Luggage: overweight and storage

[Pyromancer]

Here's a question about overweight luggage. I ended up throwing away lots of stuff in Singapore, or else I had to pay a huge penalty fine. Emberassing enough, that was with my native Royal Dutch Airlines KLM. Not even Easyjet has played this trick on me before.

My question is: what to do best with overweight luggage? Which airlines are the least likely to give you hassle and which are most? And if there's no way around it, what's the cheapest way to deal with it? What's the deal with 'unaccompanied luggage'?

And what are your experiences with long term luggage storage facilities around the world? I felt quite stupid taking a 32kg Samsonite suitcase to a backpack infested Island this year, but also get slightly paranoid about leaving my luggage at a not-so-official place before I left for Singapore. My concern was not so much would they steal stuff from luggage, but would they add something to it, just before I'd leave for Singapore...

Thanks for your answers!

[Stretch]

From what I have read, it seems pretty random. The airlines are hrting for $$$, so any excuse to ring $$$ from you is a good one.
I wondered about this myself. Our giant puppets fit fine in a mini van, but not in the airline overhead compartment! I guess we'll end up using FedX.

Re: storage, would your embassy, Chamber of Commerce, church, or some other organization be of help? Join Heifer International or Habitat for Humanity, assist them on a project, and they might return the favor? Just a thought. I'd start with the embassy for advice.

Some random thoughts:

Afganistan is burning their old worthless currency, and replacing it with new currancy. Over here, you could sell it for wall paper and make a buck if you could get it here!

With your experience you could do a lecture and slide show and do a turn as tour guide.

Why is it I can think, but not spell this early in the morning? With this thing had a spel ck!

Walking tall and stretching imaginations!

Bill "Stretch" Coleman

http://Stiltwalker.com/

Everything stilts and giant puppets from around the world past and present.

[Pyromancer]

Ofcourse, airlines are there to make money. But a general policy also seems to generate a big effort just to make travelling people happy and some airlines go further than others in this respect. Some airlines do understand that a happy client generates more clients and in the end more income, instead of squeezing someone to the last penny. So I wondered what other peoples experiences were in this respect.

And as for the storage: I am looking for more ad-hoc solutions. For example, when I want to leave the city of Moyagobishahsushu, it can be a little bit of a pain in the arse if I have to travel to the capital Burukamanshasha first, negotiate with my embassy, convince them find a date to do some charity stuff, find myself some roof for the days towards my gig, do the gid and only then being able to leave my gear for a while to go off for a well deserved holiday... And besides that, I do not mind at all doing things for charity, but I rather keep my motives clear...

[Minnie Maniac]

Hi Pyro,

I have the same questions myself and think it's a great topic! I am having the same kind of issues regarding travel and carriage of props. I have had a look at a few websites and while airlines vary, there seems to be a common theme. Basically, if you are travelling in Economy Class (Internationally), you can take a maximum of 20kg of checked luggage with you and one carry on piece weighing no more than 7kg. This is what you would have encountered in Singapore with KLM.

This changes dramatically, however, if you fly via the USA, Canada or Mexico. Then, you are allowed 2 pieces, up to 32 kg each, with maximum added external dimensions of 158 cm max each. Does anyone know why this is??? This is very general, and varies.

From what I can tell from Malaysia Airlines website, the same larger allowances apply for transatlantic or transpacific flights, but going from Europe to asia you're still screwed. They also say cabin baggage can weigh 20kg. Check http://www.malaysiaair.com/baggage.htm

KLM airlines summed it up pretty well so I will quote from them:

"Passengers traveling Economy Class can take along 20 kg (44 lbs) without extra charges. Passengers traveling Business Class are allowed to take along 30 kg (66 lbs). These weight restrictions apply to all flights to and from all countries except for the United States, Canada, and Mexico" (Checked baggage only)

"On flights to and from the United States, Canada and Mexico, all passengers can take along two items of baggage at no extra cost. The two items are allowed to be no more than 158 cm in size each (length + width + height). The maximum weight allowance is 32 kg (70 lbs) per item of baggage." (Checked baggage only)

Also, being a silver member of an awards program entitles you to more luggage, so if you fly very often, try that. If you are a member of KLM's Flying Dutchman program you should play their online game at their website and you could fly free - if you win that is.

