Poor baggage allowance for Johannesburg

Hi all,

I have just booked an UC ticket to Johannesburg in December, and only realised after booking how poor the baggage allowance is for UC passengers travelling to/from South Africa.
30kg total, rather than 32kg per bag on most other routes.

Does anyone know the reason for this? It can't be country regulations because I get 69kg allowance with BA Club.

How strictly do they take this policy as I was hoping to stock up of some wine.

No idea why it's so stingy but I imagine that they will be strict about enforcing it. JNB and back are the only two VS flights in 7 years on which I've been forced to check my carry-on because it's been a couple of kilos overweight. Annoyingly, the case was broken into in both directions - one of the main reasons why I hate checking baggage with a vengeance!

Chris

[Nottingham Nick]

I seem to recall this being spoken of some time ago, and I think the suggestion was that they have a lot of cargo / freight on the African routes.

I can't remember if that was fact or supposition.

Nick

If you are a gold member, you do get extra luggage allowance on this route. An extra 20KGs upto a maximum of 32KG per bag though.

I could be wrong but with regards to Johannesburg it's 5557ft above sea level. Being hot and high means aircraft performance is seriously reduced and so airlines need to impose greater restrictions on weight...however that doesn't explain why the same restrictions are imposed for Cape Town as that's only 150ft AMSL [?]

Less weight = less stuff to get nicked by the thieving baggage handlers.
VS is doing you a favor!

I believe that Nick is right something to do with being a valuable freight route. It's the same on the SYD route in UC (and it was tightly enforced).
DL

[preiffer]

quote:Originally posted by napamatt
Less weight = less stuff to get nicked by the thieving baggage handlers.
VS is doing you a favor!

Indeed.

Posted from the ONLY country in the world where baggage handlers are allowed free reign as a result of imposing a restriction on all travellers preventing them from locking (securing) their own bags.


Congrats. [y] [ii]

quote:Originally posted by DragonLady
I believe that Nick is right something to do with being a valuable freight route. It's the same on the SYD route in UC (and it was tightly enforced).
DL


And these are long routes requiring more fuel, operated without the commercial pressure of transatlantic routes where baggage limits are historically higher.

Oh well said Decker, I had a Sunday lunch last week where yet another friend told me about stolen items from her luggage at JFK after handing these over for scanning ...

Presumably it's the same with HKG then?

Next March I need a flight there to join a 6 week cruise - I'm having to book BA [:I] because of their bagagge allowance - I can't possibly fit 6 weeks of cruise clothing into 30kgs[:0]