Baggage reduction

[Scrooge]

Well if all they are charging is 20 pounds for the extra 9 kg then im happy,I have to pay more than that when the wife over packs a case for one of our short hops to a gateway city.

Originally posted by jetwet1
Well if all they are charging is 20 pounds for the extra 9 kg then im happy,I have to pay more than that when the wife over packs a case for one of our short hops to a gateway city.

Am I missing something.

As I understand it Excess Baggage charges range from about 60GBP to 100GBP per piece or 1% of the W fare per KG where weight system applied.

Not sure how a bag between 23kg and 32kg to the States/Caribean/Nig - would be treated - Is this the 20GBP mentioned - could not see mention of it?

Phil

I always tell my wife the baggage figure is a limit not a target

regards

Paul

[RichardMannion]

Originally posted by jilly
The link has been updated this morning - wording is clearer and states that UC and PE allowances remain unchanged.

Jilly

I pointed this out to VS lyesterday that the updated text was at the top but the old diagram and text were still below.

The £20 surcharge is there for custoemr travelling in Economy on a route that uses the piece concepty - before they used to get two bags at 32Kg, now it is 2 at 23Kg, so if a case is over 23Kg but below 32Kg then the fee is applicable. Beyond that (32Kg) it won't be permissible within a single item. Go past your combined baggage allowance then you will enter the realms of normal excess baggage charges.

Thanks,
Richard

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by BuffyTVS65

Originally posted by jetwet1
Well if all they are charging is 20 pounds for the extra 9 kg then im happy,I have to pay more than that when the wife over packs a case for one of our short hops to a gateway city.

Am I missing something.

As I understand it Excess Baggage charges range from about 60GBP to 100GBP per piece or 1% of the W fare per KG where weight system applied.

Not sure how a bag between 23kg and 32kg to the States/Caribean/Nig - would be treated - Is this the 20GBP mentioned - could not see mention of it?

Phil

Im just going by what LRoM said above.

Originally posted by jetwet1
Im just going by what LRoM said above.

Doh!! [B)] Apologies missed that - blooming insider information [ii]

Phil

So can someone explain the allowance(s) if a pax flies out PE and back Y[?] Is it 2 x 32 out and 2 x 23 back. Doesn't really make much difference to me but the present Mrs Treelo always comes back with more kit than she went out with;)

[RichardMannion]

Hi Treelo,

Yes that is the way that I understand it.

Thanks,
Richard

I dont actually know the honest answer to what happens when a different return class is booked but when people take round the world ticket eastbound I believe they get weight concept. But if they book the other way atlantic bound it is piece concept.

One would asume that the first sector would determine?

I know that all the staff have been reminded to keep an eye on the cabin baggage allowances an to refuse excees weights.. Y/w 1pc at 6kg plus handbag,small camera etc... and 2 pc at 8kg for J

As crew we have been told to watch our weights as this is being monitored.. I guess the bottom line we should really blame OPEC.

Originally posted by milehigh


As crew we have been told to watch our weights as this is being monitored.. I guess the bottom line we should really blame OPEC.

Could be right with the OPEC reference, milehigh. Though to be philosophical, I guess VS are just coming into line with their competitors - aren't they. And, after all, 2 x 23 Kgs in still a helluva weight[:0]

[preiffer]

Originally posted by Treelo
And, after all, 2 x 23 Kgs in still a helluva weight[:0]

[y]

I still find it incredible that an Au holder, travelling Upper Class to the US can take a total of 128kg as "luggage" in the hold, PLUS cabin baggage [:0]

Originally posted by preiffer
I still find it incredible that an Au holder, travelling Upper Class to the US can take a total of 128kg as "luggage" in the hold, PLUS cabin baggage [:0]

[:0] [:0] [:0]

Even I couldn't manage to use up that sort of allowance - even after shopping!!

Originally posted by BuffyTVS65
I can't believe that lightening a fully laden 747 by around 9kilo per Y passenger (about 2,700 kilo) will significantly affect the fuel consumption on an aircraft that weighs about 350,000 kilo fully loaded.

You're making the aircraft either:

a) ~3 tonnes lighter
or
b) releasing ~3 tonnes worth of cargo capacity

To put this into perspective, Air New Zealand operate a mixed fleet of Rolls Royce RB211 and GE CF6 engined 747-400s.

Their initial order was for 4 RR engined aircraft, because the 747 Classics they replaced (which went to VS, incidentally) were RR powered.

When they added extra 747-400s to the fleet, they leased two GE engined examples, and bought another two.

Why the swap? They found that each GE engine is a tonne lighter than the corresponding RR engine, so the BOW of each GE aircraft is 4 tonnes lighter than an RR powered counterpart.

