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Last year in the
U.K. alone
there were over
23 million
passengers who had overweight luggage at
the airport check-in. This meant that if every overweight bag
weighed just 1kg more than the maximum luggage allowance, the cost
to U.K. air passengers would have been at least
£138 million.
With the massive increase in air passenger
numbers and the
new luggage restrictions, which
have come into force this year, these figures will dramatically
increase.
In previous years your maximum
luggage allowance may have been approximately 20kg per person and if
you were under the allowance in one bag but over in another, this
was o.k. as long as your combined weight was within the maximum
allowance for your party i.e., Mom, Dad and 2 children (80kg). This
rule is now being changed by at least one major airline to the fact
that you are only allowed a maximum weight per bag and, therefore,
there is no longer a combined maximum luggage allowance. They have
also said that their maximum luggage allowance per person is 23kg
and if you are over this weight they will charge you a fixed amount
for your overweight luggage
(£60.00 for a short-haul flight and £120.00 for a long- haul
flight).
All
airlines and
tour operators have their
own rules,
different luggage allowances and different charges
for example, another tour operator allows a maximum luggage
allowance of 25kg (combining checked-in and hand luggage). So if
your hand luggage weighs 5kg you will be left with only 20kgs for
your checked-in luggage and anything over this weight
you will have to pay
between £6.00 and £9.00 per kg
depending on your
destination.
Another major tour operator states
that if a bag weighs more than their maximum luggage allowance
you will have to repack your luggage
into another case and
you may have to do this at the check-in
desk or move out of the queue and then repack.
What a nightmare!
If you were already at your maximum
luggage allowance you would have to buy another bag or bags from a
shop at the airport,
repack,
then re-join the check-in queue and
pay excess
charges
for your extra
bag(s).
Great way to start or end your holiday as the
same rules apply both ways.
You will find your
maximum luggage allowance in your holiday brochure or on the tour
operator’s website but it is always best to
check your maximum luggage allowance
which is printed on your tickets, as your allowance may have changed
from the time of booking to the time when you receive your tickets.
Wouldn’t it be great if you already
knew that your bag(s) were within the maximum luggage allowance
before you actually got to the check-in desk and especially on your
return journey taking into account the
extra weight that you could be carrying due to
holiday gifts, souvenirs, duty free etc.
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