One piece check-in luggage allowance health hazard and not elderly friendly

12 replies

KinHo

Member since 03 Sep 2017

Total posts 26

I'm so out of touch with domestic sector flights. Flew Qantas EY from MEL to BNE recently and only to find out that I can only check-in 1 piece of luggage weighing up to 23kg. Because I have a bad back and didn't want to handle a single piece of 20kg, I separated it into 2 bags of 14kg and 6kg so that I won't hurt my back, but only to be told that I have to pay $70 excess for the extra piece.

What is the real reason for this restriction?
I can understand that too many pieces making up 23kg is not ideal but 2 pieces should be reasonable. As we grow older into our golden years, it gets harder to handle one single piece of heavy luggage.

Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin and Tigerair, please have a heart. Why not allow 2 pieces making up to 23kg in total?

Thanks to the Qantas domestic counter check-in staff, they were very nice and helped me resolved my predicament. Unlike the first staff at the check-in kiosk, who was defensive and felt being blamed personally, saying "I don't make the rules".
Very unfortunate.

jhor

Member since 18 Nov 2013

Total posts 61

Jetstar allow multiple pieces up to whatever weight you've paid for.

KinHo

Member since 03 Sep 2017

Total posts 26

So sad to see the business world is moving towards being more heartless and all about the money and higher share price, but nothing about thinking of the not so rich.

Sure hope they stay fit and won’t have problems with handling heavy bags when they are in their old age.

Would Qantas also assist me with the bag when I’m not at the airport?

GregXL

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 26 May 2014

Total posts 320

Additional baggage charges are much lower if you pre-purchase online, $35 per piece. Could you have taken your 6kg item as carry-on?


KinHo

Member since 03 Sep 2017

Total posts 26

It’s my fault for applying the same “rules” that I usually get for international flight baggage allowance which is by total weight regardless of the number of pieces.

I already have a hand carry. But as said earlier, the check-in staff was very helpful. I greatly appreciated it.

My main concern here is the fine line to the baggage rules that’s not clearly shown, and not very obvious unless you search for the rules. And when front up at the airport with 2 bags, it’s already too late. I’m sure I am not the only one getting caught in this situation.

Theresnormissin

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 14 Oct 2016

Total posts 161

I do sympathise with your situation. Commercial realities aside I’m sure the staff would rather not have to tell you ‘no’ when you get to the check in desk. I disagree with you that the baggage allowance information is hidden, and I think that Qantas and jetstar and virgin (I can’t comment on tiger) have started to make you allowance reasonably clear up front during the booking process. Later in ‘manage my booking’ it’s also normally not to hard to find out what you are entitled to without having to look to deep.

Last editedby Theresnormissin at Nov 04, 2017, 02:27 PM.

mviy

Member since 05 May 2016

Total posts 322

Flights to the U.S. also use a piece system for luggage allowance

KinHo

Member since 03 Sep 2017

Total posts 26

I really don't mind being voted down by fellow readers on this matter, however it looks like the one point that I'm pointing out here, doesn't seem to be of concern to the people who voted "dislike". Elderly folks having to handle one piece of 20-23kg bag, and the $35 - $70 cost for the extra piece is a fair bit of money to most.

Don't we care about the aged and less fortunate (but still have to travel from time to time)?

I understand the other aspect of airlines having to "balance" the running cost which trickle down to the airfare, and it's not an easy task for the company, and to be competitive. But have we gone so far with it and got caught up with just making money that we have forgotten the other logical aspect of things? Like a simple compassionate logic?


On the matter of "clearly stating" the rules, a simple word of "only" would have made it really simple and clear. Would have been better with "1 piece only of up to 23kg".