If I remember correctly and got my maths right (if G-VOPS or someone else can correct me if I'm wrong), on an AKL-LAX flight (12 hour block time) the lighter engine saves something in the region of 4 tonnes of fuel... and for every extra tonne of fuel you carry, you have to carry more fuel to carry the fuel, IYSWIM .

Cheers!
Mike

Just a thought, what happens to the people who flew out this week for their two weeks in the Carribean or MCO and then find that they're over weight and need to pay more? Woudldn't it had been an idea to introduce it on 'itineraries commencing 1st April' cos I think there is going to be a lot of VH customers a bit surprised coming home in the next couple of weeks...

The new weights are for tickets ISSUED after the 1st April.

Originally posted by Juliet
The new weights are for tickets ISSUED after the 1st April.

That makes a lot more sense thanks Juliet

To be fair the amount of baggage that customers bring in the cabin is all wrong there is not much space and then it becomes a safety issue because there is no where to stow it.

The crew have been complaining about this for years. We as crew are not supposed to be lifting customer bags and when customers cant find sapce for their bags they expect the crew to somehow find somewhere and carry it off to this space that is supposed to appear from nowhere.

I for one am pleased that is been reduced and that VS are going to be strict with the rule.

I think the storage area in PE/UC upstairs on the 747 makes sense - crew do not have to hump bags into lockers or try to store them in tight corners and I always put my bag in there and collect it afterwards.

I agree that crew should not have to be lifting heavy bags into lockers and the opportunity for heavy stuff to fall out increases.

However - how do you square away the duty free allocation - this increases weight, size of carry on and space required - yet because its an airport and even an airline revenue generator it would take a brave airline to refuse it - but it must be adding to the fuel requirement.

Anyone got any stats on this?

VS are thinking about ending selling Duty Free onbaord the A/C. So that will answer half the last question.

Originally posted by virgin is the best
VS are thinking about ending selling Duty Free onbaord the A/C. So that will answer half the last question.

I don't recall any on-board shopping on my Air New Zealand long haul flight this weekend, so VS wouldn't be the only ones cutting this. Auckland has fairly decent shopping at the airport, if shopping is important to people flying Air New Zealand.

Cheers!
Mike

Originally posted by jmf
Delta reduced their limits last September, so looks like VS is bringing themselves in line with everyone else.

To be honest I think that this can tend to encourage people to take more, particularly on short trips. On my recent trip to LAS I thought that I'd be able to get away with only having one case, after all I was only away for 4 days, but it seems that I should really have taken 2 cases because I ended up being over the limit on the way back. Now had I taken 2 cases on the way out, this would have meant I'd probably have taken even more pairs of shoes and done more shopping Whereas if the limit had been 32Kg, I'd have been fine with just the one case.

The concept of packing light is not one that's sunk in with me yet[:I]

Surely the trick is to take stuff you only want to wear once more, and then throw it away stateside? Works on 2 fronts - less washing to think about and more room for bringing stuff back!!!

Oddly enough, we're often asked 'is that all you have?' when we check bags in. I don't particularly think I've nailed the travelling light thing either, but maybe I'm further along the line than I thought. Just how DO these people manage to travel with just one bikini (ok, maybe some guys don't bother with that one [}:)]), a pashmina, a wrap and a bottle of hair gel????[:0]

Originally posted by virgin is the best
To be fair the amount of baggage that customers bring in the cabin is all wrong there is not much space and then it becomes a safety issue because there is no where to stow it.

The crew have been complaining about this for years. We as crew are not supposed to be lifting customer bags and when customers cant find sapce for their bags they expect the crew to somehow find somewhere and carry it off to this space that is supposed to appear from nowhere.

I for one am pleased that is been reduced and that VS are going to be strict with the rule.

Wouldnt it be better keeping the hold-limit & being strict on the carry-on limit then?? Would surely make more sense!
Ok, people can buy stuff at the duty free once theyve checked in, not much you can do to combat that.
Does annoy me too when I cant get my personal belongings within easy reach.

Originally posted by virgin is the best
Surely the trick is to take stuff you only want to wear once more, and then throw it away stateside? Works on 2 fronts - less washing to think about and more room for bringing stuff back!!!

That is what I try & do, asides a couple new suits Ive treated myself to, Im resisting buying any new clothes until June. Although, at same time - im there on holiday, want a bit of r&r etc... I dont really want to spend a lot of time running round shops & malls because I have to buy myself clothes!!


I think 30kg is about the most ive managed... so hardly a major loss..
On a personal thought though...
No idea where to begin looking to find out, but I actually thought that the 2x 32kg was actually US aviation rules ?? Is this not then the case?