[PerthWA]

Thanks BA4ever, that’s precisely what I thought but according to BA and the corporate trawl organizer, its one bag for that sector regardless that its just transiting for an hour through Heathrow! Thus.. If this is the fact and I’ll happily report back in a couple of weeks whether we get a lovely check in or a ratbag who will tell me the longest leg is LHR/DXB not JFK/LHR by 20 airmiles or something I will happily nominate BA for silly and outrageous charge totally contravening the joy of American international baggage norms!

[BA4ever]

I’m copying from ba.com:
If your journey includes flights in more than one class, the more generous allowance will apply to your whole journey (unless the flights are on separate bookings then each class’s allowance will apply to the individual flight). For example:

You fly from Manchester to London in UK Domestic and connect from London to Rome in Club Europe. The Club Europe allowance applies to your entire journey.
You fly from London to Dubai in World Traveller and return in World Traveller Plus. The World Traveller Plus allowance applies to your entire journey.

The link is from this page: http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/checked-baggage-allowances from the part: allowances for mixed cabin journeys. Not sure what happens if all your journey is a single class but with different allowances though. Why don’t you check with BA prior to your flight?

[donkeyasia]

Air India- Delhi to Pune Sunday 13th, October. paid for upgrade to Business Class, and all ok. 3 bags (17 kgs, 12 kgs and 13 kgs between two of us and no problems at check in

Pune to Delhi Monday 14th October. i paid for a colleague and i to upgrade from Economy to Business Class. cost was US$ 120 each.

Checked in with between us 3 bags weighing 14.4 kgs, 10.9 kgs and 16.5 kgs. the first two are mine.

Check in lady says you are overweight as you are only allowed 15 kgs per person. Inquiring why we did not get an increase for business class we were told that it is a low cost business upgrade with no extra allowance.

Then proceeded to charge excess at $24.00 per kg (the first class single fare basis etc etc) for a total weight of 9 kgs (the two lightest bags were mine). total cost $216.00. i could not take my lightest bag as carry on because it was a) too heavy, and b) contained things you cannot take on board.

Next to us are the Australian Cricket team with over 60 kgs each. on inquiring about this the lady said, nothing to do with you and the Indian team get unlimited excess.

paid up and went through the usual checks.

go to the gate and was told we are downgraded to economy as Business class is full. gave me a form to make complaints and claim the upgrade costs back.

uhm.

[donkeyasia]

Air India- Delhi to Pune Sunday 13th, October. paid for upgrade to Business Class, and all ok. 3 bags (17 kgs, 12 kgs and 13 kgs between two of us and no problems at check in

Pune to Delhi Monday 14th October. i paid for a colleague and i to upgrade from Economy to Business Class. cost was US$ 120 each.

Checked in with between us 3 bags weighing 14.4 kgs, 10.9 kgs and 16.5 kgs. the first two are mine.

Check in lady says you are overweight as you are only allowed 15 kgs per person. Inquiring why we did not get an increase for business class we were told that it is a low cost business upgrade with no extra allowance.

Then proceeded to charge excess at $24.00 per kg (the first class single fare basis etc etc) for a total weight of 9 kgs (the two lightest bags were mine). total cost $216.00. i could not take my lightest bag as carry on because it was a) too heavy, and b) contained things you cannot take on board.

Next to us are the Australian Cricket team with over 60 kgs each. on inquiring about this the lady said, nothing to do with you and the Indian team get unlimited excess.

paid up and went through the usual checks.

go to the gate and was told we are downgraded to economy as Business class is full. gave me a form to make complaints and claim the upgrade costs back.

uhm.

[pdtraveller]

BA baggage regs are here

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/checked-baggage-allowances

very clear and concise.

On any single ticket journey baggage allowance is always the highest so even if only 1 sector offers 2 bags all sectors get 2 bags but the journey must be on one ticket.

[CityRiskBoy]

Just been charged 100 GBP equiv in Tokyo by China Eastern as bag was 3 kg overweight, shared ticket with my wife and her case was 5 kg under allowance but they wouldn’t group the total together……complete rip off!

