Excess baggage?

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FV2020
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2018 9:21 am

Excess baggage?

Post by FV2020 »

Hi everyone,

I've decided to move all my stuff via excess baggage rather than ship it this summer. I'm curious about others' experiences doing this. How many bags total (per individual) did you end up bringing? Did any airline ever measure your checked baggage (it looks like 158 cm/62 inch is the maximum size allowed on most airlines)? Some airlines list on their website that checked excess baggage space is limited and that you may not be permitted to bring more than two checked bags; has anyone actually encountered this and not been able to bring all their bags? I do not know what airline I'll be flying since the school will book the ticket, and cost is not a concern for me. Is there any other advice you'd give me about moving in this manner?
mamava
Posts: 320
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 7:56 am

Re: Excess baggage?

Post by mamava »

Of course, it's impossible to answer "how many bags." It's like asking "how long is a piece of string?" At our current location, our "shipping allowance" covered almost nothing in terms of shipping and we were discouraged from doing a shipment. We (a family of 4) ended up bring 26 bags....we each got 2, so that was 14 additional bags via Delta. I think people were allowed up to something like 10 bags PER PERSON. Our relocation allowance covered it. We brought RUGS, appliances, breakables, etc. The decision is what is available in country and what you really feel you need. In our case, our current country doesn't have an IKEA and regular household items are far more expensive than they are in the States so we brought it with us. Easy, peasy. We did a lot of research and asked a lot of questions to balance what we brought, what we could get and what we really needed.
FV2020
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2018 9:21 am

Re: Excess baggage?

Post by FV2020 »

Thanks, Mamava. Wow-- 26 bags! I am really hoping to be booked on Delta since they seem to have the best baggage policy (if your bags don't fit on your flight, they will send them on the next one). To clarify, I'm not asking how many bags I should bring or what to pack. I'm just interested to know if anyone has had issues getting their bags to their destination.
buffalofan
Posts: 350
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:08 pm

Re: Excess baggage?

Post by buffalofan »

Have done it 3 times now. Zero issues. All bags have gone on the same flight. Either pay with credit card at check-in, or book the excess bags online. I have always been reimbursed by schools straight away from the shipping allowance. Most of the time this will be way less than a shipment, so schools will be happy. Some airlines will limit the excess checked bags to 2 or 3 per person. This hasn't been an issue for me so far.

26 bags...how the hell did you get the airport and then what did you do at baggage claim when you landed?
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

Many of the US carriers will accommodate large numbers of additional baggage, though Delta tends to be the most accommodating. A few things to consider though:

1) You have to fly Delta for an international flight, Delta doesnt get good experience ratings on flight experience compared to the vast number of international carriers. Flying Delta is fine for 2-4 hours, I would much rather be on Etihad of Singapore Airlines than any American carrier.

2) You need to be careful with how you book your tickets or how the IS books your tickets. If they do separate tickets for the domestic and international segments of the flight, thats two (or more) separate charges for all that baggage. Make sure your tickets are booked all the way through.

3) Understand insurance limits. Regardless of how much baggage you bring, the maximum liability per passenger still applies. After 4 bags, your excess luggage is probably flying without any liability against loss or damage, so you want to look into extra baggage insurance, preferably through another carrier.

4) Contact your IS about logistics. While airlines have luggage carts they usually arent designed for more than 4 pieces each, and while you could probably curb check with a Skycap when checking in, at some point your going to have to collect all that luggage and at least get it out of the door, preferably into a truck or large capacity vehicle. Thats one issue if your arriving on a day flight and your IS is picking you up, its a whole other issue if you have to get yourself into the city or somewhere. Most taxis wouldnt be able to accommodate more than 8 pieces and thats assuming an SUV or something and even then you may have to request one separately. If your taking a train or the metro, how much can each family member carry.

62' inches in combined dimensions and 50 lbs, is generally the limit. When I was an FSO I could take 4-5 pieces. Early in my IE career i took 4, it was pricey, I never did it again. I stuck with 2 plus my carry on and personal item for years after that. Didnt have an issue with it though. Most relocation, shipping allowances will afford a third and fourth piece of luggage easily.
You should expect that your bags will be weighed and measured at the check in counter, its pretty easy, theres a cut off mark on the counter, and the built in scale. My biggest issue was the carry-on which is typically limited to 15 lbs, which is not a lot of stuff for the average 19'-20' pilot case. Which is essential for electronics such as laptops.
Ive not known anyone who was directly refused baggage, usually the airline would transport it on some flight, even if it wasnt yours at some cost.

The most I ever know of anyone bringing was 49 pieces.
FV2020
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2018 9:21 am

Re: Excess baggage?

Post by FV2020 »

Thanks @buffalofan and @PsyGuy! Glad to hear that you've never had (or heard of) bags having to be left behind-- that would be a nightmare scenario for me. If someone can get 49 bags on a plane, then hopefully there will be no issue with my 6 (+/-) large duffle bags. Thanks for the advice about insurance-- I hadn't thought about that!

If anyone has other advice or experience to share, please chime in-- even it is just to assuage my fears!
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Reply

Post by PsyGuy »

@FV2020

They didnt get all 49 bags on one plane, they came on two additional flights, the individual was picking them up.
Illiane_Blues

Re: Excess baggage?

Post by Illiane_Blues »

Just in case you want to take something big: some airlines allow odd-size luggage at no extra charge if it's within the weight limit. Others will charge you for it, sometimes a lot, sometimes a fair price.
FV2020
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2018 9:21 am

Re: Excess baggage?

Post by FV2020 »

In case anyone else references this thread in the future, I wanted to add on that I learned about baggage embargoes today. Airlines such as United and Delta (and probably others) have periods where flights to certain regions ban ANY excess baggage-- as in, you cannot even pay to bring more than 2 bags. These embargoes are listed on their websites. For Delta, the embargoed destinations are mostly in Latin American, plus Manila and Nigeria. Thankfully I am not affected, but this would be terrible to not know about for someone going to one of those destinations.
secondplace
Posts: 191
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2016 12:40 pm

Re: Excess baggage?

Post by secondplace »

A few years ago we checked in 13 bags with Turkish Airlines. Had contacted them several times to see if there was any limit.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Discussion

Post by PsyGuy »

Some even have different and stricter requirements such as one piece of checked baggage that weighs less than 100 lbs. These are typically seasonal limitations but many ITs are flying out near the end of the summer embargo period.
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