Changes to Qantas Checked Baggage Allowance from 1 December

[Ken1]

The Qantas website shows
"Important Changes to your Checked Baggage Allowance

From 1 December 2008, Qantas is introducing a new checked baggage allowance that will make it easier when you travel with Qantas. The new allowances will apply to any tickets purchased from 1 December 2008 for travel from 1 March 2009."

I phoned Qantas about this today since the website doesn't give any indication of the changes. The lady I spoke to hadn't heard about it yet and she checked with a supervisor who also didn't know anything about it. I hope they don't do the same as Jetstar and only offer 1 bag 20kg for flights to/from the U.S.A. Maybe they'll go to 2 bags 23kg per bag like many other airlines have done.

Ken

 

[serfty]

Link:

• Flying with Us - Before You Travel - Baggage - Checked Baggage

 

[oz_mark]

I wonder what they can do to make it "easier".

 

[NM]

I wonder what they can do to make it "easier".

Reducing the max weight per bag to 23kg will make it easier for the baggage handlers

 

[Ken1]

Is there anything different to before in the "Flying with Us - Before You Travel - Baggage - Checked Baggage" link? The lady at Qantas didn't know about any changes or even that the Qantas website is saying there will be changes that will apply from 1 December.

 

[Bundy Bear]

I think they have a few signs to change, I noticed the 32kg luggage allowance today at check in today.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Its a bugger when you get those 3's and 2s mixed up.

 

[NM]

Its a bugger when you get those 3's and 2s mixed up.

As the president of the DNA, I can assure you that lysdexia plays a significant roll in many things

 

[ColinP]

As the president of the DNA, I can assure you that lysdexia plays a significant roll in many things

Indeed. I was in Dan Murphy's today (buying my daily bottle of red during the Amex promo) and noticed that I could buy one bottle of Ingoldby shiraz for $10.90 or six bottles for $12.90 each!! -- WTF?

 

[NM]

Indeed. I was in Dan Murphy's today (buying my daily bottle of red during the Amex promo) and noticed that I could buy one bottle of Ingoldby shiraz for $10.90 or six bottles for $12.90 each!! -- WTF?

Why would you want to buy 6 bottles in a single transaction

 

[Skyring]

Why would you want to buy 6 bottles in a single transaction

Yeah. Reminds me of my days selling raffle tickets to drunks. The tickets were twenty cents each, or four for a dollar.

And after the draw, I'd take the winner aside, tell him that the bottle of wine had been accidentally broken, the racehorse had died, the meat had gone off etc. and give him his money back with a pat on the shoulder.

 

[anat0l]

How a new baggage allowance system makes it easier for any of us when we fly Qantas is beyond me.

The system as it is right now is admittedly generous: 32 kg per Y pax plus status bonuses (+32 kg for PS/SG, +64 kg for WP). I'm not sure who could carry that much (I did pay for an extra 32 kg when I came back from my contract job in PER, but I have not carried near that amount ever since).

I wouldn't mind them loosening the international travel allowance a bit (with the exception of US, which looks to be fairly fixed).

Or are they going to start weighing people & luggage now? :shock:

 

[Febs]

Or are they going to start weighing people & luggage now? :shock:

Not that it would ever happen, but that's a change I would gladly welcome!

 

[tuapekastar]

How a new baggage allowance system makes it easier for any of us when we fly Qantas is beyond me.

The system as it is right now is admittedly generous: 32 kg per Y pax plus status bonuses (+32 kg for PS/SG, +64 kg for WP). I'm not sure who could carry that much (I did pay for an extra 32 kg when I came back from my contract job in PER, but I have not carried near that amount ever since).

I wouldn't mind them loosening the international travel allowance a bit (with the exception of US, which looks to be fairly fixed).

Or are they going to start weighing people & luggage now? :shock:

I was quite astonished to find I was allowed to take 4 x 32kg checked luggage between MEL and PER recently! My one checked bag weighed about 13kg (and I struggle to get it up to 20kg, even for long OS trips).

