Unanswered questions about air travel...

[pinkpanther99]

Hi there

I hope this is the right forum and I hope that someone knows the answer.

I saw in the news earlier this week that THAI are about to offer 10kg extra baggage allowance but in reality, how is this even possible?

I mean, if all passengers take up the additional allowance, then the aircraft will have to take more fuel, and find additional space for baggage?

How does this work?

It's not like they can just strap on a roof rack! Or take a few rows of seats out of the back of the plane and store the excess luggage there.

Or is it that all airlines have a certain mount of free space on the plane anyway?

Also, the cost involved for this, extra fuel etc will obviously be passed onto the customers at some point, right? So is this whole additional baggage allowance thing just clever marketing and an indirect way of raising prices, if you see what I mean?

My second question takes a bit of a darker twist.

When someone dies overseas and their body is flown back home, how exaclty is the body flown home? Are there special planes for this kind of thing (i doubt it) or is their coffin just lobbed in with the regular luggage and everything else on say some random British Airways flight?

OK, I'm not losing any sleep over these but I would just be interested to know!

Also share any other air travel related mysteries below!

[tomyumchai]

based on enquiries on thai flights V EVA flights to BKK (they both leave around 30 minutes apart from Heathrow) id say thai airways have been getting the extra fuel cost of 30kg of luggage for the actual allowance of 20kg for over a decade already........and on planes that are older than most of the passengers.

i have a certificate from the coroners office to fly my 'ol mans remains on an aircraft, should i feel the need to take him with me some time but it does state on the itineary that human remains are not allowed (maybe unless they have a certificate?)

[ezzra]

Thai are flying at load factor of 60-70% meaning they have the capacity to load more luggage,

the flight never gets over booked as far as weights concern, these are very precise calculations

to be under take of weight limits, so yes, they might have to take on more fuel but it's all in

the calculations..

As for ferrying a deceased person, they do it in the cargo hold where the coffin or body container

will be placed and transferred to an ambulance on arrival...

[JacChang]

Commercial airlines are not only carrying passengers, and with the outlook on Thai's business, the airplane is barely full.

To answer your question, even if passengers were fully occupied, the bottom space is not only for passenger's luggage. Below the seats reveal another business, cargo. Whatever is left, will be stuffed there to make it "full".

With Thai's current situation, they have a lot of space left and can take the extra kgs, and it's a good promotional campaign, since it's a freebie anyways. But it will win them an advantage over other airlines, where they can not usually offer, because they are "fully utilized" already.

So no, it will not go over the limit. Thai is just increasing their efficiency which would otherwise be free space and weight anyways.

[Suradit69]

From a 7 year old article:

If you die during a flight, you may get a free upgrade:

It happens more than you think, and last week it happened again, when accounts emerged of the death of an elderly woman on a British Airways flight between Delhi and Heathrow. Cabin staff carried the deceased woman from economy, which was full, to first class, where the body was kept, propped on a seat with pillows, for the remaining five hours of the flight.

Repatriation is not cheap either. Charges vary, but the FCO quotes £1,250 from France, approximately £1,700 from the US, £1,900-£2,500 from Australia and £2,200 from Thailand.

On top of this are the local funeral directors' fees, mortuary fees, air-cargo charges and administrative costs, as well as the hotel bill and other costs incurred while arranging for the body to be brought back. Local British consulates will help with arrangements and assist those affected to contact friends and relatives in Britain, but they will not pay the bills.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/740629/The-last-journey.html

[jpinx]

The calculation is made on seats booked x passenger weight + hand bags plus checked in bags (people rarely reach the allowed weight) plus cargo. Obviously there is a balance to be struck between passengers and cargo.

The weight is carefully controlled, but the volume of passenger numbers x hand baggage allowance of 25 x 45 x 55 cms (depending on the airline) is far in excess of the volume of the over head bins.

[pinkpanther99]

Thanks for your replies.

You learn something new everyday!

[Max in Udon]

Speaking as a retired funeral director from the UK..........a deceased person is repatriated to their own country by normal frieght cargo. However, the body needs to be hermetically sealed within the coffin, because of the pressure differentials in flight. The cargo hold is not usually pressurised. The usual way to hermetically seal a coffin is with a zinc liner within the coffin. Zinc is a lot lighter, and therefore cheaper than lead. The cost of the air frieght is based purely on weight.........how many kilogrammes. Different airlines charge different rates.

Obviously arrangements need to be made with a funeral director in the receiving country to receive the said coffin at the airport.

It would be a very good idea to have the body embalmed before shipping, but I have no idea what standards embalming is in Thailand. However, if there were suspicious circumstances concerning the death, then the family might want an independant post mortem examination, in which case, embalming should not be performed.

[Andre0720]

Just being fair.

Asians can carry additional weight in luggage.

Farangs carry additional weight on their belly.

[GOLDBUGGY]

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Thai are flying at load factor of 60-70% meaning they have the capacity to load more luggage,

the flight never gets over booked as far as weights concern, these are very precise calculations

to be under take of weight limits, so yes, they might have to take on more fuel but it's all in

the calculations..

As for ferrying a deceased person, they do it in the cargo hold where the coffin or body container

will be placed and transferred to an ambulance on arrival...

Nice to know but I decided that my remains are going to stay in a Buddhist Temple in Thailand because..... that is one piece of land that I can actually own here that doesn't require 51% Thai Ownership, and which I don't need to worry about getting kicked off my property later, and.....and.......and......... I hate flying!

Even when I am able to lie down like in Business Class.

