excess luggage=£s

[blondegirl]

I knew what you meant Harold... its a bit of a farce really.

My friend travels a lot.  She has never been charged extra... she has the red "large bag" stuck on hers all the time... Last time she had 37 kg... they said they would put 34 kg on it to let her through and took the bag.  She has even taken some out and put it in carrier bags and taken it through. 

I think its swings and roundabouts, they juggle it about as they think, if you get there a bit later they are more restricted for weight.  Thats what I think anyway, I dont know if thats true.

I absolutely hate check in time.. if I could walk away I would.. I am never overweight (with my suitcases) but I would hate to have to open my bags and redistribute it all.  I dont see why they do that as it all adds up to the same weight anyway!  Pehaps the answer will be to wear it all and then take it all off in the toilet, I would never be able to get in the seats then if I kept it on! 

My sister in law was going to the States and she was so overweight... when we emptied her case she had 90 pairs of knickers in there! WHY? we kept asking!

Very confusing it is and very stressful.. I really want to cut down my luggage this time.

[harold]

Living in Exeter we have the HQ of Flybe here and a few years ago the floated the idea of putting locks on the toilets of the Aircraft and charging £1 to use the loo.
Greed or what luckerly they have not done it.
Like you we have never been charged but we do tend to be about 22/23k per bag,we were told they dont mind a couple oh k over,but are the scales correct i dont think so you look next time.

[Eileen]

£1 for using the loo.  That's ridiculous Harold, whatever will they think of next.

Also I don't think the scales are correct.  I wonder how often they calibrate them, if regularly then it's obvious they are not to a standard measure.

Despite our cases not being opened, nothing was added or taken out, there was a difference in our luggage weight at check-in at BA desk in Edinburgh and Easyjet at Gatwick.  It's no wonder they turn a blind eye to a few kilos overweight.

Eileenx

[harold]

Eileen,i think if they are going to charge people then yes the scales should be checked everyday,but i cannot see it happenning.I know the airlines have to get the loads correct for their fuel calcalations and they do need to put limits on,but i am convinced some companys are just using it as an excuse to bump up charges,they even tried to charge us £2 for carbon offsetting,i took that off straight away.

[Joe]

Just to add a few points:

You buy duty free in the airport and it goes in the cabin not the baggage hold where the weight levels are much more strict, yes in theory you could take a suitcase in the cabin with you but health and safety would cry, someone would sue us and your insurance would go up even more.

Hand baggage restrictions are set by the govenment and airport authorities, the airlines want this rule relaxed its annoys us just as much as you.

Now the one you should look at is why in the UK with better facilities and better airports are you asked to check in earlier than oversees, hmmmm, not by any chance that you will be stuck in the airport and have to spend money in the shops and on food there, no no no!!

[Lindypops]

£1 stinks Harold. What about incontinent people. They really are going over the top.

[harold]

I think they dropped the idea Linda,and Joe youu are correct about the check in time here in the UK,i have always thought its nothing to do with spending at the airport

[Diane x]

My sister in law was going to the States and she was so overweight... when we emptied her case she had 90 pairs of knickers in there! WHY? we kept asking!

I don't  even own that many pairs !

Our neighbours happened to be on the same flight as us to Corfu in 2007 and they had more luggage than me,Keith and Hannah put together. Turns out they literally had the kitchen sink, they had a omelette pan among things, I mean what do you need that for ?
Diane x

[JohnTheRef&Dot]

omelette pan, what next
Microwave, Toaster, DVD, Free view Box & TV some people don’t need a holiday,
They do need a Psychiatrist though

[justlynn]

Couldn't agree more, Diane and John!

Last September we stayed next door to a fairly elderly couple who brought their own frying pan and cooked all the meals in the apartment, breakfasts and evening meals.  We thought that rather strange at the time!  Unless of course that was the only way they could afford to stay in Arillas a month?

Although, come to think of it, they had not long spent a couple of months in Australia!
Each to their own, I guess..........
lynn x

[Nan]

Just a few comments about the excess luggage. Take less! Who needs knickers when they are on holiday? Swimming cossie and T shirt= plenty of room for bargains and booze.Easy peasy lemony squeezy. Can you tell I am a bit de-mob happy ONE month and One day to go waheeeey. However I think the comment on the overweight people is a bit mean do you think they should really pay more for their holiday so that others can take stuff they don't need? hmm 

[Joe]

also take into account what suitcase you are using some can weigh half your baggage allowance, you do not need a hard sided case for short haul, but we do recommend them for long haul due to them receiving much more abuse. Even better are those big holdalls with wheels, weigh only a couple of Kg's and hold loads.

[Eileen]

Your right there Joe. I was looking at new luggage for our trip in May and couldn't believe that a medium sized soft sided suitcase weighed at least 4kilos.  I decided to save my money and weight by yet again using my trusty old holdall. 

4 Kilos is just over 25% of most luggage allowances these days...certainly not leaving much room for my kitchen sink!!!  I imagine that a lightweight hard sided case must be very expensive.

Eileenx

[graham]

they had a omelette pan among things, I mean what do you need that for ?
Diane x

Omlette? lol

[Joyce]

I sort of hate to mention this BUT I am overweight every time - without fail (something to do with Spiro's chocolate cakes) - AND I have never been charged any extra.  They always stick a "heavy" sticker on my case and I have been warned a couple of times but have never had to part with any money.

Each time I just think "oh well, if I am charged this time it will make up for all the times I haven't been" - BUT have been really lucky so far.  Not sure if it makes a difference but I always fly from Gatwick and must have flown with all the various airlines.  I did notice this time returning from Corfu - the check in staff didn't even look at the weight of my luggage.  It seems to me the rules only apply sometimes to some people which sort of doesn't make much sense really.