What is going on with QR BKK ground handling agent lately?
#46
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 167
"Discretion" means 10-20%. So for 7kg, let's say 8.4kg might be discretionary.
These are published rules. They aren't sprung on you as a surprise. If you know they are enforced inconsistently, then you need to travel "at the speed of the slowest ship in the convoy" i.e. carrying 7kg and not a gram more.
If you can't fit within clearly published rules then you have simple choices. You can reduce weight and increase risk by checking luggage. You can purchase additional tickets. What is unethical is to expect staff enforcing the rules not to enforce the rules. When you ask them to do so, you are actually asking them to do something unethical. And the concept of bribing a baggage wrapper to sneak additional baggage on is so horrific I am going to assume you did so in a moment of high emotional stress and thus your bribery is at least somewhat excusable.
These are published rules. They aren't sprung on you as a surprise. If you know they are enforced inconsistently, then you need to travel "at the speed of the slowest ship in the convoy" i.e. carrying 7kg and not a gram more.
If you can't fit within clearly published rules then you have simple choices. You can reduce weight and increase risk by checking luggage. You can purchase additional tickets. What is unethical is to expect staff enforcing the rules not to enforce the rules. When you ask them to do so, you are actually asking them to do something unethical. And the concept of bribing a baggage wrapper to sneak additional baggage on is so horrific I am going to assume you did so in a moment of high emotional stress and thus your bribery is at least somewhat excusable.
#47
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Because I know that this is of great interest here in this thread, I thought that I'd let you all know the "final answer" on my carryon plan tomorrow night ex-BKK.
As I'm packing this morning (36 hours pre-departure), I realized that I want to take a few things which might not make it through security scanning in a carryon. So I'm going to check my carryon bag and carry my 11 pound laptop along with a change of clothes for showering in Al Mourjan. Since the laptop (plus keyboard, mouse, power transformer) and the overnight bag in which I carry it may exceed 7 kg., I'll stick the transformer in my blazer pocket for checkin. That should keep me under 7 kg. I will not, however, enjoy schlepping that thing around. It fits so nicely on the top of my wheeled carryon, and is so much easier to transport that way.
I'll check back in here for the return trip on January 2 because some of the things which might not pass security will be left in Boston.
As I'm packing this morning (36 hours pre-departure), I realized that I want to take a few things which might not make it through security scanning in a carryon. So I'm going to check my carryon bag and carry my 11 pound laptop along with a change of clothes for showering in Al Mourjan. Since the laptop (plus keyboard, mouse, power transformer) and the overnight bag in which I carry it may exceed 7 kg., I'll stick the transformer in my blazer pocket for checkin. That should keep me under 7 kg. I will not, however, enjoy schlepping that thing around. It fits so nicely on the top of my wheeled carryon, and is so much easier to transport that way.
I'll check back in here for the return trip on January 2 because some of the things which might not pass security will be left in Boston.
Wow. 15 kg.? I thought that the limit was 7. At this point, I have to assume that it was some combination of my PLT status and/or traveling in J that got both the higher allowance and then the small overage being permitted. Any insight or thoughts from anyone here would be much appreciated.
#48
Join Date: Dec 2002
Programs: QR Plat
Posts: 2,434
One thing that I find real funny is that the airlines are not consistent with what htey allow as carryon, so it isn't all down to government rules and load restrictions.
The funny part is that I have a friend, if she took three times the carryon limit, the weight of her and the carryons still wouldn't be half the weight of just me sans any carryon. (Yes, if you do that math you get to the obvious part here, I'm good with that. ), so why the airlines moan so much of these limits when the actual travellers vary as much is a bit weird.
-A
The funny part is that I have a friend, if she took three times the carryon limit, the weight of her and the carryons still wouldn't be half the weight of just me sans any carryon. (Yes, if you do that math you get to the obvious part here, I'm good with that. ), so why the airlines moan so much of these limits when the actual travellers vary as much is a bit weird.
-A
#49
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: LHR
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Posts: 1,151
Update: Decided that I really preferred to carry-on rather than check, so I removed the items which wouldn't pass security muster. Got to BKK, went to the premium checkin counter. Agent asked if I had anything to check; I said that I would carry on. She asked me to put my bags on the scale. "Really?" I asked. "Yes, we must weigh everyone's bags, no exceptions." She was pleasant about it, but firm. OK, I didn't argue, and on the scale they went. They weighed a total of 17 kg. together. She reached for the two gray QR paper tags to put on them, saying, "The limit is 15 kg.; but no problem as you're only 2 over."
