the lady (man or ladyboy) behind the counter is telling me I have too much weight.

How do you deal/cope with it? Do you have some creative ideas besides stuffing all heavy things in your hand luggage?

[JAG]

not a solution but an observation. Last time I flew UK to Thailand with Air Asia my bag (15kg when I packed) was weighed 3 times. At Stanstead it was 14kg, at KL it was 17kg, and at BKK domestic check in it was 19kg! Air Asia bloke at BKK wanted to charge me excess. I always carry one of those little hand scale things in my hand luggage, so I weighed my bag in front of him (15kg), he shrugged, smiled, and passed it through!

[gotlost]

Do not buy so much.

[craigt3365]

How about we move this over to the travel forum?

[Jdietz]

Carry on it is, they seem very concerned if you're half a Kg over, but it never is a problem to carry with you on the plane:

- A laptop

- A golf bag

- A small suitcase filled with lead

- Numerous plastic bags filled to overflowing

- Books

Also wear two trousers, two shirts, a large jacket and fill the pockets with

- Your camera

- Mp3 player

- Phones

- Watches

Only real limit seems to be the strength of your backbone.

[gotlost]

I only take a small carry on. Just don't take all that shyt.

[gotlost]

Huuum. Same thread two different forums.

[jumpybongo]

Huuum. Same thread two different forums.

learn to read the baggage allowance for each airline.

can be v instructive.

or just man up and pay the excess if its sooooooooooooo important.

[endure]

Huuum. Same thread two different forums.

learn to read the baggage allowance for each airline.

can be v instructive.

or just man up and pay the excess if its sooooooooooooo important.

I didn't realise that being overweight on your baggage was an assertion of masculinity

[Ricardo]

Your frequent-flyer card is your friend, forget Google (!), it usually gets you an extra 5/10/15/20 kgs of hold-luggage ... so familiarise yourself with its terms !

Second bet is to travel on an airline which gives you extra hold-luggage (more than 20 kgs) anyway ? Currently including Emirates, Jet-Airways & Kingfisher, but there are sure to be more. And I'm assuming that the cash for an upgrade from Economy-class is a no-no !

I've also known wheelchair-passengers take a 15-kg carry-on, with Thai, rather than just the usual 7, but these things are not so reliable.

As to why-bother, there are many things which cannot be bought here, and many more where the price is 3-5 times the discount-supermarket farangland-price, some people don't mind paying over-the-odds, but some of us like to make the best of the situation when returning to home here in Thailand, and the row of eager welcoming family-faces at Arrivals, anxious to see what you've got for them this time, is your reward !

[garyh]

If you check the airlines website you will find they normally allow a number of things as carry on that is not weighed such as laptop computer, coat, reading material, camera and a hand bag if you are a woman.

[robblok]

Send some stuff by post ahead of yourself if you really want to carry a lot.

[jazzbo]

As JAG's post #2, it can help you pack and comes in handy at check-in ... the one I have is just a fishing scale good to 23 kg:

[thaimate]

Going to England no problem as i take v little but coming home to Thailand always overweight,just show my frequent flyer card on Eva ,works every time ,once got away with 34kg.

[clinique]

Some airlines also have "cargo" boxes - including Thai which you can use insteadof paying excess baggage. the cargo rate is much cheaper and using their boxes they fly with you on the same flight.just have to pick them up from the cargo desk on arrival.

Otherwise get a frequent flyer card,,, works everytime.

[oldsailor35]

Dont carry so much Kamagra home.

[Monokuro]

I think it might be down to how the staff are feeling on the day. I've never taken a suitcase back that was less than 30kg and never had to pay any excess.

I've once been stopped with a 36kg one - but was told I just needed to get it down to 34 as that is the max limit for one single item.

This is on Thai Airways.

[el jefe]

As several have said (and others continue to ignore), it all depends on the airline you choose to fly. Baggage allowances in coach can range from 46 kg on Cathay Pacific (even more if you fly often enough) to whatever you pay for on Air Asia. Check your carrier's website and be prepared to pay for excess baggage if you choose to take more than allowed.

[travelmann]

emirates 30kg frequent flyer 42 kg two suitcases allowed upgrade to business get another 10kg sometimes i can barely stagger out of the aiport with my bags!!

[jazzbo]

Some of those weight standards are not just for the aircraft loading but for worker safety regardless of what you think your VIP card should entitle you to carry... you lift yours just once -- they may work an 8-hour shift.

[siam2007]

oz457, from your ID I assume that your flights go to Australia.

In that case, as has been mentioned before, EMIRATES seems to be the best as they allow 30 KG checked-in.

with AirAsiaX you can add as much luggage as you want at quite reasonable rates (up to 30 KG as well).

[el jefe]

Some of those weight standards are not just for the aircraft loading but for worker safety regardless of what you think your VIP card should entitle you to carry... you lift yours just once -- they may work an 8-hour shift.

Last I checked, baggage handlers are getting paid to lift those bags. No one is forcing them to do it. And it's the passengers' that are paying them. If the airline says my wife and I can each bring 2 bags weighting 23kgs each, then I can do so without paying extra and without guilt.

[jazzbo]

The airlines generally say that each passenger can bring two-20kg bags on international flights ... biz and 1st class get higher weight restrictions ... With or without guilt it is no fun to stuck behind some jerk on the check-in line who has an overweight bag and wants to have it loaded on board without having to pay for the excess weight ... Your view on the condition of the modern labor force is most enlightened.

[Ricardo]

The airlines generally say that each passenger can bring two-20kg bags on international flights

I suspect that you're confusing flights to the USA (the 2-bags 'piece-concept' approach) and the rest-of-the-world (usually 20 kgs hold-luggage or 'weight limit' approach).

If only you were actually correct, that we could generally bring two bags, each with 20 kgs inside !

[zzaa09]

I only take a small carry on. Just don't take all that shyt.

That's where I'm at. A medium-sized carry on. This checking baggage becomes a hardship and a waste of time.

[jazzbo]

You are probably right. I am just a confused American and -- being a true American -- I could care less about the rest of the world... but you would be surprised for how many the 2 x 20 kg limit still is a crimp on their expectations as to the treatment to which they feel entitled.

[el jefe]

The airlines generally say that each passenger can bring two-20kg bags on international flights ... biz and 1st class get higher weight restrictions ... With or without guilt it is no fun to stuck behind some jerk on the check-in line who has an overweight bag and wants to have it loaded on board without having to pay for the excess weight ... Your view on the condition of the modern labor force is most enlightened.

I guess if you can't make a logical point, you'll make a different one.

Yes, I don't want to get stuck behind someone who wants to argue easy-to-find rules and fees.

But as for the weight limit, each airline sets its weight limit. There's absolutely no reason why I can't use every gram. You, otoh, are free to make all of your purchasing decisions based on corporate governance.

[PattayaParent]

Pack everything you think you'll need and then take half of it out.

You'll never be overweight.

[Mighty Mouse]

Fill your bag with helium balloons and float it on board.

[jazzbo]

from post #27 I guess if you can't make a logical point, you'll make a different one. Yes I have studied the works of Lewis Carroll (aka Professor Dodgson) to be so sublimely illogical. No problem using every gram available but several of the gents that preceded you expect to use quite a bit more.

All these comments remind me why I only make one long-haul trip per year ... and when I arrive the USA I just rent a car for 3 weeks.