I have drilled down further in search of the baggage allowance rules, and here is one of many of the set of rules for Qantas - Domestic Economy,

Non Frequent Flyer, Bronze - 1 piece up to 23kg (50lb)

Qantas Club, Silver - 1 piece up to 32kg (70lb)

Gold, Platinum/Platinum One - 2 pieces up to 32kg (70lb) each


Very nice generous allowance indeed in terms of weight for passengers in the more elite level. But realistically, is it easy to handle a 32kg bag? Seems like a case of being generous but not entirely so and not a very sincere gesture.
Unless you're a muscled up and very fit person, it's very hard to lift 32kg. I used to be able to handle a 32kg bag without batting an eyelid during my younger days.

And as I remember it there are some airports where they won't accept a single piece of luggage weighing more than 23kg even when the allowance is 30kg, but fortunately they don't restrict the number of pieces.


We all grow old, you know.


Last editedby KinHo at Nov 06, 2017, 12:16 PM.

MRYJDrake

Air New Zealand - Airpoints

Member since 31 Oct 2016

Total posts 206

Space. It's limited. And they make more money sending freight.


It's callous to say, and I'm aware of how it's going to come across (and the impending downvotes), but a 14kg bag and a 6kg bag take up the space of two bags, but the weight of one.

It comes down to numbers, and while it's a minor inconvenience, it is what it is.

deanr

Member since 04 May 2015

Total posts 58

Rather than coming on here and complaining about a 'lack of heart' from the airlines when they actually waived the normal baggage rules for you anyway and charged you nothing extra, have you considered the logical action of packing less stuff? You mentioned you were flying from Melbourne to Brisbane. I regularly take the same route, and even if I'm going for a whole week, I can get by comfortably with only cabin baggage.

Unless you're going for weeks at a time, you really don't need to be carting a 20kg checked bag around (plus whatever you're taking into the cabin as well): you're just choosing to pack lots of stuff and then complaining about the fact that you're travelling with more than you can lift. Whose fault is that?

You could have easily checked in the 14kg bag and took the 6kg bag as carry-on, unless you've already maxed out your carry-on with other things that you probably didn't need to pack, in which case you've created this problem for yourself by bringing everything along bar the kitchen sink.

You also had the option of flying with Jetstar or Tiger where the allowance is already based on weight (across a number of bags) rather than piece (across a set number of bags, in this case, one). You've come on here to complain about wanting something that's already in place with two of Australia's four airlines, which you chose not to fly with on this occasion.

When you've admitted you saw you were allowed one bag but thought you could get away with two, it's hard to find sympathy for people who just want to whinge. If the airline says your allowance is one bag, they don't need to say it's "only" one bag to reinforce that idea for you when you thought you could get away with it, because one bag ain't two bags. If you were allowed two bags, the allowance would say two bags, not one bag.

KinHo

Member since 03 Sep 2017

Total posts 26

deanr .... all I can say is read carefully the comments that were posted and their timeline.

And it's not so much a complaint or whinge, but it's also so that people "ignorant" like me, will also be informed and hence not be ignorant anymore.

Last editedby KinHo at Nov 06, 2017, 04:00 PM.

deanr

Member since 04 May 2015

Total posts 58

deanr .... all I can say is read carefully the comments that were posted and their timeline.
And it's not so much a complaint or whinge, but it's also so that people "ignorant" like me, will also be informed and hence not be ignorant anymore.
Last edited by KinHo at Nov 06, 2017, 04.00 PM.

I've read the thread, and even in your most recent reply before this one, you're still arguing for the airlines to be more compassionate, when they showed you compassion by waiving the fee. At the end of the day, you chose to pack the volume that you did, and you choose to book a ticket that didn't have the baggage allowance you required. Given that Qantas also allows 2x7kg carry-on bags, if you were unable to bring the 6kg bag on board as carry-on because you already had too much other stuff, I stand by the statement that you're travelling with too much stuff and are making problems for yourself, which could be avoided by booking a more appropriate airline/airfare, or packing less things if you have trouble carrying them.

KinHo

Member since 03 Sep 2017

Total posts 26

Can't say much further if other point of this matter that could be constructive is being put aside and instead another point is brought out as the "sore" point and misunderstood.

And FYI, you still didn't understand (or read carefully) what was the total bags that was packed for check-in and carry-on.

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