Anybody have a link to updated KLM allowances? Their website still says "2 items of baggage max. 23 kg** (50.5 lbs) per bag".

The new policies don't take effect until November 1st. I wouldn't expect to find complete information on the baggage section of the website until then. They might post it early, but both the KLM and Air France websites kind of suck, so don't count on it.

Frankly, it isn't very hard. The policy is clearly spelled out in the press release:

- 1 free bag at 23kg/50lb
- 2nd bag of up to 23kg/50lb costs $50/EUR50 each way
- Flying Blue and Skyteam Elites are exempt from the 2nd bag fee (this is the only point of confusion, as the KLM press release does not mention an exclusion for Skyteam Elites)
- The 3rd+ bag will be charged at $200/EUR200 each way
- Overweight bags (between 23kg and 32kg) will be charged an overweight fee of $100/EUR100 each way

What more is there to know?

Link to KLM new baggage rules:
http://tinyurl.com/create.php

Note you get a 20% on the second bad fee if you check in online and pay for it then too.

It does mention that Flying Blue elites get two free bags as do business class.

The AF press release says "Effective with tickets issued November 1, 2009..." -- do they really mean that those who booked before Nov 1 will be able to fly after Nov 1 with the old rules?

hetsmij, that tinyurl link for KLM doesn't work.

(I haven't checked luggage in a very long time-- the reason I'm obsessing over this now is that on my return flights through AMS, I had been planning to check everything other than passport/wallet/valuables in order to take a quick look around the city during a 6-hr layover).

Sorry Fifi. I'll try again.
http://tinyurl.com/yh23xcl

As I understand it the new rules only apply to flights booked after that date, but it is probably worth getting confirmation of this. KLM are generally very helpful in answering questions like this.
If you are on a NWA codeshare operated by NWA then the one bag rule already applies.

Oh and you could always put your carry-on in a luggage locker at Schiphol if you are worried about the fees. It will be cheaper than the price of a second bag.

Fifi, I'm certainly hoping that I am getting in under the old rules for my flight home next month. Maybe I should bring along a copy of the press release to show the desk agent in Paris.

I guess that put paid to bringing a case of wine home unless we lug the huge bag for the two of us. Of course everything goes up except salaries.

DP and I are planning a trip in May. Here's my plan if DP agrees. We each pack a carryon only bag. DP usually checks his bag and packs a little more than I. Therefore, we'll pack his carry-on inside a larger single checked bag and DP can use some of the additional space for overflow. (Attempting to make sure that we don't exceed our weight limit). On return trip, DP can check or carry-on according to his whim. I'll carry on one bag and we'll have one large bag between us to check with our souveniers.

Why don't you just check the larger bag almost empty instead of worrying about exceeding the weight limit with the nested bags?

Great surprised today.

Book my ticket with AF online on 11/01/2009 and discovered few days later that I was only allowed to have 1 baggage for free and had to pay $50.00 for the second one. The same information was displayed on their website

I decided to check the information one more time before calling them. What I saw today, I am allowed to have 2 baggages for free and would have to pay $100.00 for extra one.

Good news but did somebody know why AF has changed the rules suddently like that ?

usabiz, which class are you flying? Are you a flying blue member? If you are flying cattle class then according to the AF site for transatlantic flights they are still charging for a second bag. If you are flying "premium voegeur" or higher then your second bag is free. The policy hasn't changed.

I just recently got caught up in all this.

I've just come back from a 4 country/5 city trip lasting 3.5 weeks. BA was the major carrier, and on my departure date - Oct. 16th - my TA called to advise that the new BA luggage rules whch had been in existencence for some time in European regions had just recently come into effect for North America and Canada and the Caribbean : 1 piece of checked luggage not to exceed 23 kg and 1 piece of hand luggage within prescribed dimensions. Club and First class passengers can take more. Luckily, despite taking bulky cold weather clothing for a month, I had packed to these specifications and my checked piece weighed 21.5 Kg at Toronto Pearson airport. My cabin piece was a small roll-on that fit the size requirement, but was larger than I usually carry for containing my camera equipment and a change of clothes. I was told by the check-in BA staff that I could have carried my camera bag seperately in addition to the cabin bag since women are allowed a purse or handbag in addition to their carry-on item.

