Charged EUR 37 for 1kg over at check-in (total 24kg)

[TheInsider]

Happy to be corrected if this isnt correct, but (from previous discussions with CSRs in various locations): my understanding is that many of the systems now will not let the CSR "waive" any amount over (be it 1kg or 10kg) as the computer prompts them. They can be audited on how many times they "waive" the fee (they have to put in an exemption code/reason).

This is correct, anything over the free baggage allowance prompts the CSA to charge the passenger and will not allow boarding until the charge has been paid.

 

[kooky]

This is correct, anything over the free baggage allowance prompts the CSA to charge the passenger and will not allow boarding until the charge has been paid.

Thus, officially zero tolerance on Qantas, hooray!

I'm sure there are other premium carriers in existence that do not operate zero tolerance on 1kg over.

 

[TheInsider]

Thus, officially zero tolerance on Qantas, hooray!

I'm sure there are other premium carriers in existence that do not operate zero tolerance on 1kg over.

Ever flown in the US?

For that 'check-in system', there are 41 airlines that currently use it. Many other airlines have similar systems too, just like AirNZ (which is like a 80's/90's style system ), if there is excess, it will prompt for payment.

 

[TheInsider]

Just some charges above from an amadeus report.

 

[amaroo]

This is correct, anything over the free baggage allowance prompts the CSA to charge the passenger and will not allow boarding until the charge has been paid.

Checked in at LHR T3 F counter last week.....family of 5 traveling with BA in F.

Coming to the end of a 5 week holiday so the bags were a little porky - baggage allowance for each passenger was three bags at 32kgs per bag. Therefore, our party had a combined allowance of 480kg's.

We had a total of 5 bags and one bag came in 1kg over 32kg. The agent requested that I take the bag off the belt & transfer 1 KG to another bag.

Some what amused by her demand but compliant....took the bag off the belt transferred two jumpers to another bag, strapped them back up & put them back on the belt. The offending bag was now under the 32kg limit but now the other bag was over she made me do the same again:evil:

Given the queue that was forming behind me & what appeared to me to be an absolute joke of procedure......I was showing the signs of getting upset. The agent apologised and explained that belt would not work if the weight applied was in-excess of 32kg.

Who knows if this is true! She seemed to be telling the truth but a little part of me can't believe the tolerance is that tight or their scales are that precise.

Was not my idea of a First Class check-in

 

[simongr]

This is why I take digital scales with me if I am likely to be on or near the limit. Problems avoided.

Further up the thread someone (I think kooky) asked if I would be ok with paying a fine for being 1 km/h over the speed limit and I answer that YES! I do speed but I take that risk knowing that if I am caught then I will have to cop the fine. The difference here is that the "capture" is before you have no chance to fix the problem - they weigh, let you rejig and then weigh again - rinse and repeat until you are compliant.

I really don't see the problem.

 

[kooky]

Checked in at LHR T3 F counter last week.....family of 5 traveling with BA in F.

Given the queue that was forming behind me & what appeared to me to be an absolute joke of procedure......I was showing the signs of getting upset. The agent apologised and explained that belt would not work if the weight applied was in-excess of 32kg.

Was not my idea of a First Class check-in

Surely not every other premium airline carries on like this. There's so many Gulf/Middle Eastern carriers competing for your business that surely it would be absurd to imagine Qatar F asking you to repack 1kg. I can't even imagine Finnair or Lufthansa or SAS doing it for 1kg. I bet it's an Anglo special.

 

[amaroo]

This is why I take digital scales with me if I am likely to be on or near the limit. Problems avoided.

A scale is only as good as it's last calibration

 

[kooky]

This is why I take digital scales with me if I am likely to be on or near the limit. Problems avoided.

Further up the thread someone (I think kooky) asked if I would be ok with paying a fine for being 1 km/h over the speed limit and I answer that YES! I do speed but I take that risk knowing that if I am caught then I will have to cop the fine. The difference here is that the "capture" is before you have no chance to fix the problem - they weigh, let you rejig and then weigh again - rinse and repeat until you are compliant.

I really don't see the problem.

Yes, everyone doing 101km/h should get mercilessly booked, over is over. With zero tolerance implemented in every part of our lives us Anglos will be the world leaders of order.

I'm looking forward to a future of standing in a long queue at the airport with everyone unzipping suitcases pulling out a jumper. It'll be like the self-service checkouts at supermarkets, the extended version. Maybe stick ED-209 up the front to keep a lookout for people carrying more than 2 jackets.

 

[james4321]

We had a total of 5 bags and one bag came in 1kg over 32kg. The agent requested that I take the bag off the belt & transfer 1 KG to another bag.

Some what amused by her demand but compliant....took the bag off the belt transferred two jumpers to another bag, strapped them back up & put them back on the belt. The offending bag was now under the 32kg limit but now the other bag was over she made me do the same again:evil:

Given the queue that was forming behind me & what appeared to me to be an absolute joke of procedure......I was showing the signs of getting upset. The agent apologised and explained that belt would not work if the weight applied was in-excess of 32kg.

