One more bee in my bonnet about international air travel: I recently discovered that although on intercontinental flights to/from North America you are allowed two suitcases of 32 kg each in economy class as check baggage, intercontinental flights originating anywhere else (except those going to NA), get only one bag at 20 kg. That means North American travellers get a baggage allowance three times that of the rest of the world!
Can anyone offer an explanation? The planes are more or less the same, the passengers more or less the same. The distances from Europe may on average be shorter (and I’m not sure about that), but that wouldn’t usually translate to lesser individual luggage needs. Needs would be based more on duration of stay rather than distance.
And this European penalty extends to excess baggage charges as well. Travelling to/from NA, an excess bag of 32 kg will cost you about $150. However, the same bag to/from Europe is charged at the rate of about $20 per kilogram, which would work out to $600 + for the same bag. What gives?
I suspect it’s to do with the specific planes in use - given the N American routes are the lucrative ones for business, they’ll have the up-to-date 777/747s with fancy first-class facilities and presumably larger luggage holds as an extra. It doesn’t seem to particularly be aimed at particular couuntries - a quick check at British Airways’ site shows that the large allowance applies for flights “To, from or via USA, Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean [including Bogota and Caracas] and Nigeria”. http://www.britishairways.com/travel/baggag/public/en_
Thanks GorillaMan. I frequently fly on 777/747s from Switzerland to Asia, so I am not sure we can say that it is strictly a function of the plane. I note that it is not just the US, but generally the lucky countryies are in North and Central America (but Nigeria?? that really makes me wonder)
I just had a thought: if passenger planes also carry some commercial cargo or maybe international mail, perhaps non-NA flights dedicate a larger share to these and thus have less room for passenger luggage?
My wife used to work for a US airlines, and she said it’s expectation: that’s how it’s always been done in the US, and that’s what transatlantic passengers expect.
What jjimm said. The commercial standard in the US just happens to be different. There are short and long routes in and out of the States, and the same planes are used in and out of the States. There’s nothing technical about it.
In England and Australia the price on the menu is what you pay, and the owner of the restaurant pays the wait staff. In the States, the price on the restaurant isn’t the real price because you have to pay more for getting the food served, and the owner pays the wait staff less.
Either system works, it’s just that once a standard is established, it tends to stick.
I remember flying from the US to Europe in the 60’s and the 20 kg rule did apply to transatlantic flights, but not to domestic fllights within the US. Perhaps the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) applied pressure on international carriers to raise the limit for flights to/from the US since that time.
Interesting. Do they have to make any adjustments to accomodate the larger luggage limit (e.g. larger cargo hold, more fuel)? Or are there so few passengers carrying >20kg that it doesn’t make any difference?
From my personal observation, most US economy class passengers use most of their allowances. I’d imagine the airlines have to compensate for the extra weight by adding extra fuel. The margins on transatlantic flights are pretty tight, as I understand.
Well, I can kind of see the international standard thing, but I don’t feel quite satisfied. I mean, European flights must be flying with their holds half empty. I suppose it must save somewhat on fuel, but I would rather pay a slightly higher price and get the full complement of baggage allowance.
Sure margins are tight, but if all European carriers raised their prices to allow for 2 x 32 kg per person, it would still be equal across the board, wouldn’t it? And I assume the North American flights must have had similarly tight margins.
But I guess the real question is are other non-north American travellers bugged about this, or is it just me?
For example, for fuel load reasons, many airlines estimate the weight of the passenger load. Men and women are counted differently. Also, very obese people get counted as “two women”, and diminutive men (especially East Asian) get counted as “one woman”.
I am planning to travel from Aueope to Asia next week and I am very annoyed by this and I complain loud and often to the travel agents, airlines and anyone who will listen. I figure that if enough people complain the airlines will change the system which is just plainly ridiculous. Not only do they give you a ridiculous luggage allowance but they also make the rate for excess luggage prohibitive. In my case a second 20 Kg bag would cost more than a second ticket for a person who would get that allowance for free.
I wonder if there is some consumer union or other entity who is doing any campaigning to get this changed. I suppose the airlines use the cargo space to transport mail and other cargo and make money from that too but charging for excess luggage at for times the rate of a person is just ridiculous.
There was a news story last year, about IIRC a Welsh rugby squad flying to France for a match, and their combined bodyweight caused the pilot to insist on flying with no baggage at all.