Hope it helps,

Minnie Maniac

[Minnie Maniac]

I also wondered about storing luggage while travelling. Specifically, where did Taxi and Jewels stash their stuff in Bangkok while they swanned around Thailand? I'm stopping there on my way to Europe and would much appreciate advice on a safe place to leave my luggage.

Cheers,

Minnie Maniac (again)

[Lee Nelson]

Hey there Minnie, hope you guys had a good year with the circus.
Heard a rumour that you had sussed out a way of travelling with hula hoops that makes them not look like huge donuts and a little more subtle for those tricky border crossings.
Love to hear it straight from the girls mouth!!!
Cheers
Lee

[Minnie Maniac]

Hi Lee!

This is true and I would be happy to share my ideas with you but as it's not related to this topic I'll reply to your personal e-mail address, very shortly.Merry Christmas!

Minnie Maniac

[Stretch]

Please share your hula hoop story here. Thank you.

This cat's curious!

[scot]

TIp your skycap well.

[le pire]

I travel primarily between the USA & Europe, and have been permitted 2 checked bags at 40kg each and one hand luggage which they never put on the scale, but if they did would see weighed about 25kg. I usually sneak on an extra hand bag too.

I always have at least one extra bag-- the trunk with my giraffe uni & free standng ladder in it -- and this costs me an additional $100, £69 or 100€.

I have mailed parcels from europe to the USA and vice versa-- never had a problem when I shipped stuff to France, Italy or the UK. But have always had a problem shipping stuff to the USA. I've usually had to fill out four pages of customs / immigrations documents that ask questions that have NOTHING to do with the package. Twice my bags have been opened by customs this way, and twice property was "seized" (stolen). How a France '98 world cup T-Shirt is considered 'contraband', I don't know...

The cost of mailing parcels is usually in the $75-$150 range, so I don't do it anymore, as it is safer and more convenient to pay an excess baggage fee and have my stuff with me at all times.

Airlines I use: United (good service internationally, domestic USA sucks), Air France (excellent), Continental (50-50), British Airways (excellent), Virgin Atlantic (excellent), Americain Airlines (sucks. sucks REALLY bad, I avoid them if I can), Aer Lingus (excellent), Lufthansa (excellent)

Air France has treated me VERY well when it comes to baggage and all that. My wallet was once stolen two days before my flight, so I had no credit cards, bank cards, and only 200 francs in my pocket. My excess baggage fees were 1250francs, but when I told them what happened and showed them my new passport where it said my old one was stolen, they waived the fees and gave me a voucher for a free meal at the executive lounge. That's what I call service.


etienne

[Chance]

About 5 years ago when I began flying pretty regularly I had an aluminum flight case made. It was actually on the smallish side, but when ever I approached a check-in desk the girl would always want to weigh it, stating things like, "That box looks really heavy, we need to weigh it", etc. And just beside me there were folks with nylon bags that were literally twice the size of my box and never getting a second look. Then I began to notice that all the other bags were black, while mine was shiny metal. Hmmmm. Now I travel with nothing but black flight cases.

[Mark Wessels]

maybe this struck no one else as odd but le pire's luggage weighs

40 kg checked bag one
40 kg checked bag two
25 kg carry on
30 kg for estimated weight of trunk with uni and ladder.

totals to 135 kg or about 297 pounds.
it must be tough to get around with three hundred pounds of luggage. Is there some way you could cut down to a modest 200 pounds? it might save you money. Plus you won't need as many sherpas.

bored

Mark

[worldwidese]

Check out this site for prices on sending unaccompanied baggage.
This means you have to allow time to consign your stuff, and time to receive it.

http://www.discount-shipping.net/

http://www.discount-shipping.net/from_usa1.html

Lots of information if you go to Yahoo, type unaccompanied baggage in the search box and click search.
Unaccompanied baggage is NOT recommended for countries like Turkey, Mexico, where they expect baksheesh, mordidos, etc.

[ 01-02-2003: Message edited by: worldwidese ]</p>

[Miss Banana]

I think the easy transportation of hoops is a highly relevant issue for this thread. Do share!