We're catching an Air Kenya flight to the Mara and we're about 7 lbs over (each) between carry on and checked bags. Will we just have to pay their excess baggage fee? Do they even care? Last time we flew to the Mara no one weighed our bags...same for our internal flights in Botswana, but those were private planes. Many thanks!

Loru, are you going from Wilson to the Mara? The only time that we have been weighed in our two trips was both times leaving Wilson, and once going through Arusha. But they did not weigh our carry on, it was just our checked only.

My limited experience in Africa and Alaska is if the flight isn't full they usually won't bother checking too closely (unless someone has WAY too much luggage).

If they do weigh carefully then sometimes they let you slide, sometimes they charge for the extra. A chance you take ... we were just given the OK (ahead of time, after I asked if we could even do it and if so what the tariff would be) to bring in an extra 50 lbs on a small plane flight to a remote area of Alaska, for example.

We're usually a lot more than 7 lbs over (heavy camera gear) and still seem to always get a free pass.

Bill

Yes, we're going from Wilson to the Mara. Sorry, I should have mentioned that!

They weighed my checked luggage at Wilson and wanted to charge $60+. (2007). The driver we used while in Nairobi was still with me and got them to waive the fee. I doubt they would have waived it for me.

<b>They weighed my checked luggage at Wilson and wanted to charge $60+. </b>

Wow ... how much extra weight did you have? Was the flight full?

Just curious ...

we once had a bit excess luggage and the plane was packed.
they charged us 1US$/kilo. but most of the time they don't make a fuss.

you can be pretty relaxed!

div

Unless the carryon and camera equip (which you take onboard) looks obviously heavy, they'll only weigh your main bag.

Overweight fees should be low, about USD$1/1kg... with inflation, maybe USD$2/1kg. Either is a bargain!