Family of 4 with 15kg luggage allowance each - separate cases?

Pollycat

MrsE wrote: »

Its practically a departure tax in Turkey:mad:

Maybe it is - but it's a tax I've never paid (or been asked to pay).:)

MrsE_2

Pollycat wrote: »

Maybe it is - but it's a tax I've never paid (or been asked to pay).:)

I have only been charged extra that one time (& the try on in Bodrum) but they seem to chance their hand in fits & starts.
If you've been a frequent visitor to Turkey & haven't been charged then you are lucky, but its a country "known" for it, so the reputation has come from somewhere.

Good luck to you that you haven't been charged, Turkey is the only country its ever happened to me.

Pollycat

MrsE wrote: »

I have only been charged extra that one time (& the try on in Bodrum) but they seem to chance their hand in fits & starts.
If you've been a frequent visitor to Turkey & haven't been charged then you are lucky, but its a country "known" for it, so the reputation has come from somewhere.

Good luck to you that you haven't been charged, Turkey is the only country its ever happened to me.

Maybe they try it on at Turkish airports because so many people ARE over their limit when they go home.
In fact, many people are over their limit when they leave the UK.
In the check-in queue at Stansted for Bodrum, 2 girls were charged £40 each for overweight luggage.
What chance did they have of coming back under the limit?

As you said in an earlier post about the return from Dalaman

but I might have been over

But as you've also said, when challenged they back down:

The following year they tried it again in Bodrum, but I pulled my ticket out & showed them my luggage allowance AND my hand luggage allowance & they waved me through, but I saw others being charged.

That's what I would have done in the situation your sister found herself in.

MrsE_2

Pollycat wrote: »

Maybe they try it on at Turkish airports because so many people ARE over their limit when they go home.
In fact, many people are over their limit when they leave the UK.
In the check-in queue at Stansted for Bodrum, 2 girls were charged £40 each for overweight luggage.
What chance did they have of coming back under the limit?

I don't go to turkey & buy clothes

As you said in an earlier post about the return from Dalaman
But as you've also said, when challenged they back down:

In Bodrum the scales said LESS than our baggage allowance, I had to point this out to them. It was there in black & white.

That's what I would have done in the situation your sister found herself in.

The scales did say she was over, middle of the night, massive queue of people, rep is not allowed in, in Dalaman.....
She was under at Gatwick but sans toiletries she was over in Dalaman

Pollycat

In Bodrum the scales said LESS than our baggage allowance, I had to point this out to them. It was there in black & white.

MrsE wrote: »

The following year they tried it again in Bodrum, but I pulled my ticket out & showed them my luggage allowance AND my hand luggage allowance & they waved me through, but I saw others being charged.

You didn't say you were under the limit.

I don't go to turkey & buy clothes

I didn't say you did go to Turkey to buy clothes.
I actually said that 'many people are over their limit when they go home'.

MrsE wrote: »

The scales did say she was over, middle of the night, massive queue of people, rep is not allowed in, in Dalaman.....
She was under at Gatwick but sans toiletries she was over in Dalaman

I understand what you're saying.
I'd have stepped to one side whilst I queried the scales - middle of the night, massive queue or not.
I'd have waited until someone came along whose case was UNDER the limit and then got them to weigh my case again.
If it weighed too heavy again, maybe your sister really WAS over the limit.

Lily1

We came back from Turkey yesterday via Antalya airport and several people were being charged for excess baggage. I think the ones who accepted the charge paid but others were allowed to go through with 8 kilos over their limit. As we had been there 3 times we are always careful. Just to let you know as well TC have stopped their in flight entertainment from 1st May. Apparently only now on long haul.

MrsE_2

Pollycat wrote: »

You didn't say you were under the limit.

When I said

The following year they tried it again in Bodrum,

I meant they were trying it on again. I don't know if I was a bit over or not in Dalaman, but I KNOW my sister wasn't. They were only on a weeks hol, they were well under in Gatwick & they used lotions & potions, bought one tiny fridge magnet, so couldn't possibly have been over. Myself that year I'm not 100% certain - but I do know they pulled a fast one on my sister & the next year at Bodrum they tried to do it to me. But I was under my allowance.



I didn't say you did go to Turkey to buy clothes.
I actually said that 'many people are over their limit when they go home'.

If you go out within the limit, use your lotions & potions, then unless you buy "stuff" you can't be over on the return - only lighter.

I understand what you're saying.
I'd have stepped to one side whilst I queried the scales - middle of the night, massive queue or not.
I'd have waited until someone came along whose case was UNDER the limit and then got them to weigh my case again.
If it weighed too heavy again, maybe your sister really WAS over the limit.

If the scales in Dalaman are fiddled (as I know that set was) then only someone with half their baggage allowance is likely to weigh under. My sister was UNDER in Gatwick (only be a few kilos, but still under).

travelgran

I wanted to check the weight at the airport so I could repack if necessary, but didn't want all the palaver at the check in desk. I was directed to a check-in desk that wasn't being used and advised to use the 'official' scales there which were already switched on. It turned out we were fine. The readings were identical. At least you'd have advance warning of 'overweight' issues and some grounds for challenge if the readings were different.

Pollycat

MrsE wrote: »

If the scales in Dalaman are fiddled (as I know that set was)

As long as people behave like sheep and allow this to happen without complaint (to the airlines or Tour Operators), unscrupulous airport staff will continue to 'try it on'.

This used to be a big problem at Dabolim, Goa airport which is also a military airport and reps are not allowed in.
Although I've flown from there many times, they'd never tried to charge me excess luggage (I've never been over my limit), but many people reported check-in staff putting their feet on the belt to add weight.
This March coming back (flying with Monarch) there was a notice on the check-in desk that you shouldn't pay any money for excess luggage to check-in staff but go to the Monarch office to pay.

So the check-in staff or airport authority no longer have the incentive to 'fiddle' the scales as they do not benefit financially.
Simple really, but it won't work unless enough people complain instead of accepting what they know to be wrong because they don't want to hold up the queue or they are tired.

Endora_2

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

IMO, taking 2 bags would be very sensible.
For us, we have found that soft bags with wheels are a lot handier than 'rigid' suitcases, and possibly a lot cheaper as well :beer:

We finally decided to go with 2 cases, got 2 soft type ones which are supposed to be the lightest ones around, just hope they don't get ripped on the conveyor belts, wouldn't want my "smalls" all over the place. :eek: Anyway, only 3 days left now till we go.:A