New baggage Rules

**Pike** · 18th November 2009 12:31

I don't know how common knowledge this is but just been onto the phone with thomson (off to Boa Vista in Jan);

As of 1st November there are new charges for sports baggage (ie. not pay £15 each way as standard fee any more);

£25pp for every 5 kilos over the free limit - 23kilos hold & 7 kilos hand.

Weight can be pooled so as couples you have free hold weight of 46kilos

HOWEVER the total limit for any one bag is 23 kilos as lowered by the freekin EU! Thats for all airlines! For crying out loud are all the baggage handlers anorexic dwarfs??

we think have a good idea where we will have an 'excess' bag for any bits of kit that takes you over and then share the cost or even better if one person in our group hardly uses any free weight.

**North Wind** · 18th November 2009 15:28

Time to leave the EU, for so many reasons ...

**5N1TCH** · 18th November 2009 15:41

Another reason to vote BNP

**Afro** · 18th November 2009 15:52

where did that come from?

**Andy C** · 18th November 2009 16:22

Didn't you hear the new BNP 'kitesurfers should get better baggage allowances' manifesto pledge??

I think it would probably go something like 'vote BNP, if you agree to kidnap an immigrant and lock them in your luggage we'll give you massive flight discounts.'

**FiendishMcButt** · 18th November 2009 16:36

^^^^^ pmsl

**biniasg6** · 18th November 2009 16:41

Just FYI. The current EU rules used the UK Baggage Handlers Union as a guideline for these rules.

The UK has some of the most restrictive rules for Sports Baggage out of any of the European Countries

Charter Airlines from Germany have way less restrictive rules. Most have a "pay 25 Euros and get an extra 30 kg Sports Baggage allowance extra on top of your 20 kg normal bags" system.

I fly quite a bit, and it's always the English and Spanish Airlines that screw me on Baggage.

--
Gunnar

**kiteingcolin** · 18th November 2009 16:56

£54 last week thompson/first choice hols to egypt with unlimited kit,
I say unlimited as I could not find any weight limits in any paperwork or on any web site,
they call it sports equipment now, must be to catch all sports, dive,golf,windsurf,surf,etc.
same drill on the return from egypt, they scan your paper work and then ask for money to take extra bags, we shout at them to check again and they all gather around the paperwork shaking heads and looking mean, then pointing at bags saying you not paid for this bag only one bag, we say no no, pay for sports equipment in uk, all paid for no limit, they shake heads and mutter then throw it on the belt, this happened last time earlier this year,
the check in staff (3 to each check in point) are all stood there grinning holding credit card machines to make it very easy for all pasengers to pay for the extra weight, and they do charge as we witnessed with groups in front of us, my blood boils as they say "you not pay these more extra bags, pay now! credit card ok!"

**POT BELLY** · 18th November 2009 17:35

So let me get this straight. With Thomson 23kg per person? if thats the case do have have to book in sports gear? because I know I can get my kite bag down to 23kg. I've flown with them before and am again to Egypt in April and always pre booked the kite bag at £15 each way.

I'm also off to Kenya in the summer has anyone any knoledge or tips on flying with Kenya Airlines?

**kiteingcolin** · 18th November 2009 18:23

without the "sports gear deal" our allowance was 20kg each, and 10kg hand luggage,
one kite without bag weighs in around 5kg for a 10mtr, my 10mtr nemi nxg weighed in at 4.5kg, so its tight to get all your kit in and 2 kites, the carry bag will be 2-3 kg

**thelukeandrews** · 18th November 2009 18:26

Originally Posted by 5N1TCH

Another reason to vote BNP

yeah, Britih baggage handles are bigger and stronger. VOTE BNP!

**POT BELLY** · 18th November 2009 19:09

So what you're saying Colin, is go for the upgrade to get the extra weight allowance?

**kiteingcolin** · 18th November 2009 19:28

I would,(did,) as the weight of all my gear was so much it would mean Pauline would have had to leave her essentials behind, hair spray, moisturizer, nail file, and 300 other essentials.
2 kites, board, bar, bags, suit; harness just weighs in at to much,
Pay the fee and be happy you don’t have to dry out all your gear before the return flight,

**Morgan** · 19th November 2009 09:40

£25 for 5KGs thats stupid.

I went on a Kiss flight

and normal allowence was 15kgs :S just for cloths its stupid :S.

