Baggage fares boycott

oclugg

The new excess baggage fares are going to really hit passengers in the summer. Aer lingus now only allow you to carry 20 kilos in your suit case and you will have to pay an extra 8 euro for each extra kilo. 20 kilos are nothing, the average weight of hand luggae is 12- 15 kilos alone. People are going to be hammered at check-in with no choice but to pay and extra 90-120 euros each way per suitcase. Boycott Aer Lingus and Ryanair, tell your friends and family not to book any flights in protest for the next 2 months, if enough people do this they will have to make some changes.

FlutterinBantam

Good man Don!;)

SickCert

Sadly they wont do this and the companies will have another good year. I like to take everything i need on my holidays and when i last did a trip to the UK i had the bare min. I dont like tripping this way, thats why last October the car came with me on the ferry!

Winters

How does one boycott Aer Lingus and Ryanair when their practically have a monopoly of routes out of Ireland?

Even if one was to try to boycott paying baggage charges, unless you are on a day trip it is impossible.

Shame on the airlines.

We have no choice. We have to check in bags and we have to pay for them.

spurious

People bring too much crap with them anyway. 20kg of luggage is a huge amount.

I don't have a problem with the new charges. If they could only stop people bringing those enormous hard-sided wheeled cases on board now it would be even better.

Marathon_Man

Aer Lingus carry on allowance is 6KG! Which is absolutely miserable. Even Ryanair is 10KG.

And I've had mine weighed even when I was carrying just an overnight type bag. Ticketing agents in some European cities tend to be particularly zealous about checking this.

WhiteAp

20kg is loads for checked in luggage. I went on a round the world trip with 14kg in my rucksack.

Tips for getting round hand luggage weight restrictions:
* Check in online / on the machines: No one checks bag weight when you are checked in electronically
* Take out some heavy stuff out of your hand luggage, stick them in your coat pockets or in a plastic bag (give plastic bag to some nice person who is not in the queue )
* If still overweight, then just start wearing additional items of clothing from your bags. Everyone will laugh, you will look cool and deny Mr. O'Leary a couple of Euros.

tampopo

yeah, I agree wholeheartedly.

I saw on RTE's teletext news that the company seemed to justify it because they'd not received any complaints!!!

Well, I checked the phone book and the head office Dublin Airport number is 886-2222, and I urge all Boards.ie users to call and complain/whinge. Let them know customers are outraged with this.

Well, woop de doop, Ryanair are not in the phone book, I take it they want us to contact them via letter (torn up) or email (deleted unansered).

johnnyrotten

Forget it. They won't be boycotted

killbillvol2

oclugg wrote:

The new excess baggage fares are going to really hit passengers in the summer. Aer lingus now only allow you to carry 20 kilos in your suit case and you will have to pay an extra 8 euro for each extra kilo. 20 kilos are nothing, the average weight of hand luggae is 12- 15 kilos alone. People are going to be hammered at check-in with no choice but to pay and extra 90-120 euros each way per suitcase. Boycott Aer Lingus and Ryanair, tell your friends and family not to book any flights in protest for the next 2 months, if enough people do this they will have to make some changes.

What could you possibly need to bring on a trip that would weigh more than 20kg? It's difficult to lift 20kg ffs!

Bradidup

Maybe we could be going back to the good old days of getting da boat!!

testicle

If you book an Aer Lingus flight through British Airways, you get free baggage!

killbillvol2

testicle wrote:

If you book an Aer Lingus flight through British Airways, you get free baggage!

Which routes?

MadsL

15-Mar-2007 : AER Lingus has announced its results for the year ended 31 December 2006. The Irish flag carrier posted a revenue of US$1.47 billion in 2006, an increase by 11.3 per cent compared with 2005. Cargo revenues went up 19 per cent to $65.3 million in 2006. Profit before tax decreased by 1.3 per cent from $120.9 million in 2005 to $119.3 million in 2006.

Chris_533976

Baggage charges suck, but 20kg is a huge amount. Thats almost a sack of potatoes, which most people cant lift without a fair bit of effort. If you cant lift your suitcase, you're bringing too much.

Hold luggage is for CLOTHES. How anyone can bring 20kg of clothes is beyond me. Precious stuff is hand luggage, again thats usually a camera, essential passport stuff, medicines etc, an mp3 player and maybe a laptop. Stuff like that.

Try to carry around six bags of sugar (ie 6kg). Its quite a lot, surprisingly.

Put heavy things in your pockets, they cant pull you for that.

