*Actual* luggage weight limits

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744rules
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Post by 744rules »

DAT202D wrote:Anyone that can help me here?
I'm all packed to leave tomorrow (friday) with lufthansa to frankfurt, then with emirates to dubai, again emirates to bangkok..

My main baggage weights 27,5 kg... which i'm only allowed 20kg.. but i'll be going to Thailand for 12 months so I really hope I'll not be charged for this..

Anyone with advice? I do need all the stuff i'm taking :cry:

Also, if they let me through at BRU, will the luggage be reweight at FRA and Dubai? Or will it go directly on the planes heading for Bangkok?


Thanks for helping me out.. it's kinda urgent :p
normally your bags will be checked thru straight to your final destination, unless you travel on a standby ticket or a rebate ticket.
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Erna
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Post by Erna »

From a "female" (ahum) point of view: I am also leaving for Thailand on the 22nd for a 3 weeks stay, but can anybody tell me how on earth you can survive on only 20 (or even 25) kilos of luggage?

That is downright impossible, or you have to be a minimalist traveller.... apparently I am not and I like to dress up for the odd occasion (imagine going to Bed Supperclub in a short and slippers, the horror!) and more important, in a country with tropical temperatures it is not ususal to change clothes (and certainly underwear) at least twice a day....

Any thoughts on that?

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744rules
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Post by 744rules »

I was told that if you need anything there, you just buy it as live seems to be very cheap
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Erna
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Post by Erna »

That is true, but not if you're a "healthy" female who's size is bigger than a European 36 or 38..... and I know, because the first time I went (now will be my 6th time) my luggage arrived the next day and it was hell to find something that fit me.... the only things I can buy that fit are shoes..... :)

teddybAIR
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Post by teddybAIR »

Erna wrote:.... the only things I can buy that fit are shoes..... :)
How convenient! :lol:

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earthman
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Post by earthman »

In Thailand it's too hot to wear anything besides shoes anyway.

Erna
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Post by Erna »

I totally agree, but from a cultural point of view that is not done.... :oops:

Anyway, we're moving away from the luggage topic....

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Stepha380
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Post by Stepha380 »

normally your bags will be checked thru straight to your final destination
Only if there is a codeshare for the flights between the companies and I doubt LH "codeshares" with EK.

LH baggage allowance
http://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/ ... id=1333469

BA baggage allowance
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/ba ... blic/en_gb

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earthman
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Post by earthman »

EBAW_flyer wrote:LOT has an extra free allowance of 5kg here in Brussels (and should be like that all over the European network). Now, about the handling question; allowances are decided by the operating carrier, nothing else (so not by the handling agent or also not by the codeshare carrier i.e. a SNBA pax on a AA flight has to follow the AA rules). So KLM rules are respected on their flights, even when the handling agent is LOT.
Did something change with LOT? Last sunday at AMS the scale said 22.7kg or so, and the ground staff had us pay for 3kg excess baggage! New rules? Or new lady at the airport?

Stij
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Post by Stij »

You have to watch out for the check-in agents. This summer I was checking in for my Bru Air flight in Malaga. We were a party of three so we could put all the bags (5) on the belt at the same time. The first two bags were 25kg, the next three bags were 38kg. The check-in agents said in wonderful Spanish "Manuel" English: "You pay overweight". I replied friendly that he had to be kidding, after all it was just 1kg a person overweight. He replied that it was much. I tried to explain that 25kg + 38kg = 63kg divided by 3 passengers = 21kg. Next our Spanish friend started counting on his fingers (I kid you not) and gave us our boarding passes.

Cheers,

Stij

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earthman
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Re: *Actual* luggage weight limits

Post by earthman »

Once again the LOT ground handlers at AMS (KLM) amazed me. The suitcase weighed 20.6kg and the check-in agent seemingly made a big deal out of letting it through, first she asked her neighbor whether the limit was 20kg, then after looking at the hand luggage she said "I'll make it 20 for you".

No extra allowance at all??

