Excess Baggage Charges

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 6,503

What is the average charge per kilo for excess baggage?

My family are currently on their way to Heathrow with Qatar Airways on flight QR001. They came from Bangkok and had a quick stop-over in Doha, Qatar.

This isn't the first time they've used Qatar and certainly not the first time they've been very slightly overweight on their baggage, but the airline has just charged them £96 to carry the extra.

If you were paying £96, how much extra baggage would you expect. Unfortunately, at the moment, I don't know how much extra baggage they had. They left with practically full suitcases so not much else could have been added to them!

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 4,213

When using bmi and easyJet both have been £5.00 per kilo for European Routes. Unsure of Longhaul would expect it to be larger.

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,064

Most airlines publish it in their FAQ section of their website

Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 2,495

Well as someone who loves to charge excess baggage while checking in I can tell you some prices although in €. Most airlines chare about €6 per kilo but it varies. For example Malev charge about €9 per KG and if you are transferring onto a connecting flight it goes up as your bags are carried on more than one flight.

One example again is Malev who can charge up to €18 per KG if you transfer onto specific flights.

And what happens if you cant pay the charge well your bags get left behind as Ive now seen on many occasions.

Member for

20 years 10 months

Posts: 9,401

You would love charging more wouldnt you Andrew, lol ;).

Member for

19 years 8 months

Posts: 1,953

IATA regulations for flights where baggage allowances are based on weight (as opposed to pieces) are usually 1.5% of the HIGHEST one way economy fare, per kilo in excess of the allowance. There are however exceptions where its only 1% or 1.25% of the highest one way economy fare.

The following page may be informative for those really interested:

http://www.frequentflyer.oag.com/traveller_services/baggage.asp

Andy

Member for

19 years 11 months

Posts: 170

I would like to thank those beautiful ladies at LOT. Everytime I have excess baggage (at least 20 times per year).Usually up to 10kg too much.When they look at me with that knowing smile and I say,I am only a poor old Eglish guy and not very heavy,they always smile and say ok,but in future not too much.
Problem is,they are starting to recognise me.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 6,503

In Bangkok where they boarded their flight to Doha, excess baggage was charged at 1,100THB per kilo (a whopping £16). There was just 6 kilos of excess baggage.

I was under the impression they had paid it. They hadn't. Instead, they were allowed to pack the excess into their hand baggage (making that overweight) and then be issued with their boarding cards.

So when I met them from Heathrow, they had a fat suitcase each and at least three items of hand baggage each. I'd rather that the extra weight be beneath me rather than above me. If the worst should happen, its less to fall on me when the aircraft hits the ground!

So, in my opinion, this isn't the 5* service you might expect from a 5* airline (as rated by SkyTrax). What always seems to happen is that you get caught, yet either side of you at check-in, people quite easily check in their overweight bags without any fuss. It seems that the staff in Bangkok (whether working for Qatar Airways or a handling agent, I do not know) didn't care about what any other passengers were up to.

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 546

You'd be surprised how a little bit of encouragement gets staff to ignore the excess baggage.

Try 30+ air cadets and 8 or so staff. We're all carrying uniforms along with civvies for the week, about half of us were over the limit for the big orange flying machine. With some gentle pursuasion they let us off with it :D

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 320

When I moved over here in Feb we Flew BMI from Edi to LHR and SAA to Jnb.
We were at least 25kilos over weight. The BMI check ins taff asked us why we were taking so much on holiday untill I told them we were emigrating. She just smiled. Put some heavy tags on the luggage and wished us all the best for the future. Couldnt have been nicer. Mind you I was very nervous at the other end when the customs guys were giving us the twice over with loaded trollys etc.