New baggage Rules

[Pike]

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]

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

[5N1TCH]

Another reason to vote BNP

[Afro]

where did that come from?

[Andy C]

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]

^^^^^ pmsl

[biniasg6]

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]

£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]

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]

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]

Another reason to vote BNP

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

[POT BELLY]

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

[kiteingcolin]

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]

£25 for 5KGs thats stupid.

I went on a Kiss flight and normal allowence was 15kgs :S just for cloths its stupid :S.

[mkratty]

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.