**mkratty** · 19th November 2009 11:17

thompson bag allowances changes

i posted a thread up about this a few weeks ago .....

just got back from cape verde . i paid for a extra 10kg 50 quid for board bag kites ect on top of the normal 20 kgs +5kg hand luggage .

on the return flight they was charging 12 quid a kilo for over weight luggage . i recon its worth the 50 quid as it just saved loads of agro at the airport.

**kitesurfjim** · 19th November 2009 12:09

All airlines provide the option of sports equipment, at a price!!!

Always best to pay the price prior to check in.

I was stung last year with that doggy Irish firm Ryan Air.
they had a 15kg hold luggage and 10 kg hand luggage limit, i booked extra sports kit and had to argue why it weighed more than 15 kg and that i am allowed when booked up to 32 kg.

long story short they accepted it then proceeded to tell me i was 5kg over on the main luggage and stung me £95 for the 5KG. one way.
the Bloody ticket was only £60

On my return they simply refused to take any excess in weight.
i had three pairs of jeans on four jumpers and carried a spare pair of shoe's in my pocket. yeah i don't look like a terrorist about to blow up a plane with my clothes.

**xdavemarshallx** · 19th November 2009 13:59

Originally Posted by kitesurfjim

On my return they simply refused to take any excess in weight.
i had three pairs of jeans on four jumpers and carried a spare pair of shoe's in my pocket. yeah i don't look like a terrorist about to blow up a plane with my clothes.

Thats the stupid thing about it all. You managed to get it all on on the plane around their rules.....just ended up that you weighed more and the luggage less! They don't charge 18 stone rugby players extra weight limits because their arms are like tree trunks, yet as a 10 stone kitesurfer with an extra 15kg of kite kit I have to pay extra!!!!

Start charging the fatties!!

**Antigrav** · 19th November 2009 14:35

Originally Posted by xdavemarshallx

Start charging the fatties!!

I actually wish this happened. I'd say anyone over like 95/100kgs or something should pay per extra kilo. I feel cheated when I get charged for 2/3kgs extra when there are people in the queue well over 20 kg heavier than me and they get no extra charge for their fat ass

I don't care if people are sensitive about their weight or whatever bullshit excuse some might pull, if they cared that much they would do some sodding exercise

ok rant over, maybe I'm a bit biased at 73kgs but it does seem a bit of a piss take

**FiendishMcButt** · 19th November 2009 16:43

i wonder if you could wear yer wettie, harness, bindings and wear all four kites as a coat of many colours.

**Andy C** · 19th November 2009 18:27

If they keep going in the direction they are going it can only be a matter of time before they charge per weight of passenger. Only fair I say! (at 65kg)

**Afro** · 19th November 2009 18:35

i'm sure they would if they felt they could get away with it

i wouldnt want to be the person on a check-in desk telling mr universe that he has to pay extra for his 50kg of muscle

**stickysoap** · 19th November 2009 19:28

so what if you dont have any other check in bags but your kite bag with all your gear weighing 30kg's and a smaller bag with a bit of clothes as carry on? Flight with Emirates in Jan to SA for a couple weeks...allready booked.

**Antigrav** · 19th November 2009 19:35

23kg maximum for a single bag?? That's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank! When we went to Fuerteventura in March me and 2 mates shared our kit out between 2 bags and were well under our combined allowance, but one of the bags was 30kg....so under these new rules we couldn't do that because of health and safety?! Even I could carry that safely and I'm not exactly mr universe at just over 70 kilos!

**Pike** · 19th November 2009 19:41

Originally Posted by POT BELLY

So let me get this straight. With Thomson 23kg per person? if thats the case do have have to book in sports gear? because I know I can get my kite bag down to 23kg. I've flown with them before and am again to Egypt in April and always pre booked the kite bag at £15 each way.

I'm also off to Kenya in the summer has anyone any knoledge or tips on flying with Kenya Airlines?

the new deal is that there is no sports gear deal...its purely down to weight now. each person gets 23kgs (unless you book/pay for premier seating which has a higher free weight limit), anything above is £25 per 5 kilos (£12.50 each way). You have to book the weight in well before flying & pay.
The main problem is the daft EU ruling that all bags cannot be more than 23kgs so you take an extra bag - no's of bags make no difference. The only good thing is that they allow you to pool weight within the group. Now of course I could go with a couple kilos over 23..sometimes they just direct you to take the bag to the oversize baggage check in and voila...but then again they may be little H&S nazis on duty!!!