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fc82091
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Re: *Actual* luggage weight limits

Post by fc82091 »

the max weight also depends on the lenght of your "vacation"
for jetairfly for example you have 20kg +6kg handbag/person but when going for period over 30 days you get 30kg +6kg handbag/person
Some airlines check these things more then others so when they see a flight with a lot of bag weights or less extra weight charges compared to other airports they start asking questions on the handling agent
Kinda normal too since lets say 100 pax each take 5 extra kg that means 500kg weight more so more fuel burn etc

regi
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Re: *Actual* luggage weight limits

Post by regi »

Several sources told me the last months that luggage weight is becoming an unpredicted problem at Bangkok airport. Especially the flights to Amsterdam with China Airlines and Eva make it very unconfortable for passengers who just ended their exotic holiday. They enforce now also the hand luggage weight strictly ( I think it is 8 kg)
I had a small thing with Qantas travelling with 3 passengers together in economy and having 81 kg. Took out some thing to put it in hand luggage untill the lady said "OK, move on"
So, yes, we know it is just 20 kg but we all think that they will close an eye. But when the fuel becomes so expensive, sorry, they have the right to enforce the rule. But it is unpleasant, especially if you travel already many years and never was confronted with luggage weight problems.
By the way, we do all forget that the suitcases weigh easely already 5-10 kg !
Those trolly wheels are solid plastic.
And think about the bottles of shampoo or shower gel you carry. Just by it locally at the 7-11.
Shoes do also bring in quite some weight.

stratocumulus
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Re: *Actual* luggage weight limits

Post by stratocumulus »

Well, I actually know for a fact that more and more airlines are very strict with baggage weight limits, every kilo is income... so, when you are packing, be very careful....

LOT at AMS: Handler is instructed by LOT to charge every kilo, so even 20.5 (they will see this as 21 and not 20 kilo) should be charged, but most start charging from 20.7 or so. KLM has also a zero tolerance, Transavia.com, same thing. So, pack carefully. Most of the time discussing the xbag weight with the handler results in nothing more than annoyances form both sides, as the handler is carefully instructed by the airline. :shock:

Cartman
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Re: *Actual* luggage weight limits

Post by Cartman »

I don't see the problem for average travelers. When I went to Thailand and Cambodia for more than three weeks, I had exactly 17kgs of luggage. Having your laundry done over there costs about a dollar per kilo. So it was better for my budget and better for my back (not having to carry more than 20 kilos all that time)... ;)
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regi
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Re: *Actual* luggage weight limits

Post by regi »

Yes Cartman, you are right about that laundry issue. You don't have to bother about it anymore when you come home.
But 17 kg, that is not a lot.
I did even have less in the past , I did even travel once to Thailand with just one pretty large bag in handluggage. ( in my bachelor days)
Now as a family man, it is much different. Going to Thailand, we carry a full load of second hand stuff for the extended family.
Returning, we buy groceries at the local super markets because the prices are about 25% of the same goods here in Belgium. Mama ( ready made one portion noodles )in Thailand: 6 baht. Exactly same Mama in an asian shop in Belgium : +- 20 baht.
A green papaya , to make som tam ,costs +- 15-20 baht in Thailand. But here it costs at least 120-150 baht for 1 of a kilo.
Seasoning powders cost at least 3 times more here in Belgium than in Thailand.
So, when we come back from Land of Smiles, we fill our bags with:
fresh laundry
Thai groceries
and a new model rice cooker, DVD player-for-Asia-region-DVD's, a stack of utterly illegal DVD's, extremely cheap IT-stuff like ink cartridges, USB hubs, card readers, best quality Panasonic batteries, SD cards, even glossy printing paper and labels. All at least 50-80% cheaper.

But yes, it adds on the weight.
In the lucky days of flying cheaply in business class, we did even bring along loads of brand name shampoo, shower gel, bottles of fish sauce and soya sauce, even - get this - washing powder. ( half of the price as in in Belgium, but be carefull: very strong stuff ! )
The only thing I have never brought along so far was...rice ! ( yes, even a flak jacket from Vietnam was once a part of my luggage )

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Buzz
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Re: *Actual* luggage weight limits

Post by Buzz »

The only airport where they concitently weight hand-luggage (at security) is STN.

Thomas Cook just allowed me 23kg at Funchal,Madeira without even looking at the scale.

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