I live in Europe and travel a lot for work and pleasure. One thing I cannot fathom is why international flights to/from the US get a baggage allowance of 40 kg (2 bags of 20 kg each) whereas travel in the rest of the world gets only one bag of 20 kg. In fact, until just a couple years ago, US travelers were allowed 2 bags of 32 kg each! I could understand it maybe if US flights were longer, but there are plenty of flights from Europe to Asia and Oceania that are equally long and still only get the small allowance. And the size and models of the planes do not seem to be much different. And don’t even think about size of passengers!
One unproven theory I have is that to keep prices low/make more profit, the non-US carriers reserve a lot of the space under the plane for cargo, international post, etc, leaving less for passengers.
Because we’re Americans, dammit! Less cheekily though, it’s always been like this in the US. Until 9/11, everyone could just pull up to the curb at the terminal and drop the bags off. When a traveler has to carry his bags only a few feet from the car to the counter, he has no incentive to lighten the load, so to speak. Outside the US, though, a fair number of people have to take trains or buses to the airport. That alone is a disincentive for carrying extra baggage. Navigating train or bus stations with luggage is a major inconvenience. Even taking a taxi to the airport is a limiter on luggage quantity because their trunks/boots are often much smaller that American cars’ trunks.
[rant]That’s why you see so many Americans leaving the luggage carousel looking like displaced persons. What is in ALL that baggage? Damn, leave something at home!* [/rant] From an American who routinely travels overseas checking no bags with only 2 carryons. Who can live from these two small bags for multiple weeks.
For you Americans who are moving to said country, you’re exempted from this raving. It’s the people who are heading to Europe for a week with 2 large suitcases and a couple carryons. Europe has washing machines and laundry services. You can wear the same shirt more than once. Asia and Africa, too, have washers.
As has been mentioned, it’s largely due to American tradition. Until recently, when the airlines started tightening their belts and trying to recoup more money by charging for checked bags, there has been virtually no limit on baggage for flights completely within the US.
Yes, if you were to read the fine print on your ticket, there would be a stated limit, but it was rarely enforced, unless someone showed up at the airport with more than 3 or 4 bags per person.
This sense of “entitlement” on the part of the flying public has carried over to international flights, so the airlines allow passengers to/from the US to carry more luggage than other travelers who are more accustomed to the restrictions.
And, let’s face it, Americans are generally more likely to raise a stink and behave badly when told they cannot do something, which probably in part led to the airlines’ decision.
Thanks. The feedback so far seems to say that Americans have more baggage allowance because they expect it. I am not sure this makes much sense. In this day of belt tightening and failed airlines, I would expect the respective baggage policies are based on economics. And if not economics, then some good technical or legal reasons.
You’re going to be seeing a lot of changes within the next few months, I think. I don’t know how much of the US news you get there in Noviodunum, but just within the last couple of months several airlines have started to charge for more than one checked bag, and I think one airline even is charging for the first bag.
The rationale is that the airlines are losing tons of money due to the rise in fuel prices, and they are instituting these charges to recoup some of the money without having to raise fares.