TravelBuddha

Given what I've seen on this thread, I'm a bit worried about my JFK-DOH-NBO in Oct (in J). I'm flying with camera equipment that simply cannot be checked. It goes in a dedicated roller that meets all the dimensional requirements, but weight might be an issue. Ironically, if I had even 10 Kg of checked luggage, I'd be surprised. I've flown hundred of thousands of miles with this setup and never had an issue, but this is my first time flying QR. Thoughts?

cheltzel

You should have 15 kg of hand baggage. That is a fair amount of equipment.

clubeurope

+1.

As cheltzel has mentioned, Business Class Travellers are allocated two pieces of hand baggage, totalling up to 15 kg. There doesn't seem been to be any weight limit for the distribution of 15 kg to each piece, as far as I am aware, so you should be fine, CoachBoy

cheltzel

My wife travels with photo gear. We've weighed it out. Each camera body is something like 650 - 900 grams, lenses have a lot of variety and go anywhere from 200 to 2000 grams, etc. Unless you are travelling with tripods, electrical gear and more 15 kg should be plenty.

msm2000uk

For years, those of us on the QR Forum have been advising J pax not to worry about their hand-baggage weight, as QR rarely checked.

If they are now doing so, then so be it, but they're perfectly within their rights to do so.

Some airports are stricter than others, especially as leisure destinations (Greece, Thailand to name but two), but I would agree the US is more likely down to the Baggage Handlers Union and their rights - which is perfectly acceptable and correct.

M

brunos

Actually BA is two hand bags of 23k. But they are very strict on sizes in European flights.
Maybe they installed extra strong bins on their airplanes.

It seems clear to me why the agent carefully checked each bag. The OP came at the check-in counter with 12 checked bags and numerous hand bags, No possible way to check the weight of 12 bags together, so the only option is to check if each bag is within the rule.

clubeurope

Indeed, I agree with the size strictness.

I just realised that the personal item can weight up to 23 kg as well, surely this is a feat that is hard to accomplish

Jokes aside, that is very generous for BA to give, perhaps they do have extra strong bins(?) as I've usually been told that very heavy bags (i.e. >8kg) pose a safety issue on other airlines like SQ and MH.

cheltzel

You've never traveled with my wife

Seriously a bag weighing anywhere near 20 kg falling out of an overhead bin could cause serious injury to anyone directly underneath.

TravelBuddha

I weighed everything last night, and I have a camera roller weighing 30 lbs fully loaded and a laptop bag weighs another 9. I'm in J, and I can put the roller in a Pelican Case to check it, which weighs another 20 lbs and still be inside the rules, but I don't think I'm being crazy in saying that it's better for me and the airline if I can keep the roller with me and they don't have to fly an extra 20 lbs 17,500 miles, but no one ever said airlines were that logical.

kaffir76

Wow - 32kg is a lot to have in 1 checked bag
How did u manage to even lift it up when getting to the airport & during check in?
In many US airports (& I think also in SIN/SQ), the airlines will not accept any bags over 23kg/50lbs, so I'd say in this instance. they were being very lenient.

clubeurope

Actually, many airlines accept bags at 32kg when the traveller is flying in Business or First and occasionally in Economy as well. Other airlines not so.

Last I recall, SQ allows bags at 30kg, and so does MH.

Virtually all long haul flights bound to the US uses the piece system. QR, like many others, allocates J passengers 2 pieces of baggage at 32kg each. They weren't being lenient, I was just following their written rules.

Finally, I am quite used to lift and carry luggage of up to 32kg. I am a rower by hobby, so carrying heavy weights aren't too much of an issue. Still, I would imagine many travellers also not having much of a problem bringing such heavy luggage, especially since the advent of the wheeled luggage, as well as airport trolleys.

plunet

32kg or 70lbs seems to be broadly accepted as the maximum weight for any one item of luggage. Where carriers permit higher allowances - for example a 40kg business class allowance it would usually be required that if you take advantage of the whole weight allowance it would need to be split across two items of luggage.

clubeurope

That couldn't have been phrased any better Plunet!

Many airlines charge heavy luggage duty, particularly when their default baggage allowance is 23kg per piece. Perhaps that may be fuelling the perception that 23kg is the maximum weight for a piece of luggage?

cheltzel

Back when I could fly international first class for my work I found that many airlines allowed up to 3 32 kg bags in first. Personally I rarely went over 1 bag but sometimes my bag went up to 25 or 27 kg.

gav0106