[iamariva1957]

To answer your second question first... Body Containers as they are sometimes called are transported to the aircraft by themselves and then loaded into the forward (usually, depending upon the type of aircraft) cargo hold. They are not crammed in with the luggage. Most aircraft and airlines make a good deal of money shipping general cargo along with mail, Embassy mail bags, aircraft parts, etc. However there are certain regulations regarding the container that have to be followed and that the funeral people will know about and will cost a bit more (as it has to be sealed and of a certain construction). Remember that you are shipping a body back... you are repatriating the body of someone.

You will need a certificate and documents for the transportation of all human remains as well as need to make arrangements with the carrier at a cost to you (sounds cold, but this cost can very easily be determined by the weight and dimensions, just as in the case of general cargo). But each airline has is own regulations so you will need to check with them.

As far as your first question... I have no idea. But if it gets rid of those that insist on bring on-board in the cabin all their luggage and stuffing it into the over-head above my seat... I do not care what 'extra' I might have to pay for the increased fuel costs!.

[tartempion]

Airlines like Etihad, Qatar, Emirates have been offering 30Kgs in economy and 40 in business class for years now. Finair and maybe some others even allow 3x32kgs bags flying business.

Airlines allow their frequent flyers also additional weight based on status (silver, gold, platinum like +10, +15, +20 kgs.

[TomThailand]

Airlines like Etihad, Qatar, Emirates have been offering 30Kgs in economy and 40 in business class for years now. Finair and maybe some others even allow 3x32kgs bags flying business.

Airlines allow their frequent flyers also additional weight based on status (silver, gold, platinum like +10, +15, +20 kgs.

Spot on.

TG are way behind the curve.

I fly alternate months between LHR and BKK with Emirates on economy - typically £500 return.

I have Emirates "silver" card status so I get an additional 12kg on top of the normal 30kg economy luggage allowance. I get access to the Business Lounge at DXB which gives me the chance for a shower, shave, pretty decent meal and a few beers for the couple of hours between the 6.5 hour legs LHR/DXB and DXB/LHR. I have also had unexpected upgrades to Business class on the wonderful A380 to BKK. Beats 13 hours in economy on a non-stop TG, BR or BA flight. I'll not be going back to TG.

Edited September 26, 2014 by TomThailand

[el jefe]

CX already allows 46kg of baggage in coach on trans-Pacific flights so Thai's bonus is no big deal.

Also, most airlines have part of the cargo hold pressurized, probably to the same as the passenger cabin (usually the equaivalent to 2,000 - 2,500 meters above sea level). It would be impossible to ship some types of cargo and baggage, like pets, unless it was pressurized. That's one reason why there is an extra fee for those items.

[Gerard052]

From a 7 year old article:

If you die during a flight, you may get a free upgrade:

It happens more than you think, and last week it happened again, when accounts emerged of the death of an elderly woman on a British Airways flight between Delhi and Heathrow. Cabin staff carried the deceased woman from economy, which was full, to first class, where the body was kept, propped on a seat with pillows, for the remaining five hours of the flight.

Repatriation is not cheap either. Charges vary, but the FCO quotes £1,250 from France, approximately £1,700 from the US, £1,900-£2,500 from Australia and £2,200 from Thailand.

On top of this are the local funeral directors' fees, mortuary fees, air-cargo charges and administrative costs, as well as the hotel bill and other costs incurred while arranging for the body to be brought back. Local British consulates will help with arrangements and assist those affected to contact friends and relatives in Britain, but they will not pay the bills.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/740629/The-last-journey.html

I am from Canada and a few years ago I took an insurance with the funeral home where I made the arrangements and they will repat my body from anywhere in the world. I didn't want my brothers or sisters to be stuck with the problem, they take care of everything.

[xen]

I flew Thai a few weeks ago . The travel agent told me 30 kg but the website said 20 kg . I went over the 20 kg by a few kilos and at check in they said it was okay. Having flown with Thai i know a lot of rules are made up as they go especially if you are with Thais you can get a better deal and rules bent. I think they also being competive with Emirates and Qantas who all have 30 kg luggage limit in economy.

[jacko45k]

based on enquiries on thai flights V EVA flights to BKK (they both leave around 30 minutes apart from Heathrow) id say thai airways have been getting the extra fuel cost of 30kg of luggage for the actual allowance of 20kg for over a decade already........and on planes that are older than most of the passengers.

i have a certificate from the coroners office to fly my 'ol mans remains on an aircraft, should i feel the need to take him with me some time but it does state on the itineary that human remains are not allowed (maybe unless they have a certificate?)

I do hope you are talking ashes here!

[dean008]

I honestly think few passengers would want to take 30kg of baggage with them on a flight, I know I wouldn't

[KhnomKhnom]

"Living" vampires air travel is by sealed coffins as seen on television in show TRUE BLOOD.

They book into a hotel that is sealed from sunlight.

That is in Dallas anyway.

[ToddinChonburi]

Have you been on an international flight ? they bring as much crap on the plane that they can carry. USA to Japan is terrible.

[khaosai]

Hi,

The effect of more baggage being loaded onto a large aircraft will vary. If 400 passengers each carry 10kg more baggage then the fuel burn increase may be approx 300kg on a short flight and approx 3000kg on a longer range flight. Cost and payload will become a factor.

A deceased person will be repatriated on passenger aircraft. On large commercial aircraft the holds are all pressurised. Some holds also allow temperature control.

Some airlines will carry a mortality kit onboard to cover a death that occurred in the cabin when in flight. The body will then be placed somewhere appropriate. That may be the galley, emergency exit during cruise or a passenger seat. All of this will be done with as much dignity as possible.