Baggage Allowance Question

cjw

Hi,

Next April we have a cruise booked from Japan to Vancouver, so we've booked flights via ebookers September time and we are have booked a return trip with KLM/Air France group.

So we fly from Newcastle - Paris - Osaka (Japan), then the return from Seatle - Amsterdam - Newcastle. Seatle was cheaper than Vancouver to fly back from if you were wondering.

We went with KLM/Air France, as their baggage allowance allows 2 x 23kg of checked luggaged on long haul flights and we need this because the cruise is 22 days.

However, they recently cancelled the flight from Seatle and moved us on an earlier flight which is with Delta. But while we were on the phone to KLM, they happen to say "please remember you are only allowed 1 piece of baggage going and 2 pieces when returning".

When we re-looked at the baggage allowance on KLM/Air France website it says, flying from Europe to Asia (depending on class) only 1 x 23kg checcked baggage is allowed. Flying from America/Canada to Europe, 2 x 23kg checked baggage is allowed.

I won't argue with that, as it is clear. However, have I read somewhere if someone can remember, that if an air line is offering extra baggage on one of the legs that you are flying on, then it must apply to the whole of your trip?

dickydonkin

cjw wrote: »

Hi,

Next April we have a cruise booked from Japan to Vancouver, so we've booked flights via ebookers September time and we are have booked a return trip with KLM/Air France group.

So we fly from Newcastle - Paris - Osaka (Japan), then the return from Seatle - Amsterdam - Newcastle. Seatle was cheaper than Vancouver to fly back from if you were wondering.

We went with KLM/Air France, as their baggage allowance allows 2 x 23kg of checked luggaged on long haul flights and we need this because the cruise is 22 days.

However, they recently cancelled the flight from Seatle and moved us on an earlier flight which is with Delta. But while we were on the phone to KLM, they happen to say "please remember you are only allowed 1 piece of baggage going and 2 pieces when returning".

When we re-looked at the baggage allowance on KLM/Air France website it says, flying from Europe to Asia (depending on class) only 1 x 23kg checcked baggage is allowed. Flying from America/Canada to Europe, 2 x 23kg checked baggage is allowed.

I won't argue with that, as it is clear. However, have I read somewhere if someone can remember, that if an air line is offering extra baggage on one of the legs that you are flying on, then it must apply to the whole of your trip?

I think you have either been misinformed or interpreted the baggage allowance incorrectly.

KLM only allows 2x 23 KG checked pieces of baggage to the following destinations: (Assuming Economy Class)






You may bring 2 pieces of check-in baggage, each max. 23 kg (50.5 lbs), max. 158 cm (62 inches) l + w + h on KLM and AIR FRANCE flights to and from:

• Indian Ocean and Caribbean: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Haiti, Martinique, Reunion, Saint Martin.
• South America: Ecuador (Guayaquil, Quito); Brazil only if originating in Brazil (outbound and returning flights): each piece may weigh up to 32 kg (70.5 lbs).
• Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriyia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, Sao Tome And Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, St. Helena, Seychelles, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
• French Polynesia: Tahiti, New Caledonia.

For other destinations (which will include flights to and from the USA):

Free baggage allowance
Economy Class1 item of check-in baggage*,
each max. 23 kg (50.5 lbs),
max. 158 cm (62 inches) l + w + h

Delta flights from the US to Europe also only allow only 1 checked in bag @ 23 kgs - again, assuming they are economy flights.

It may be there is some dispensation offered to ebookers clients, or the rules have changed since you have booked the flights - but I doubt it. When I last flew to and from the states with KLM and Air France - the checked baggage allowance was 1X23kg.

lynx10

We've been using Carlton Airtec Hard Plastic Suitcases for a good 20 years - they are a reasonable size (57cm x 78cm x 26cm), but not overly large compared with some monster cases, and have wheels. We usualy find that they're full at just over 20kg, which is fine.

I was therefore surprised, after checking the Lufthansa hold baggage size limit of 158 cm, to see that the suitcase @ 161 cm actually exceeds what has been suggested is a common baggage size limit for airlines.

Is the 158 cm limit nominal and usually disregarded, unless there's a major issue ? (I recall a passenger at one airport having to part-empty a case which was over 30 kg).

lynx10

Sorted - I have since spoken to Lufthansa, and they indicated that a few cms over the 158 cm limit shouldn't be a problem: "you would be very unlucky to be charged !" (their 'free' hold baggage weight limit is 23kg).

martindow

lynx10 wrote: »

Sorted - I have since spoken to Lufthansa, and they indicated that a few cms over the 158 cm limit shouldn't be a problem: "you would be very unlucky to be charged !" (their 'free' hold baggage weight limit is 23kg).

This doesn't seem that reassuring. Presumably the decision is made by whatever company does the checking in. It will not be Lufthansa's decision.

What would you do if they refuse to check in this pieces of luggage?

mcfisco

This doesn't seem that reassuring. Presumably the decision is made by whatever company does the checking in. It will not be Lufthansa's decision.

Apart from the budget carriers with their cages for testing the size of cabin bags, I've never experienced any check in staff wielding a tape measure to check other bags conform, they tend to work by the 'does it look ok and is it within the weight limit' rule

lynx10

mcfisco wrote: »

Apart from the budget carriers with their cages for testing the size of cabin bags, I've never experienced any check in staff wielding a tape measure to check other bags conform, they tend to work by the 'does it look ok and is it within the weight limit' rule

I agree - the size issue with hold luggage has never been encountered previously, and these particular cases and their identical predecessors must have been on 30+ flights.