All that said, I would argue that fat people should pay more for flights. If you weigh 75kg you should have to pay more than someone who weighs 60kg. But it'll never happen though because people would be up in arms about it.

penexpers

People want cheaper fares and this is one of the side effects.

I imagine having checked in baggage is a large expense for an airline wrt employees, extra security, baggage belts etc.. If these baggage charges mean a lower base fare then I'm in favour of them.

Zoney

BAH! I was hoping to do my Christmas shopping in Germany again where they have these amazing innovative things called real comprehensive and cheap department stores with proper goods in them rather than tacky gimmicky rubbish that costs a bomb.

On the subject of competition, you've got more choice too than the same old same old UK high street stores (and Easons' for books). You can even buy your English books at sensible prices there!

Of course it's probably not an overall saving moneywise including trip expenses, but it's far more pleasurable (they have real Christmas over there, not just American-style tack) and a holiday.

talkingclock

zoney, I love the bookstores in germany. you can sit in a large comfy sofa and read the book with a cup of coffee. no squeezing between the shelfs like in O'Mahony's in O'Connell St or Easons.

Or the gadgedt shops saturn, media markt, conrad and all of them! not the rubbish shops like dixons or currys with the identical range and identical prices! or the laughter shop called PC WORLD.

my personal advise: shop there and avoid the baggage fee by sending it with GLS. up to 40kg for just 33.20EURO and a 72hr delivery time to Ireland. GLS shops are in almost every town.

testicle

killbillvol2 wrote:

Which routes?

All of them.

dowlingm

That's 20kg gross. A proper suitcase can weigh quite a few empty.

BendiBus

I'm quite experienced at travelling light. I'd like to thank all those paying baggage charges for subsidising most of my flights

Chris_533976

talkingclock wrote:

Or the gadgedt shops saturn, media markt, conrad and all of them! not the rubbish shops like dixons or currys with the identical range and identical prices! or the laughter shop called PC WORLD.

You need to go into Maplin

Capt'n Midnight

Have a look at how much BA charge for excess baggage on long distance flights !


BTW: anyone know if when you pay for a bike with aer lingus , if it's part of your weight allowance or on top of it ?

talkingclock

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

BTW: anyone know if when you pay for a bike with aer lingus , if it's part of your weight allowance or on top of it ?

To US it's included.
To other destinations it's on top of it.

http://tinyurl.com/2aaxom

Capt'n Midnight

Thanks - links don't work cos it's all session stuff

Golf bags, surf boards, wind surfing equipment, skis, snow boards, bicycles*, sports guns and ammunition (see restrictions for guns and ammunition) and fishing equipment are accepted as baggage under the following conditions:

US flights: Normal baggage allowance rules/restrictions apply.
All other flights:
Pay online prior to day of departure: (where possible)
Fee of €25 / £17 / AED104 one-way**

Pay at the airport on day of departure:
Fee of €30 / £20 / AED125 one-way**

*Bicycles departing Amsterdam airport must be boxed or bagged. These can be purchased at the airport.

**The flat charge is based on a maximum permitted weight of 15 kilos. If the sports item weighs in excess of this 15 kilos, then a charge of €8/£5 per kilo will apply to this additional weight.

Reminder - BA want the guts of €200 per bag on long haul if you excede your allowance.
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bagunacc/public/en_gb

All baggage in excess of free checked baggage allowances is charged at a fixed fee depending on the length of the journey.
...
Excess baggage charges
Longhaul £120 per bag or £84 per bag if paid online (includes 30% discount)
Shorthaul £60 per bag or £42 per bag if paid online (includes 30% discount)
UK Domestic £30 per bag or £21 per bag if paid online (includes 30% discount)

mobpd

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

Thanks - links don't work cos it's all session stuff

Reminder - BA want the guts of €200 per bag on long haul if you excede your allowance.
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bagunacc/public/en_gb

but you didnt mention that the BA checked baggage allowance to long haul for economy is 2 bags PER PERSON with max weight of 23kg per bag. Do you really need more than this?

BuffyBot

but you didnt mention that the BA checked baggage allowance to long haul for economy is 2 bags PER PERSON with max weight of 23kg per bag.

Actually, it's soon to be one bag in economy, except to countries where local regulations say differently (USA, Nigeria and few other countries). Still quite a lot, though.

parsi

oclugg wrote:

The new excess baggage fares are going to really hit passengers in the summer. Aer lingus now only allow you to carry 20 kilos in your suit case and you will have to pay an extra 8 euro for each extra kilo. 20 kilos are nothing, the average weight of hand luggae is 12- 15 kilos alone. People are going to be hammered at check-in with no choice but to pay and extra 90-120 euros each way per suitcase. Boycott Aer Lingus and Ryanair, tell your friends and family not to book any flights in protest for the next 2 months, if enough people do this they will have to make some changes.