Wow. 15 kg.? I thought that the limit was 7. At this point, I have to assume that it was some combination of my PLT status and/or traveling in J that got both the higher allowance and then the small overage being permitted. Any insight or thoughts from anyone here would be much appreciated.
Wow. 15 kg.? I thought that the limit was 7. At this point, I have to assume that it was some combination of my PLT status and/or traveling in J that got both the higher allowance and then the small overage being permitted. Any insight or thoughts from anyone here would be much appreciated.
In Y it's 1 piece weighing maximum 7kg.
https://www.qatarairways.com/en-gb/b...allowance.html
#50
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#51
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One thing that I find real funny is that the airlines are not consistent with what htey allow as carryon, so it isn't all down to government rules and load restrictions.
The funny part is that I have a friend, if she took three times the carryon limit, the weight of her and the carryons still wouldn't be half the weight of just me sans any carryon. (Yes, if you do that math you get to the obvious part here, I'm good with that. ), so why the airlines moan so much of these limits when the actual travellers vary as much is a bit weird.
-A
The funny part is that I have a friend, if she took three times the carryon limit, the weight of her and the carryons still wouldn't be half the weight of just me sans any carryon. (Yes, if you do that math you get to the obvious part here, I'm good with that. ), so why the airlines moan so much of these limits when the actual travellers vary as much is a bit weird.
-A
excess baggage revenue protection/generation. A bit short-sighted not looking at individual cases of class/total baggage or allowing discretion, but they probably like to keep it simple for contract staff at out-stations.
linking weight to volume to preserve space in lockers - bonkers but carries the same "keep it simple" idea.
concern at manipulation of heavy bags within the cabin (crew backs - passengers making a mess of placing and extracting bags, dropping them on seated passengers).
overall weight/stress on baggage lockers.
P`S better not to give them ideas about assessing passengers themselves for excess weight charges .......
#52
Join Date: Apr 2007
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#53
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Thailand
Programs: QRPC-Silver & Star-Alliance
Posts: 212
But a hand-carry bag, which is a few kgs over-the-limit, doesn't incur any baggage-handling charge until the check-in agent insists on it going into the hold, there is thus an economic-arguement in favour of the airline being lenient on carry-ons.
Also the fuel-cost-per-kg of carrying an extra couple-of-kgs is minimal, and should IMO be weighed against the marketing-effect of being hard on frequent-flyers, at a time when QR is desperately trying to maintain its business despite the blockade.
In my own case, I take minimal hold-luggage on the longer Thailand-UK journey, but do need to use the full-allowance on the slightly-shorter return-trip UK-Thailand, and it's helpful when this is informally-recongnised at check-in.
Also the fuel-cost-per-kg of carrying an extra couple-of-kgs is minimal, and should IMO be weighed against the marketing-effect of being hard on frequent-flyers, at a time when QR is desperately trying to maintain its business despite the blockade.
In my own case, I take minimal hold-luggage on the longer Thailand-UK journey, but do need to use the full-allowance on the slightly-shorter return-trip UK-Thailand, and it's helpful when this is informally-recongnised at check-in.
#54
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right I can just imagine them asking passengers to step on the scales while checking in their bags. Then have a quiet (or not so quiet) word about being some kilos over the average passenger body-weight. So unless there's the chance of a heroic trip to the loo there'll be an excess BWC (body-weight charge) of $178.
Of course there'll be questions of total weight allowed: BWC+carry-ons+checked bags. Or maybe BWC can be assessed against pooled group weight.
Maybe even we skinny creatures will get a BWCr (body-weight credit)......
#55
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But a hand-carry bag, which is a few kgs over-the-limit, doesn't incur any baggage-handling charge until the check-in agent insists on it going into the hold, there is thus an economic-arguement in favour of the airline being lenient on carry-ons.
Also the fuel-cost-per-kg of carrying an extra couple-of-kgs is minimal, and should IMO be weighed against the marketing-effect of being hard on frequent-flyers, at a time when QR is desperately trying to maintain its business despite the blockade.
Also the fuel-cost-per-kg of carrying an extra couple-of-kgs is minimal, and should IMO be weighed against the marketing-effect of being hard on frequent-flyers, at a time when QR is desperately trying to maintain its business despite the blockade.
