Etihad charged me £1600 at the desk to take 3 suitcases to Australia! How can I get my money back?

Ayr_Rage

Having looked around, Etihad introduced "deals" fare without checked baggage in 2017, expanded the destinations in 2020 and from what I could see added Australia in 2023.

Every eticket I've had shows the baggage allowance, did you check that too?

oldernonethewiser

BaggageBetrayal said:

oldernonethewiser said:

How were you aware that it had hand baggage allowance if it isn't stated anywhere?

I just saw it in the post from Ayr_Rage which shows it.
I also wasn't fined for that.
It's not stated in any of the booking documentation emailed to me.  

As I understand it you booked a ticket with no indication of what luggage, if any could be taken on the flight.

I can't think of any way you are going to get any money back.

swingaloo

If there is nothing on your booking info or tickets about weight and luggage then surely you should have checked. Every airline seem to have different structures for luggage and what you can take regarding bags so why would you assume you could just turn up with suitcases without checking it out first.

MeteredOut

swingaloo said:

If there is nothing on your booking info or tickets about weight and luggage then surely you should have checked. Every airline seem to have different structures for luggage and what you can take regarding bags so why would you assume you could just turn up with suitcases without checking it out first.

Indeed. Perhaps a bit of a stretched analogy, but some airlines still include meals with some tickets. If its not on the booking, I'd not assume they were included.

BaggageBetrayal

Ayr_Rage said:

Having looked around, Etihad introduced "deals" fare without checked baggage in 2017, expanded the destinations in 2020 and from what I could see added Australia in 2023.

Every eticket I've had shows the baggage allowance, did you check that too?

Mine does not

Ayr_Rage

BaggageBetrayal said:

Ayr_Rage said:

Having looked around, Etihad introduced "deals" fare without checked baggage in 2017, expanded the destinations in 2020 and from what I could see added Australia in 2023.

Every eticket I've had shows the baggage allowance, did you check that too?

Mine does not

That's a clue then, there was no baggage allowance as per the ticket you purchased.

BaggageBetrayal

swingaloo said:

If there is nothing on your booking info or tickets about weight and luggage then surely you should have checked. Every airline seem to have different structures for luggage and what you can take regarding bags so why would you assume you could just turn up with suitcases without checking it out first.

I assumed bags were included because they always have been on every flight to Australia I've taken in the past 20 years. My check was Googling the weight allowance for the airline as it has been every time I've flown which I was under. 

My issue here isn't that there was a charge, I know very well that I made an error in not fully checking. It was possible for me to go through all the many links and pages to eventually find out that bags were not included. My issue is that if I had not been a human about it, and relied on 20 years of routine flying to Australia, and noticed then it would have cost me significantly less than £1600 to take the bags. It's like a 'gotcha' because I didn't spot what they were playing at. 

BaggageBetrayal

Ayr_Rage said:

BaggageBetrayal said:

Ayr_Rage said:

Having looked around, Etihad introduced "deals" fare without checked baggage in 2017, expanded the destinations in 2020 and from what I could see added Australia in 2023.

Every eticket I've had shows the baggage allowance, did you check that too?

Mine does not

That's a clue then, there was no baggage allowance as per the ticket you purchased.

As discussed above, not really, because hand baggage is included but that isnt stated either.  

swingaloo

I cant understand where you have looked as on Expedia when booking to fly on Etihad every option from basic to 1st class clearly shows how much hand and hold luggage is allowed on every fare.

Did you not get email confirmation when you booked showing the baggage allowance?

oldernonethewiser

BaggageBetrayal said:

Ayr_Rage said:

BaggageBetrayal said:

Ayr_Rage said:

Having looked around, Etihad introduced "deals" fare without checked baggage in 2017, expanded the destinations in 2020 and from what I could see added Australia in 2023.

Every eticket I've had shows the baggage allowance, did you check that too?

Mine does not

That's a clue then, there was no baggage allowance as per the ticket you purchased.

As discussed above, not really, because hand baggage is included but that isnt stated either.  

You didn't know it was included though, you just assumed as you did, unfortuntaley mistakenly, with the hold luggage.

Your initial premise "You expect checked baggage to be included unless told otherwise" is flawed.

For your complaint to be successful you would need to prove that you were mis-sold the tickets.  I doubt anyone will find that to be the case.