BA baggage allowance

[Kingfish81]

This may be of interest/importance to anyone flying abroad:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/08022007/344/ba-charges-240-extra-bag.html

Certainly when I fly I check in a long rod tube about 7' long and 4" wide with rods in as well as my rucksack/suitcase. This may well get implemented by other airlines as well which may make things difficult in the future for many travelling fishermen (and surfers, skiiers etc).

[PanamaJack]

Hi Toby
That’s similarly how it’s being reported on the Beeb’s web site. Expressions like ‘Shooting yourself in the foot’ and, thanks to number 10’s press office, ‘the day to hide bad news’ I have to say come to mind. And this is of course after the catering dispute, religious symbols, near cabin crew strike that caused so many flight cancellations and on the very day that their web site banners ‘flight cancellations due to snow’. Says a lot for their PR machine and Board!

But all is not what it seems. That’s unless BA are talking with ‘forked tongue’.

If you have a look at their latest policy statement on baggage on http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bagsport/public/en_gb
And then click on the Find out more (in the first paragraph) you’ll find that they allow an additional piece of ‘sporting luggage’ carried free, in addition to your one bag, providing it fits within the overall hold luggage allowance.

Um…..still think I’ll stick to American carriers across ‘the Pond’. Their largely home grown customer base aren’t I’m sure quite as ‘understanding’ as some of us Brits.
Dave

[Kingfish81]

Good spot Dave!! I guess that covers most anglers travelling abroad... BA don't seem to be having a particularly good run of things at the moment! I'm flying Air NZ to the USA in June and plan to use them whenever I can in the future as I have been very impressed by them in the past. :)

[Steinbeisser]

BA are apparently not charging for the second bag when you fly to certain destinations (USA, parts of Africa, etc. etc.) as these Countries' rules are different and BA cannot double charge.

But their plans do seem like a death wish and certainly not in keeping with their previous claimed ' World's Favourite Airline'!!

I know they brought in Willy Walsh to sort out BA after he streamlined and made Aer Lingus more profitable, but at the end of the day, BA does not market itself as a 'no frills airline', so they should stop treating their customers as an inconvenience.

Steinbeisser

[Ken L]

I've always put reels in the hand baggage but had some problems earlier this year when security staff got arsy about the line on my reels and forced me to check them into the hold.
Strangely, the weren't removing soelaces and neckties fron my fellow passengers and to the best of my knowledge, the number of terrorists who have taken over a plane armed with fishing line reasuringly still remains at zero.

[Happy Dude]

for the past 2 years i've used easyjet to travel to london to connect with my kenya flights.

they have checked my bazooka rod case in without charge each time and i've put my reels in my main bag.

i used ryan air a couple of years ago to go to bournemouth and we took several rods in the same case for free from prestwick, on the way home we were charged £15.00 extra for the rod case, not by ryan air but by servisair.

when i mumped my gums about this i was cheekily told that i could be charged for EACH rod we had in the case.

WTF is that all about:giveup:

[Cascars]

I will always use a US Airline when possible. You usually get double the baggage allowance of BA and the others and until this year had never had a problem. A couple of months ago I was taking my dive gear to Mexico and they wanted to charge me an extra £60 per person each way for the 2 regulators we had between us even though our total baggage weight was well under the limit. Their excuse was that it was 'sporting equipment' Next time I will put them in my main suitcase and keep quiet about it. There was no extra chage for the rest of my dive / snorkelling gear though.

[Kingfish81]

To further complicate things it is now apparently illegal to take fishing rods on to the plane as hand luggage as they are classified as a weapon!! Nealy as dumb as the fishing line precaution. I had to check in my 7-piece travel fly rods which I was carrying separately when going from Heathrow to LAX. Never thought they'd make it, but they did actually arrive in LA!

[PanamaJack]

I've always put reels in the hand baggage but had some problems earlier this year when security staff got arsy about the line on my reels and forced me to check them into the hold.
Strangely, the weren't removing soelaces and neckties fron my fellow passengers and to the best of my knowledge, the number of terrorists who have taken over a plane armed with fishing line reasuringly still remains at zero.

That seems fairly widespread now Ken. Some of our Club members were recently forced to put reels through in their hold baggage when returning from Spain. No real explanation other than that all embracing - regulations. I guess it begs the question, what regulations? And as you point out you don't exactly need several hundred metres of super braid to garrotte someone.

