Air New Zealand will charge domestic travellers up to $20 for a second bag in sweeping plans to overhaul airport check-in.

Under the plans, to be finalised within the next month, the domestic luggage allowance will rise from 20kg to 30kg a passenger. It means passengers could be better off, if they pack tighter and not lighter.

The airline says its existing $5-a-kilogram excess baggage charge starts at 23kg, so a 30kg bag would cost $35 under the present system.

Frequent flyers, defined as those taking 14 flights or more a year, will get two free bags under the new regime by using a personalised tag system.

Air New Zealand domestic passengers may soon be able to send and receive text messages but, "for comfort rather than safety", phone calls will still be banned.

The company's deputy chief executive Norm Thompson has confirmed the airline is looking at installing technology so cellphones can be used safely on domestic flights.

Air New Zealand confirms today it is planning to introduce a simplified baggage allowance process for domestic passengers later in the year.

This would see the current weight based allowance for checked-in baggage replaced by a piece system.

Under the proposed piece system, customers would be entitled to one piece of checked-in baggage weighing up to 30kg, providing customers with up to 10kg more baggage than they are currently allowed.

Domestic customers today have an allowance of 20kg, with excess baggage charges of $5 per kg over that allowance. Under the current system, 30kg of baggage costs the customer $50 in excess baggage charges.

Under the new proposed piece system, customers wishing to travel with an additional bag would be charged $10 for that second bag, which could also weigh up to 30kg. This would provide significant savings compared to today�s weight allowance where this amount of additional weight costs the customer up to $150.

�This is a customer led initiative as a result of our customers telling us very clearly that they hate the restriction and cost involved because of the weight system,� says Air New Zealand Group General Manager Short Haul Airline Bruce Parton.

�Not knowing if you�re over the 20kg weight allowance when you get to the airport is a huge worry for people. This would eliminate that.�

�It is part of a wider project to simplify the domestic experience and reduce the amount of time people need to spend in queues at the airport.�

Air New Zealand wish to advise the following amendments to the UK/Europe long � term economy and premium economy fares effective for sales/ticketing on/after 10 April 08. Any existing bookings must be ticketed on/before 18 April 08 otherwise the new fares will apply.

� Global Saver Economy Return Fares (_EU1Y/_UK1Y) have increased by $100
� Global Saver Economy One Way Fares (_EUOW/_UKOW)) have increased by $60
� Global Saver Premium Economy Class return lead-in fares (OEU1Y/OUK1Y) have increased by $200. One way fares increase by $120.

As a result of these changes the following amendments will apply to the sector surcharges:
� Premium Economy sector upgrade from L/T/W/V/Q to O/E class fares increase by $25 per sector
� Business Premier sector upgrade from L/T/W/V/Q to J/Z class decrease by $25 per sector
� Premium Economy sector upgrade from H/M to O class increase by $50 per sector
� Business Premier sector upgrade from O to J/Z/D/C class decrease by $50 per sector

Incessant cellphone users who cannot wait to send text messages while in-flight may have to wait a little longer.

Air New Zealand has indicated it will allow passengers to send text messages but not make calls on board domestic flights.

However, other industry players are far from convinced.

The airline's deputy chief executive, Norm Thompson, said he had discussed the issue at a Star Alliance conference in Vienna, and the matter was on Air New Zealand's agenda.

Air New Zealand would "be in the same space" as European airlines adopting texting capabilities, Thompson said.

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