Caribbean - Dominica - 70# Absolute Baggage Weight Limit

I'm leaving for Dominica on Friday and was just informed there is a new absolute weight limit of 70 lbs for checked baggage. I can take 2 bags, but neither can weigh over 50 lbs, and together their combined weight must be 70 lbs. or less. Cannot pay extra for overweight.

For a diver, this is next to impossible!!! Has anyone flown to/from Dominica via San Juan and experienced this limit yet? Were you aware of it before you flew? What happened if not and you were overweight?:confused:

what are you taking? a couple three tanks? and your golf clubs??? you can skip the ski boots. 70 lbs??? get serious. have you ever gone on a dive vacation to carab before. we each did over 200 dives. big bag, no real weight.

No I haven't dived the Caribbean before. I live on the West Coast and I have dived all over Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. But your rudeness is totally uncalled for. In the future, if you don't have anything constructive to say, kindly butt out.

All your proving in your comment is that you have poor social skills.

I'm leaving for Dominica on Friday and was just informed there is a new absolute weight limit of 70 lbs for checked baggage. I can take 2 bags, but neither can weigh over 50 lbs, and together their combined weight must be 70 lbs. or less. Cannot pay extra for overweight.

For a diver, this is next to impossible!!! Has anyone flown to/from Dominica via San Juan and experienced this limit yet? Were you aware of it before you flew? What happened if not and you were overweight?:confused:
There's a reason for the rule. Expect it to be enforced down to the ounce. Better to have 69 pounds than 71 pounds. As to what's going to happen:

1. The excess weight won't fly with you.
2. You can abandon it or pay to ship it (which will be exorbitant)

the reason for the rule is? "There is a reason for the rule."

I've read in the airline's website that the flights to/from Dominica from San Juan average 62% of capacity. This means they can take a little more weight AND use a little less fuel. It can't be the cost of fuel alone that is accounting for this weight limit.

And American says it's the country of Dominica that has imposed this restriction, not the airline. I find it hard to believe that Dominica, a diving destination, would shoot itself in the foot by not allowing divers to bring all their gear, diving, photographic, etc. This restriction will certainly have a chilling effect on dive tourism to the country, and any other country with a similar restriction.

I had finally gotten used to paring down from 70# to 50# per bag in my Pacific Rim travels, but this means we can no longer take school and hygiene supplies to the communities where we stay overseas--a common practice among divers. Now I can't even take my fins and underwater camera housing and/or a pair of hiking boots.

I'm just wondering what the REAL reason is behind these baggage weight limits. Anyone care to venture a guess?

the reason is that the local dominican population buys tons of stuff to bring home. i have flown to dominica. a portion of the passengers who looked local to me all had a half a dozen shopping bags filled with "stuff" i did not notice what was in them. we did a tarmac load. there was a large cart parked on the way, and every body tossed their bags on the cart. this was a common central america/caribbean problem. i recall cages with live chickens on a TACA flight from new orleans to hondurus.

However, in a number of Asian countries, they have gotten around this problem by making exceptions for "sporting Equipment" (dive gear, golf clubs, surfboards, etc.), and allow you to take these, usually with an added reasonable fee.

I inquired about this exception and was told that there is none for sporting equipment.

Thanks for the info. I'm still bummed. :(