I had no problems in all the airports I flew through (8 times through 5 airports) except one, but I saw some being charged for bags that were over the weight limit, and others for additional bags. One party of 5 going to Khartoum with about 8 bags between them were told that their cheapest option would be to freight their stuff.
I didn't buy much during my travels, but when leaving Budapest for Heathow, my 1 checked pieced weighed 27 kgs and for which I was charged a flat GBP 35.00 'heavy bag' fee (you also get a label on your suitcase that says HEAVY BAG for this price). Had I known of the weight overage ahead of time, I could have puchased additional allowance OR a second piece of luggage with it's own allowance of 23KG ONLINE for the discounted amount of GBP 30.00

The BA website is very clear on their policy on luggage so if you're flying them soon, I advise to check it out.

The rates you pay are matrixed against whether you are flying into or out of Heathrow, and whether you are flying to/from Europe or elsewhere (N. America, Canada, Asia, Africa, Australia, etc). Each additional bag after the first free one gets more expensive. And there are different rules if you have a multi-flight journey across 2 or more of these zones.

You are also unofficially subject to the discretion of the counter staff accepting your bag : on my final flight from Heathrow to Toronto, when even though I tossed out as much as I could but still could not have been under the 23Kg limit, the friendly counter lady just smiled at me, tagged my bag before pushing it through and wished me a good flight. Bless her. So I put the cash I had expected to pay her towards a nice Thomas Pink shirt in the duty free store.

Hi Mathieu,

Thanks for sharing your experience. Since you flew through 5 airports, I assume you took some flights within continental Europe. If so, did any of the continental Europe flights have the requirement of 20 kg (instead of 23 kg for the cross-Atlantic flight)?

I'm preparing for an upcoming trip and it will involve both cross-Atlantic and within continental Europe flights. I only plan to have one checked bag, but I realize that the weight requirement for flights from North America to Europe is different than those within Europe (most likely will be more restrictive).

Thanks

When our family of 9 traveled we had what were throw away clothes. If one wants to buy gifts abroad-leave old clothes there & just carry home gifts. I've told my husband about this & he thinks its crazy. I guess he doesn't want to look like a bum while traveling.CS

Your husband is right! I remember a thread a few years ago where women talked about bringing old undies and toss them after wearing. As my mother asked, what if you get hit by a bus?

Hi Nancicita,

Yes, I had 6 flights within continental Europe.
4 of those flights were on British Airways and I was not subjected to any lower weight restrictions on my checked luggage.

The other 2 flights were on Czech Airlines between Budapest and Prague, and here there was a 20kg limit on checked baggage. However I was well under this limit as I only took a small roll-on with supplies for just 5 days, so they didn't have to enforce it on me. On this sector, we flew on a smaller propeller type aircraft seating just 46 people.

If you fly from NA to Europe, and are in transit in the first European airport before flying off to your second European airport, the NA allowance applies to your baggage. But then your bags are likely to be checked through from the get-go so you wouldn't experience any re-check-in.
However if you break your journey in the first European airport/city and then fly off to the second, the lower baggage allowance applies. However, they must make exceptions. I'd check with the airlines first.

Hope this helps.

M.

Returned after twelve days on nov 10. AF website seemed a little sketchy on whether charges would be incurred on second bag for travel after nov 1 or on tickets purchased after nov 1. I was prepared to have to pay...but nothing was said at checkin...so assume the new charges start with those bought af
ter Nov 1....so next year I'll have to pay up! vicki

LAX to CDG only:
This is only good for people flying from Los Angeles to Paris, but Air Tahiti Nui still offers 2 checked, 1 carryon:
www.airtahitinui-usa.com/traveldesk/baggage.asp
They are my favorite airline bar none: use Airbus 340-300, have very good food, charming service and continue to win awards for incabin service so it's not just me.
They have never been late [8 flights[.