What do people be bringing with them ? As a family of 5 we brought one large bag with us for five days in Berlin and we still had room for souvenirs (and yummy marzipan...).

Stark

oclugg wrote:

20 kilos are nothing, the average weight of hand luggae is 12- 15 kilos alone.

What are you, a professional body builder?

I rarely bring more than 10kg in my checked in luggage and I find it a very burdensome weight when I do. The one time I came close to going over the baggage allowance was when myself and some friends were bringing a 12-person tent abroad with us.

The people who'll be affected are those muppets with the piles of massive wheelie suitcases who need the airport trolleys to get their luggage straight from their car to the check-in desk and to their hire car on the other side. God knows what they need to bringing with them. Noone needs that much luggage for your average 2 week holiday.

Victor

I once had a woman ask me where the rest of my luggage was. I had a small back park and a not full outsized sports bag (including gifts). She said that would cover her make-up. I believed her.

Zoney

I don't really know how much my luggage has weighed in the past.

I can see it now, all the Irish ringing up with their hotel enquiries "Do you have a weighing scales in the room?"

Pineapple stu

Every time ive been on a package holiday flight,20kgs seems to be the norm apart when it was 30kgs aer lingus to america. My gripe is that aer lingus checking staff get a cut of the new baggage charges.
I got hit for 90 euros when coming back from the canaries 3 years ago, prams/buggys etc was included in the weight, everyone on the flight ( one of the last one out) was done by it and i was over by just 9kgs.
If the fat cabin attendant had lost a bit of weight i would have been able to bring on an extra bag.:D

Stark

cymro wrote:

My gripe is that aer lingus checking staff get a cut of the new baggage charges.

So? It was zero tolerance anyway. Imo, the checkin staff deserve a cut as they'll be the ones having to listen to eejits who brought half their worldly possessions on holidays with them (despite being well aware of the baggage limit) whine and complain all day.

People stuck behind those eejits should also get a cut

Pineapple stu

Ive no problem with the limits just that the check-in staff get a cut from any extra baggage that is checked in and not overweight like i said in last post., this means they will get you to check in as many bags as possible. Aer lingus staff are the friendliest airline crew ive traveled with.

Chris_533976

Stark wrote:

So? It was zero tolerance anyway. Imo, the checkin staff deserve a cut as they'll be the ones having to listen to eejits who brought half their worldly possessions on holidays with them (despite being well aware of the baggage limit) whine and complain all day.

People stuck behind those eejits should also get a cut

Watch Airport or Airline one day. The amount of steaming great idiots in airports is unbelievable. Its as if the customer side of an airline check-in desk is a magnet for stupidity and the check-in staff side a repository of ceaseless tolerance.

Our man in Havana

You have never experienced a check in queue for an airline like PIA. People with litterly tonnes of luggage including the kitchen sink. And then the heated discussions regardling excess baggage charges. :mad:

Random

I went away for 10 days and I think the weigh thing at the checkin desk said 12KG. Who needs 20KG? I thought I had too much stuff in my bag anyway!

15KG hand luggage? eek ...

Victor

cymro wrote:

Ive no problem with the limits just that the check-in staff get a cut from any extra baggage that is checked in and not overweight like i said in last post., this means they will get you to check in as many bags as possible. Aer lingus staff are the friendliest airline crew ive traveled with.

They can't make you bring extra bags to be checked in. If your hand baggage is compliant, they have no reason to make you check it in.

OPENROAD

Winters wrote:

How does one boycott Aer Lingus and Ryanair when their practically have a monopoly of routes out of Ireland?

Even if one was to try to boycott paying baggage charges, unless you are on a day trip it is impossible.

Shame on the airlines.

We have no choice. We have to check in bags and we have to pay for them.

Well for those going to London we have bmi who provide a superb service, no baggage charges.

Beelzebub

Are laptops permitted on Transatlantic flights?
It doesn't specifically mention them on the Aer Lingus site.

Our man in Havana

Yes they but they are no use really once the battery goes.

RainyDay

Bond-007 wrote:

Yes they but they are no use really once the battery goes.

Try business class - On SAS, they had in-seat power source and on-board wireless access. It was great to be able to IM family & friends from 33,000 feet over Greenland.

dowlingm

I seem to recall that a deal was in fact done with EI check-in staff for them to get a basic pay amount for luggage charges and a % if the total charged was over a certain amount/month.