kawoh

Hi, wondering with a baggage allowance of 20kg to LHR in economy, how lucky have folks been carry excess luggage both checked and carryon?

For example, if you take 27kg's on board, how have qantas checkin staff at SYD reacted? If you go over, what do they generally charge you? Is it to the book?

Thanks in advance.

number_6

The enforcement seems to fluctuate considerably from month to month, but even when flying F to LHR I've had a briefcase (not suitcase) weighed; it was well under 7kg. Seemed rather absurd to be weighing it, but it suggests they are serious about enforcement at times. I'd guess that you won't get 27kg through as carry-on -- that's a safety hazard at that much weight in the overhead! Having status on QF does provide for extra checked baggage allowance (something like 20kg extra for WP, you can check the web site if you do have status). Otherwise the excess baggage charge is rather substantial (several hundred dollars).

bensyd

Last time I flew back from London I was carrying 45kgs mostly brochures etc but also had a sample chair with me, I had been at a trade fair, but the agent at check-in didnt say a word to me about the weight, my allowance was 30kgs which put me 15kgs over I would have thought that at least a comment would have been made about the weight. Mind you it was the most empty QF LHR-SYD flight I have been on would not have been more than half full.

Globaliser

I've never had QF threaten me with excess baggage charges.

Most of the time, I'm well under my 20 kg allowance - typically I'm at somewhere between 12 kg and 18 kg for my stays in Oz/HK.

But I've twice had huge amounts of about 50-55 kg allowed without charges. Once was SYD-LHR, when business class check-in took it without even batting an eyelid. The other time was LHR-SYD, checked-in by BA: the agent said that I'd have to pay extra, but when I "asked" how much extra allowance I got from being a QF FF, and the QF supervisor was not instantly available, the agent just tagged it and sent it on its way with a wink and a smile.

I don't like to take the mickey, but this was a nice bit of give-and-take for all the other times.

TIMP

I have been caught once - at SIN about 6 years ago. Coming home from just on 2 months in UK/Europe/Africa with a very large bag of sports equipment, along with my backpack. The handling agents in SIN said I was waay over and had to send some of it home unaccompanied. IIRC I only had about 15 kg's over, but was on a highly discounted Student rate ticket and yet to obtain ANY status.

So went to find excess baggage - cost me 300 to send home unaccompanied, THEN when I got to the gate, the same git said "Oh we could have just taken the excess baggage charge from you...it would have been cheaper!". NOT a happy girl when I got back to Brisbane.

HeyAussie

A big coat with equally large pockets can work wonders, load the heavy parts of your carry on into a coat and once you're on the plane, redistribute the load.

hobarthoney

The last few flight I have had Syd-LHR I have been over weight and had no problems but I did have an issue about 4 years ago when flying LHR-SYD I had to unpack half me bag and put my stuff in a freinds bag to save a HUGE over weight charge. I think it comes down to how full the flight is and how nice the person checking you in is!

og

One of these days I'd like to walk on board with a kitchen sink and closely watch the looks I got. Maybe thats one for the ABC's Chaser to film...

Qantas Cityflyer

From my SYD/LHR/SYD experiences, it appears that the BA check-in staff for Qantas flights are dragons with respect to the weight issue even despite additional Qantas Club allowances

Keith009

That might be due to BAA regulations which state that no single piece of baggage can weigh more than 32kg. It's just an occupational health and safety requirement to make sure the baggage handlers don't break their backs. If you have additional weight allowances due to status, just spread the weight across several bags.

CMB Transit

BA and QF do not care about Baggage Allowence as much as CX. Everytime I fly CX out of HKG they've strictly implemented the 20kg rule, and trying to pursuade me to upgrade to J using my Asiamiles. With BA (ex-HKG) and MU (to Shanghai) the airport agency (same for both airlines) allows up to 29.9kg of checked baggage (23kg on ticket). In LHR noone cares about Baggage allowence at all except that if your checked baggage is overweight when flying CX you'll have less allowence for cabin luggage.

By the way, I've applied for extra baggage allowence as an oversea student on QF now so I can carry up to 40kg of luggage flying QF, regardless of fare class.

The Saint

And from October, when you fly BA metal you will be limited to 23kgs per bag. 25kgs and you'll be repacking it at the check-in desk and paying £120.

More info here

bensyd

I have heard that CX does enforce their baggage limits very strictly, a friend of mine flew BA LHR-HKG then CX HKG-SYD, had no problems checking his bags at LHR but at HKG CX told him he was overweight, by 30 odd kgs mind you, eventually he managed to persuade them to allow him to check it at no extra charge, I must say I was very impressed, 30kgs is more than being a bit overweight.

guybaxy

The best I did on an economy ticket (2 of us) with gold elite upgrades to business class in 2000 was 120kgs, including a 29" television, bus class allowed us 30kgs * 2 = 60kgs, gold elite another 15kgs I recall, 75kgs, (partner had no status) they called up someone to check and they waived us thru, found out the 747-400 was flying to Sydney mostly empty to pick up the kiwi Olympic athletes. Guess they knew the return flight wouldn't be weighed down with gold medals!!!!!!!!

Skyring

You could always get a RTW ticket for not a whole lot more than SYD/LHR return. You get up to twenty flights, at least three stopovers, and most importantly, the two bag US luggage allowance. That applies for every flight, even if that leg isn't going anywhere near the USA. FF bonuses on top.

However, this almost certainly means that you'll fly American Airlines at some point in the middle and you will be limited to 23 kilos a bag (and BA from October, I see above). Still, two bags at 23 kilos, carryon at 7 kilos and a few extras (camera/handbag/whatever you can cram in cargo pants and jacket) is quite enough.