[Ah,Mr.Bond]

£60 flat change fee to change date on a £45 one way BA ticked GLA-LHR.
No, this does not include any further upsell, a brand new ticket was £65 so they also wanted another £20 in addition. Total = an extra £80 to do this simple change.
In the end, I cancelled the original ticket and bought the new £65 one, I knew the original fare was non refundable and that they [unethically] keep the fuel surcharge – if you want to keep that, add it into the fare, do not charge me seperate. I was expecting £22 odd back from the government taxes/airport charges. but they then go and sting me a further £15 for a cancellation charge.
Before you comment that a virgin train ticket would be entirely non refundable …. that is OK, You only pay one price. Not an amount that is split into various components of a fare/tax/fuel and so on.
I am sure this is all in the Ts and Cs, but the whole thing was just an utter Joke.

[canucklad]

Afternoon AhMrBond…..

What would have happened if you just didn’t turn up for the original flight?

After all BA rely on people not turning up…don’t they ?

[judynagy]

Charging for a set selection on a biz class revenue ticket is absolutely nuts. Baggage charges and other nasty fees can often be avoided with the proper affinity credit card and/or elite status. I forked over $150 to Air France at LHR for an (not very) overweight bag and have never gotten over it. Big wreck out on the carriageway and I had no time to argue about the charge.

[judynagy]

Charging for a seat selection on a biz class revenue ticket is absolutely nuts. A $200 change fee that requires no action on the airline’s part is highway robbery. Baggage charges and other nasty fees can often be avoided with the proper affinity credit card and/or elite status. I forked over $150 to Air France at LHR for an (not very) overweight bag and have never gotten over it. Big wreck out on the carriageway that morning and I had no time to argue about the charge.

[BA4ever]

Sometimes it depends on the employee of the airline whom you deal with.

I remember one time I was flying BA from LHR to Athens and one of the wonderful -NOT- ground staff wanted to charge me for an overweight suitcase. The suitcase was overweight by a packet of M&S tea cakes (the small one, around 150 grms) which I removed and I was wondering where I should put it (my hand luggage was only a handbag). She looked at me with the most rude look and snapped “I don’t care, eat them”.

I understand that the airlines have set a weight limit for checked luggage but, IMO, 150grms won’t make a difference, while kindness and flexibility from the staff will.

I can’t repeat it enough times, BA’s ground staff are horrible!!!

[pdtraveller]

Indeed as my experience this week has shown it is about who you deal with.

Returning from a European airport was offered £89 to upgrade to CE. I don’t need the points or the Avios so passed at -24 hrs. Following day my schedule thrown into disarray by a colleague’s family emergency. Upshot being I find my self at the airport 4 hours before my flight.

I note that a previous service is delayed over 90 minutes and should have been long gone when I arrived. I ask to take this flight and am advised that the change fee is £60. The sting however is the fare difference a staggering 478 euro. I declined.

On arrival in lounge I met another member of staff who commented on how long I would be waiting. I explained……….a minute later was holding new boarding pass and hot footing it to gate.

So £89 to upgrade but £520 to fly economy on a flight delayed 98 minutes. Helpful empowered staff priceless!

[EasyTraveller1]

I recently travelled business class HEL to BKK return via AMS on a KLM Flying Blue award ticket. As we all know, award tickets are advertised as ‘free’ travel.

I only had to pay the taxes and surcharges which totalled well over 600 euros…not exactly my definition of ‘free’.

[TominScotland]

I well remember the days when KLM Award tickets were genuinely free. Still, €600 ain’t bad for a Business Class return to BKK, all the same.

[MarcusUK]

I agree re the KLM charges for Flying Blue, often reaching Euros 850 now for a return in Business class.
I have bought flights this and last year, for £1,400 return to BKK Business Class with KLM, so it IS a cheek, to charge 80,000 miles, plus over E 600!
Again we have been cheated, told we would pay less, when fees were increased, and miles needed increased by 20%!.
Some AF flights now you will earn no miles or flight credits to membership, for a basic fare, but need to pay £40 + on Cityjet for this to be counted.
So, they have lost my business, and I fly from LHR, that is the effect of their policy, a loss of over 60 flights a year with 2 people!

Again i say, these National Airlines should either be low cost or not, most act as though they are now, and they are losing our loyalty and Business, when they need it most!

[Author]

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