I guess we just have to accept that with the current paranoia the general, law abiding joe public's going to be inconvenienced with petty bureaucracy. That's while of course the blatant breaches in security that are unearthed end up with just mumbled, embarrassed apologies. Still I have to admit the days when I recall a friend carrying a 14lb downrigger ball - looked like the classic anarchist's bomb - through Miami and me a marine starter motor, as hand luggage, through Heathrow are now thankfully long since gone.

I'm off to Costa Rica in a couple of weeks and all my fishing tackle's going in checked luggage I have to admit. Just ain't prepared to argue with them.
Dave

[Ken L]

I have walked through Heathrow with a rod tube bearing the reasuring legend "Bazouka" along the side with no problems.
Did the same thing in Turkey two weeks latter and was approached by three cops. Two broke left and right and stood 5m from me with hands on unclipped holsters whilst No3 walked right up and said "Excuse me sir. Can I see what's inside the case".

[jorgecaldelas]

It's always a problem for me cos I travel every year to Cancun mexico to see my family and I have always to check in all my fishing equipment,,,my partner is a dive master so she has a sport lugage for free and when she is not waching I put my fishing stuff:secret: in her lugage.



Why fishermen we don't have a free luggage allowance?:rtfm:

[jobfish]

BA have changed there sports policy they now charge for extra rod tubes.£90 for each bag.

[PanamaJack]

BA have changed their sports policy they now charge for extra rod tubes.£90 for each bag.

Well picked up!

And devious. So BA have finally found a way (they think) to generate additional revenue.

Their current policy that permits an extra piece of angling baggage is defined here - http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bagsport/public/en_gb. But slipped in at the top of that web page is this qualification.


Sporting equipment
When you fly with us you can take certain types of sporting equipment in addition to your normal checked baggage allowance. If your equipment bags meet the dimensions and weight restrictions, they may be carried free of charge until 7 October 2009. (My emboldening and underlining.)

So as Jobfish has identified from October that dispensation has been withdrawn and now any sporting equipment, over and above your normal allowance, is now treated as EXCESS along with everything else and charged at these rates. It’s worth as well noting in terms of rod tubes that the maximum length has been reduced to 6’ 3” (190 cm.) from 7’ 10.5” (alright in metric terms 240 cm.)


Changes to the carriage of sporting equipment

• Sporting equipment will be included as part of your free checked baggage allowance.
• If the number of bags exceed your free allowance you will be charged the excess baggage rate for each extra bag.
• The heavy bag charge £30 ($50) will apply each way to all bags more than 23kg (51lbs) and up to 32kg (70lbs).
• All sporting equipment (excluding the not acceptable for carriage list) will be accepted for travel only if they are packed correctly within the maximum weight and reduced maximum dimensions of 190cm x 75cm x 65cm (75in x 29.5in x 25.5in).
• The carriage of firearms will incur a £50 charge each way to cover third party handling costs.


Charges per additional bag up to 23kg (51lbs)
Longhaul
£90 per bag (airport)
$165 per bag from any US departure airport
£72 per bag (online with discount)
$132 per bag (online with discount)

Shorthaul
£35 per bag (airport)
$65 per bag from any US departure airport
£28 per bag (online with discount)
$52 per bag (online with discount)

UK Domestic
£25 per bag (airport)
$45 per bag from any US departure airport
£20 per bag (online with discount)
$36 per bag (online with discount)

You will need to pay £25 (or $45 from any US departure airport) at the check-in desk for each bag or item that is over the maximum free allowance limit of 23kg (51lbs). This fee will be converted into the local currency (other than the US and UK) during the check-in process.

So I wonder have many other scheduled airlines have picked up on this wheeze? Just tried looking at American's site, through their FAQs, and have to admit to being none the wiser.

[Gordon ST]

Hi it is a nightmare i am heading back to Hawaii in August and am dreading ! what it will cost for my Rod holder plus scared about extra weight of Reels ect.

[PanamaJack]

Hi it is a nightmare i am heading back to Hawaii in August and am dreading ! what it will cost for my Rod holder plus scared about extra weight of Reels ect.

Hi Gordon
It's certainly worth factoring that charge in when making comparisons between airlines. We're flying Virgin Atlantic to Florida and they're still offering a 'sports equipment freebie', but limited to 23 kgs.

[Gordon ST]

Hi Dave
very valid point i am flying United Airlines have done the last four years however they are now VERY GREY over Sporting equipment!!

[Gordon ST]

Hi Dave how do you think the exchange rate will go with the US DOLLAR have to start buying soon!!
cheers Gordon