From the commercial point of view, I remember getting a bit worried about the probable crosswind at my destination before takeoff one day. I got out my mobile and telephoned my chief pilot. "Fair point" he said: "The company limit is indeed 20 kts x wind component, but the manufacturer's is 32 kts. My captains may therefore attempt a landing between 20 and 32 knots at their discretion."
I put it down at 28 kts straight across (J31) - no problem, but I wouldn't let my f/o do it - it was a "Captain's landing" day. In commercial aviation the necessity is to earn your pennies by getting the punters/freight to their destination!
When I was younger and flying C150's I got myself a Canadian tourist permit to validate my British PPL for use in Canada. Naturally I had to check out and we had a crosswind. I got it down O.K., but the words of that instructor's debrief have remained with me to this day:" Guess you were taught to fly by an ex-RAF instructor huh? Pushing the drift off just before you touch down with rudder is fine for little crosswinds. Here we drop the wing into wind and line the A/C up with the runway with rudder - we can put a C150 down with 40 kts across that way."
Often aircraft manuals will state the maximum acceptable xwind that an aircraft can be landed in WITHOUT using a crosswind technique. In recent years this has been interpreted as the crosswind limit using the basis that if a landing is attempted with the wind above this figure, you have no insurance.
That old Canadian instructor's technique works with light singles, twins, Sheds, Twin Otters and J31's in my personal experience. I am assured that you can include the B707 in larger types where the technique works. Those words were as usual ringing in my ears on my 28 kts across day!
P.P.