Australian OH&S requirement is that no bag can exceed 32kgs. Maybe thats the reason?

 

[amaroo]

We had a total of 5 bags and one bag came in 1kg over 32kg. The agent requested that I take the bag off the belt & transfer 1 KG to another bag.

Some what amused by her demand but compliant....took the bag off the belt transferred two jumpers to another bag, strapped them back up & put them back on the belt. The offending bag was now under the 32kg limit but now the other bag was over she made me do the same again:evil:

Given the queue that was forming behind me & what appeared to me to be an absolute joke of procedure......I was showing the signs of getting upset. The agent apologised and explained that belt would not work if the weight applied was in-excess of 32kg.

Australian OH&S requirement is that no bag can exceed 32kgs. Maybe thats the reason?

Yes, I'm sure that is the reason.

 

[TheInsider]

Surely not every other premium airline carries on like this. There's so many Gulf/Middle Eastern carriers competing for your business that surely it would be absurd to imagine Qatar F asking you to repack 1kg. I can't even imagine Finnair or Lufthansa or SAS doing it for 1kg. I bet it's an Anglo special.

32kgs is the max for ANY IATA airline member, this is due to OH&S. So once again your 'anglo' bash is completly false.

Even MU, CA, CZ, QR, NZ, FJ, etc etc will not accept a bag that is over 32kgs.

 

[kooky]

32kgs is the max for ANY IATA airline member, this is due to OH&S. So once again your Qantas bash is completly false.

OK, good to know should I ever have 33kg in F.

So, is there any carrier in the world that doesn't require the checkin staff to make a phonecall if an economy bag is 1kg over the 20/23kg limit?

 

[simongr]

Yes, everyone doing 101km/h should get mercilessly booked, over is over. With zero tolerance implemented in every part of our lives us Anglos will be the world leaders of order.

I'm looking forward to a future of standing in a long queue at the airport with everyone unzipping suitcases pulling out a jumper. It'll be like the self-service checkouts at supermarkets, the extended version. Maybe stick ED-209 up the front to keep a lookout for people carrying more than 2 jackets.

What's with the constant "anglos" comments? Bit unnecessary I think.

Maybe if we have a period of people getting delayed due to people flouting the rules/terms that they agreed to and people might actually do the right thing?

It is not bloody hard to simply stick to the weight limits. If you don't like buy your own jet or drive.

 

[kooky]

32kgs is the max for ANY IATA airline member, this is due to OH&S. So once again your Qantas bash is completly false.

I like Qantas by the way and hate to bash them. I just feel like I let colleagues down by recommending them. I hope management will read posts like this and be aware of what effect their decisions can have on recommendations of new business.

 

[simongr]

What do you actually want QF to do? Waive fees for being over the limit? What is the acceptable amount to be over the limit? 1kg? 3kg? If 3Kg then why not set the limit to 26KG but then could you be 1KG over that?

 

[markis10]

I like Qantas by the way and hate to bash them. I just feel like I let colleagues down by recommending them. I hope management will read posts like this and be aware of what effect their decisions can have on recommendations of new business.

No airline can be relied on to continually be flouting its own rules, for what its worth it was not long ago 4 of us had to repack our baggage at HKG because we were 2Kg over the limit in total for 4 pax, CX would not budge.

 

[kooky]

What do you actually want QF to do? Waive fees for being over the limit? What is the acceptable amount to be over the limit? 1kg? 3kg? If 3Kg then why not set the limit to 26KG but then could you be 1KG over that?

I guess when you have dealt with a company for 20 years and they have always acted a certain way and then suddenly become "zero tolerance" it's hard to answer what do I want them to do. Did you enjoy losing your WP 'anytime' lounge access? But to pick an answer I would expect a premium company like that to show some small degree of tolerance to a pleb that has invested their hard earned to book with them from Europe. I guess since you're a WP you presumably get treated with a raft of discretion and tolerance everytime you deal with the company. I wonder how many times in the history of building up your status with QF you were 1kg over and it was waived.

 

[amaroo]

During the same recently completed trip we also travelled two sectors with VY (Vueling) which is basically the J* of IB.

Given we were traveling either side of these flights in J & F our bags were easily going to exceed the 23kg weight allowance per passenger. We were fully expecting, willing & accepted to be slugged with the appropriate excess fees....quite a large one too by my rough calculations.

I was absolutely shocked when both agents (one at GRX & the other at BCN) accepted the bags on the belt, applied the heavy weight sticker and let the bags go down the belt. No charges, no lectures just a smile and "enjoy your flight" comment

The same thing has happened with just about every other airline I've flown......but, it's still nice when it does happen.

 

[Justinf]

Sometimes you get away with it, sometimes you don't. That's life.
Unfortunately, it's the times we don't get away with it, that lingers most on our minds, when it should be 'Oh well, things even themselves out in the long run.'