Immutability

Those of you on this board have answered (very well) some other questions about my daughter's impending (four month)trip to study in Italy. Now she is ready to go and has another question. Her first leg out of Venice to return home is on BMI airways to Heathrow. Unfortunately (and she has made two calls), BMI considers her a short-haul passenger for the one leg that she is on BMI's airplane. Short-haul passengers are limited to 15 lbs. carryon and 44 lbs. total check through. Her computer weights 10 lbs. and must go on with her. She will send through her books and clothes. She can't seem to get her check-through stuff down to under 44 lbs. for the outbound journey. Even getting rid of her books for the return will not get her to 44, and she will have gifts and such. Do any of you have any ideas? All her other flights allow her 100 lbs. spread over two bags (way more than enough). But BMI seems definite on this. Should have checked this before buying the ticket. Anyone know about air freight or about how tough the gate people are? Thanks!

kenderina

If you read the BMI website, it says the computer doesn't count on the weight they allow as carryon : (15lbs) + laptop.
I've never had excess bagage myself but I've flown BMI and saw people who had...and they had to pay. So I think your daughter should do her best to keep the weight as low as she can..and pay for the rest. Did she pay a lot for the ticket ? I mean, if it was a cheap one maybe it doesn't deserve the excess bagage money and it's better to lose it and buy one with another company.

Immutability

Thanks, kenderina, for the answer. It is a frequent flyer ticket and has five legs all told. The Venice-Heathrow leg is the the third. I don't think that she could keep the last two portions if she got another ticket for a middle portion, but I am not sure. Particulary, thanks for the information about the computer because 10 lbs. extra really helps. Does anyone know why BMI allows so much less luggage than the other three airlines she flying on?

rkkwan

If she's directly connecting at Heathrow to a flight to the US, then she should have the higher baggage allowance dictated by the airline operating the Heathrow-US leg.

If she's staying in London for a little bit (even for just one day), then yes, the lower limit applies.

20kg/44lb is the standard baggage allowance for coach passengers around the world, except in/to/from N. America.

alanRow

If the itinery is Venice to US via Heathrow then she should have the higher allowances even if there is a stopover.

If the itinery is Venice to Heathrow then Heathrow to US then she'll get the standard allowances for each leg.

What does it say on the ticket itself or is daughter relying on what has been said/read?

Tuscanson

I got caught in the BMI trap this past June, flying from Venice to London, laying over to sight see, and then taking Virgin Atlantic back to U.S.
It never occurred to me that I wouldn't have the transatlantic weight since I made my three leg flight as a single ticket on Orbitz.
At BMI check-in, they told me I was overweight, pointed out my ticket actually said 20k on it (I'd never noticed - tickets have so many nonsense numbers on them anyway.)
I was not a happy camper. The check-in people didn't make it easier. They were rude and acted like it was my fault that I did not know.
I had to pay 8 euros PER KG for overage.
And the BMI flight one of the worst I have ever taken -- they charge for water on the flight for goodness sake.
I'll never fly BMI again.
p.s. Virgin Air flight was excellent though.

Immutability

Thank you! My daughter called back to BMI and was told that she would have the allowance for the transatlantic leg. Now her problem seems so minor. She will have no problem with the new restrictions and so please wish her a safe journey. Thanks again. This board is so very useful!