The "my bag is inconsequential in terms of weight/fuel analysis" might be an argument to put to the check-in agent, but it's specious in broader terms. It's not just your bags: it's the aggregate.
It might be nice if we were given weight credits for the times we're baggage-light, to set against the days we are over the limit. But I think that's not going to happen. Pity, I'd be able to carry a modestly sized elephant with me by now
#56
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I checked with a friend who knows everything. Well he thinks he does, he's an engineer, and we humour him.
The cost of flying an additional kilo is in the order of cents per hour. Of course that's hedged strongly with aircraft type caveats, among many others.
So the guru says one cent an hour per kilo is a handy rule of thumb. But it's strictly marginal costing, and he points out that to be fair each additional kilo should really share in the weight cost of the infrastructure required to sustain flight and passenger comfort: I think there's hope for him morphing into an accountant ......
The cost of flying an additional kilo is in the order of cents per hour. Of course that's hedged strongly with aircraft type caveats, among many others.
So the guru says one cent an hour per kilo is a handy rule of thumb. But it's strictly marginal costing, and he points out that to be fair each additional kilo should really share in the weight cost of the infrastructure required to sustain flight and passenger comfort: I think there's hope for him morphing into an accountant ......
#57
Join Date: Apr 2007
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Very interesting, and it does look like the accountants are running the show at QR (are they qualified?).
But it's rather a farce when anyone could wear an additional 10 kg on their person without question. What are they going to do, strip search you?
But it's rather a farce when anyone could wear an additional 10 kg on their person without question. What are they going to do, strip search you?
#58
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Thailand
Programs: QRPC-Silver & Star-Alliance
Posts: 212
So the guru says one cent an hour per kilo is a handy rule of thumb. But it's strictly marginal costing, and he points out that to be fair each additional kilo should really share in the weight cost of the infrastructure required to sustain flight and passenger comfort: I think there's hope for him morphing into an accountant ......
That rule-of-thumb is close to what I calculated, when I last did these calculations for-real, which is some considerable time ago.
#59
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Thailand
Programs: QRPC-Silver & Star-Alliance
Posts: 212
That might well fit simply within their existing computer-systems, for Qmiles & baggage, the saving on loading/transferring-in-Doha/unloading a couple of items, plus the fuel-saving on weight not-carried, covering the reduced-cost of the newly-devalued Qmiles awarded. And then using those Qmiles to pay for excess-baggage another time !
This must indeed form part of the calculation for airlines like British Airways, when they limit hold-luggage but extend carry-on weight, or Etihad when they offer only one hold-bag of up-to 23kgs for their cheaper fares.
And wouldn't it be nice to see QR trying something new like this, one-in-the-eye their Gulf-based competitors, especially if it were to prove popular with the SLF !
It's fun to speculate !
#60
Join Date: Dec 2002
Programs: QR Plat
Posts: 2,434
You're right of course, it's not going to happen, and yet one could perhaps make an economic-case for giving maybe a 500-Qmiles bonus, to any passenger (in any Class) who didn't check-in any hold-luggage at all ?
That might well fit simply within their existing computer-systems, for Qmiles & baggage, the saving on loading/transferring-in-Doha/unloading a couple of items, plus the fuel-saving on weight not-carried, covering the reduced-cost of the newly-devalued Qmiles awarded. And then using those Qmiles to pay for excess-baggage another time !
This must indeed form part of the calculation for airlines like British Airways, when they limit hold-luggage but extend carry-on weight, or Etihad when they offer only one hold-bag of up-to 23kgs for their cheaper fares.
And wouldn't it be nice to see QR trying something new like this, one-in-the-eye their Gulf-based competitors, especially if it were to prove popular with the SLF !
It's fun to speculate !
That might well fit simply within their existing computer-systems, for Qmiles & baggage, the saving on loading/transferring-in-Doha/unloading a couple of items, plus the fuel-saving on weight not-carried, covering the reduced-cost of the newly-devalued Qmiles awarded. And then using those Qmiles to pay for excess-baggage another time !
This must indeed form part of the calculation for airlines like British Airways, when they limit hold-luggage but extend carry-on weight, or Etihad when they offer only one hold-bag of up-to 23kgs for their cheaper fares.
And wouldn't it be nice to see QR trying something new like this, one-in-the-eye their Gulf-based competitors, especially if it were to prove popular with the SLF !
It's fun to speculate !
-A