Air France Frequence Plus - Japanese Flexibilty (AF NRT)

Both my partner and I are FBG which means we can (flying in Y+) have 3 bags weighing in at 69kg in total for each (or 138kg combined).

Checking the one bag we have at NRT (AF) it came in at 27.6 kg so 4.6 kg over the allowed 23kg per bag and there was nothing the checkin person could do to let bag go through. I explained this was a first in my flying career we had been not let go of the few extra kg's.

Asked to see the supervisor in hope of some flexibilty on the 5kg but he was even worse and (rightfully I guess) refered to the regulations. Had to remove stuff and take as carry on :( He was impossible to talk to at all :td:

So, is there any point in sending a complaint to AF? Every single time I have been on an AF flight up to 8kg extra has never been a problem. Not happy as I could have taken over an extra 100kg :(

Japan is all about following the rules, as you are apparently now aware.

Personally, I usually keep a lightweight canvas bag inside my big suitcase in case my piece of luggage needs to be divided into two pieces.

I recently found out, also the "hard way" that certain new luggage belt systems (e.g. LCA, where it happened to me) will simply not move if the bag is over the programmed (23kg) weight limit! Perhaps there was literally nothing the agent could do?

I am not sure on what basis you would send a complaint.
The rules are clear and the maximum in Y or Y+ is bags of 23kgs (3 bags for Y+ elite+).
You might be unhappy that the rules are enforced, but rules are rules. Any bag above 23kg (and below 32kg) must pay a supplement unless in J or F.
Note that this is not specific to NRT. I remember flying in J at CDG a year ago when the same rule applied (they have now increased the allowance for J & P). This was late in the evening at the longhaul J counters and numerous pax had their suitcases open for the very same reason. A lot of very unhappy premium pax. They now have relaxed the rule for J & P pax from 23 to 32kgs, so that is a perk of premium pax.
You might be unhappy about the rule (although 3 bags of less than 23kgs is not bad), but you have no ground for complaint.

So, is there any point in sending a complaint to AF? Every single time I have been on an AF flight up to 8kg extra has never been a problem. Not happy as I could have taken over an extra 100kg :(

Unfortunately, I think it will be useless as they were right as per the conditions of your ticket. As you said, the Japanese follow the rules very strictly (no "latin flexibility ;) )

A little flexibility is great, but you'd effectively be complaining about someone not following the rules.

Granted us Irish aren't so great in following rules, but not everyone else is quite so happy go lucky!

OK... Point taken. Just frustrating that one is under the max 32kg per bag, only use a fraction of the total allowed weight and seated in an emergency row!

Lesson learned, and will bring an extra bag next time :)

OK... Point taken. Just frustrating that one is under the max 32kg per bag, only use a fraction of the total allowed weight and seated in an emergency row!

Lesson learned, and will bring an extra bag next time :)

It is frustrating. But the topic has been addressed in several threads before, so an expert FT poster like you should have been warned.
From discussion with staff, it seems that some airports have imposed a surcharge on bags above 23kgs. So, accepting heavier bags is a perk to selected pax. BA waives the surcharge for Silver and Gold traveling in Y, but AF does not.

How the claimed potential work injuries due to heavy bags can be compensated by a penalty on such bags escapes me, but with union negotiations, anything is possible.

Slightly off topic, but my sense is that airlines generally have become increasingly strict about limits. Had an experience at the end of last year where my OH had a case that was marginally over the limit, due to some very enthusiastic shoe shopping. The Delta agent at JFK wouldn't budge.

(I'm not the biggest fan of Delta's JFK set up...)

Fortunately, she'd a $5 dollar bag she picked up at a news stand to take some of her purchases.

I have been coming to Tokyo for 23 years now and experienced this my very first year. Japanese enforce all regulations. This is nothing new, and their consistency is admirable, honestly. I now also carry a soft canvas collapsible bag inside one of my suitcases just in case something like this happens, wherever I travel.

It is frustrating. But the topic has been addressed in several threads before, so an expert FT poster like you should have been warned.
From discussion with staff, it seems that some airports have imposed a surcharge on bags above 23kgs. So, accepting heavier bags is a perk to selected pax. BA waives the surcharge for Silver and Gold traveling in Y, but AF does not.

Yeah, I should have done my home work better I guess :(, but it has never happened to me before. Flying to NRT with BA in Y in 2007 no one even blinked at me having a good extra weight back then (the bag weighed in at 32kg but we were two traveling)...

I can surely appreciate the weight limit BUT, I saved the airline for an additional 111kg which they apparently wouldn't want to swap for 4 kg extra :confused:

Also, surely not all airports in the world has introduced a cost structure saying that bags weighing over 23kg will cost extra to handle? If I (or rather we) had 6 bags weighing in at the total allowed 138kg this would have costed the airline as well right?

Again, not trying to disagree, just want to understand the thinking/logic behind all of this :)

NRT enforces regulations, fine. But AF rules are stupid. What I hate is when I have one bag of 30 kg in Y, as platinum, sometimes they tell me I can carry 2*23 kg. What the hell, I have strictly less than the max number of pieces allowed and the max of the weight allowed, still complying with health&safety rules for workers (no bag over 32 kg).

LH has always been good for that matter in Germany, but once in Bucharest on OS, got the same argument that does not stand by any mean. Loyalty is a thing, but airlines don't give a damn: they trade their miles, they have stupid rules, follow meaning less procedures: full service airlines are just low service airlines with high fares! Vote with your feet: no way I pay a rather expensive LH AF KL OS etc ticket anymore when service level is that low. Sorry for their yield...