Qatar Counter at JFK-Strict!!!
 

We had a connection flight from BUR via JKF > DOH> KGL but our flight got cancelled and we had to catch next day flight to JFK where we had to pick up all our baggage recheck in at Qatar counter at JFK.
Boy, Qatar was very very strict with check in bags nothing above 23kg and even had you check the weight of your carry-on bags...7kg and max 8-9kg allow and if over you had to check in for free up to 10kg max. I think we spent 30-45 mins just weighting each of our 12 check-in bags. Wish they told us ahead that it would only cost $65 more for extra kgs and we would have gladly paid the eccess weight fee.

All this problem avoid if original flight from BUR left on time and our bags would have made it straight to Kigali.

First, I'm sorry to hear of your poor experience.

I felt that this was also the case when I flew from JFK on QR the other day, where they would weigh your carryon and were rather strict with the weight of the check-in baggage (even in J). However, whilst the agent(s) may have not been the most helpful, they did operate by the rules that are written on the ticket, which does mention the weight limit of each item.

hi did you have more than 32kg per bag ?

I was over a little 32 kg in one bag, and had a lot less in the other bag, so I had to transfer a kilo or so to the other bag.

Thank you .. i am traveling next week with 3 bags in J and was just curious ....

I never figured out why airlines weigh carry on luggage. Is it a way to collect more checked bag fees (i.e. "sorry your bag is too heavy and must go in the hold")?

Supposedly, the overhead storage compartments can only handle so much weight, there are stickers inside the compartments which says this. Also, many passengers may not be able to carry up and put up the bag themselves, and thus failing to do so they might hit another passenger... insurance... suing... blah blah blah

That aside, what I find hilarious though is BA's superb weight limit of 23kg for cabin luggage :D I'd have to say that I've once maxed out on that limit once on the occasional LHR-EDI shuttle, HBO :p

In a way, I suppose it could be, especially for carriers selling HBO fares, or those desperate to generate revenue ........

But there is also the murky issue of health and safety (cabin crew might have to handle the things), and I guess integrity of the overhead baggage lockers in terms of the stresses exerted on them, particularly in turbulence

And in case of turbulences or accidents the overheads can pop open when there's too much weight in there. So complain to the people who don't like getting 20 kg bags dropped on their heads. Also unions really dislike it when checked baggage weight is exceeded. Perhaps you guys don't care about hauling 40 kg bags around all day long, but for some strange reason they do.
I really don't get the problem with weight limits. Instead of being happy that they sometimes let you pass with too much weight, people act like the airlinies are totally crazy when they actually stick to the rule. Many airlines go as far as publishing a weight limit of 20 kg with the 23 kg as planned excess, but when they are upfront and publish the actual limit of 23 kg, people seem to expect that's 23 kg + a few kg excess.
Are you guys going to Walmart with a $20 bill and walk out with stuff for $23, expecting the cashiers not to be so strict?

Qatar is one of the strictest airlines for baggage weight. In about 100 flights with my new cabin bag I've only checked it in twice: Once with Qatar from Amsterdam (as a OneWorld Emerald) and once on a budget holiday airline where I'd boarded too late to be guaranteed space in the overhead bins.

I'm not sure what the complaint here is. Are you upset that Qatar had clearly published weight allowances and stuck to them? You were inconvenienced because you broke the rules.

In the USA, a lot of it has to do with the carrier's worker's comp insurance company imposing these regulations.

Also at Helsinki today, and coming back from Bangkok before. I notice they are checking everyone, and then again at gate. Not a bad thing, stops though who try and take way more than allowance, wish BA would do it :)

+1

I wish a lot of carriers would do it.

Great to hear of airlines that enforce their rules.