Advance Warning - All Carriers - Christmas Baggage Restrictions

[bealine]

Traditionally, as we head towards Christmas, flights to the popular destinations for visiting relatives at Christmas - Caribbean, South America, Lagos etc become increasingly full - cargo as well as passengers.

Because of the enormous weight allowance given to passengers (2 pieces of up to 32kg each), there is very little scope for extra baggage to be carried by passengers. Most carriers impose excess baggage embargoes on full flights and WILL NOT allow excess to be carried - REGARDLESS OF YOUR WILLINGNESS TO PAY!

If you know in advance that your baggage is going to be over the maximum permitted allowances, phone your airline about a week before your travel date to check if there are any weight restrictions in operation. If you're told everything's okay, make sure you get the NAME of the person you speak to and ask them to make a note in your booking reference! - (Indeed, that is sound advice for ANY situation deviating from airline normality!)
(If a restriction is slapped on your flight the day after your call, evidence that you had prior clearance will be needed!)

Believe me, from a check-in agent's viewpoint - it's horrible to turn away passengers' baggage at what should be the happiest time of year!

[MarkD]

bealine

I am going ORK-LHR-YYZ on 26/12 and will be wishing to bring quite a bit of kit, maybe 20-30kg. I know I can bring 64kg total if I am on BA LH, but how am I fixed for the codeshare EI SH leg? I assume I am stuck with EI's [presumably lower] restriction for their A321?

thanks for any feedback

[bealine]

MarkD - Don't worry. EI and BA have a very strong alliance and EI will honour BA's higher allowance for the ORK-LHR sector and vv. Just ensure the EI check in agent sees your onward flight coupon at check-in. If you're fortunate ('cos not all EI computer systems are compatible with ours yet) he/she may even be able to check you in for our LHR-YYZ flight and tag your bags through to save you lugging them between the Terminals at that funny airport around the M25 from Gatwick (hub of the universe!)

Now, for passengers travelling with airlines outside alliances things become a little more complicated!

If your travel is all contained in the same booking and on the same ticket or conjunction tickets and your ticket coupons are all being used in sequence and your connecting flight is the first available service (ie you're not stopping over en-route), the the heavier allowance applies throughout your journey!

There is. currently, an IATA agreement that scheduled carriers will honour the 2 X32kg allowance to/from Transatlantic destinations on connecting services. (How long for is a mystery, given the huge volume of Delta, NorthWest, US Airways and Continental connectors we seem to be getting lately who have only paid about $20 for the onward sector!)


Be very careful though - it has to be genuine connecting services contained in the same booking! The "no-frills" carriers fall outside of this agreement and would probably rub their hands with glee if you appeared with 64kg of baggage at the thought of how much excess they could charge!

[MarkD]

bealine

good to know. The trip is on a single ticket booked on BA.com and my bags have always been transferred on previous trips to YUL and YYZ, but I have usually kept the bags relatively light. [10kg each].

good to have someone about who knows what's what.

[bealine]

Mark D - Just in case EI's computer system doesn't show your onward booking, have details ready of your onward flight so the Check-In agent can through check your bags!

(Often, if you book through ba.com you end up with an Electronic Ticket, although you should have been able to print your itinerary yourself!)

BTW If you're on a One-Way booking, please ensure you have evidence of the right of residency in Canada (either Canadian passport, Residents Permit or a Visa) or evidence of your means of return. Failure to provide this kind of documentation could end in tears!


Hope you have a lovely, festive Christmas over there in Canada......I think your chances of a White one are a little higher than ours!

;)

[MarkD]

bealine

because of ORK leg, can't use e-ticket [bah].

ORK-LHR-YUL April paper multi-leg ticket in post
ORK-LHR-YYZ August ticket never arrived so BA helpdesk advised to get EI desk to print the multi-leg ticket at the airport, which they did.

Will bring itinerary just in case though, I had my booking ref last time and was okay.

Two way ticket so no CIC [Canuck INS] hassles [I hope - crosses fingers]

have to say I am generally a big fan of BA.com... never got my Exec Club card, but with the fares I can afford, I only get 1/4 miles and no points :(

Still way better than EI's TAB farce...

thanks again.