I sometimes (with tongue firmly in cheek) wonder why we can't get credits every time our luggage is below the maximum permitted weight!

 

[anat0l]

Not that it would ever happen, but that's a change I would gladly welcome!

I wonder what the nominal weight they use to model pax (e.g. for the purposes of load dynamics, calculations etc.)

Either way, I know I'm overweight. In some respects, the status bonuses (assuming they could be used to offset any "excess" human weight) would come in handy.

 

[Platy]

At 23kg your bags will be easier for you to:

- carry to and from the airport
- lift up onto the check in scales

IF your bags are lost, you lose less!

It is also a lot easier for you to confuse the LCC Jetstar product at 20kg with the full service Qantas product at 23kg. Some customers are still stupidly under the impression that there is a product differentiation under the Qantas Group.

For those suspecting a fuel cost motivation of the changes, think again...

With generally smaller and lighter luggage there is also a lot less chance of the Irish dwarf becoming accidentally misplaced if ever making a CEO visit to a baggage handling area.

When baggage handling is outsourced and Qantas handlers sacked, contracting companies will be paid by gross weight handled instead of staff time.

 

[anat0l]

Some good points made, but...

At 23kg your bags will be easier for you to:

- carry to and from the airport
- lift up onto the check in scales

Why would one pack a bag that they could not handle? It boggles the mind....

IF your bags are lost, you lose less!

That's an interesting way to look at it. It's never pretty when you lose a bag, but I guess from the airline's point of view they have to fork out less money for compensation (and their risk planning processes can be adjusted to reflect this).

It is also a lot easier for you to confuse the LCC Jetstar product at 20kg with the full service Qantas product at 23kg.

Perhaps they'll have to let it slide a bit, or unify it, because 3 kg will have many people complaining about "splitting hairs". (Yes, I've seen check-ins where 1kg is an issue....) Then there's QF NZ Dom (20kg) and Dash 8 flights (20kg)...

 

[JohnK]

Not that it would ever happen, but that's a change I would gladly welcome!

Any airline that tries to implement something like it would be in trouble. I for one would stop using that airline and if every airline imposed a surcharge based on body weight then I would stop flying full stop.

In case anyone has not noticed we are a society that is becoming increasingly overweight.

 

[Danger]

Checking in at Perth a few minutes ago (for a flight to Sydney) I had one bag at 26kgs and one bag at 12kgs. The agent said "ooh, they might charge you excess baggage" as he looked at his computer. Somewhat stunned, I said "platinum . . . two times 32kgs . . . extra on top of that." His response was "No, they're not going to [charge you extra, apparently the computer tells them]. They're trying everything these days to get extra money." Very strange.

Just checking the platinum benefits on the QF website now I see:

"Two extra pieces of baggage on Qantas domestic flights and an extra baggage allowance on Qantas international flights.^^"
​

Then the ^^:

"Valid only on Qantas operated jet flights where a Qantas flight number is on your ticket. On Qantas international flights, an extra 15kg or one extra piece on USA flights. On Qantas Australian domestic flights, one extra piece of baggage. Size and weight restrictions apply for additional baggage."
​

So, in the 'large print' it says two extra pieces on domestic but in the 'fine print' it says one extra piece.

What have I missed?

As I understand it the basic allowance for everyone is (currently) two times 32kgs (domestic) with an extra two pieces for platinum (which I assume is 32kgs each) to a total of 128kgs (as has been posted above).

 

[Dave Noble]

As I understand it the basic allowance for everyone is (currently) two times 32kgs (domestic) with an extra two pieces for platinum (which I assume is 32kgs each) to a total of 128kgs (as has been posted above).

The basic allowance is 1 piece rather than 2 pieces for economy class . The business class basic allowance is 3 pieces

As a Platinum member, you are entitled to 3 pieces in economy and 5 pieces in business class on normal Qantas mainline flights

http://www.qantas.com.au/info/flying/beforeYouTravel/baggageChecked

If you were a passenger with no status on QF, then they would have been perfectly correct in charging for a 2nd piece if you were travelling economy class

Dave