Baggage Allowances to Change from 23 Sep

[mitchja]

Once piece of sports equipment weighing up to 32Kg per person is still allowed to be checked in over and above your ordinary limit for no extra charge.

VS are one of the few airlines that still offer sporting goods to be carried for free as well as your ordinary baggage allowance.

See this page.

Regards

quote:Originally posted by chumba

I emailed VS to ask about this and they have said that the new baggage policy will only apply if the booking is made after the 23rd September, so as long as the booking is made before that date even for travel after it the current baggage allowance applies.

(and yes i will be taking the email with me on holiday !!!!)


Just had a look at our tickets for the Oct trip and yes the baggage allowance is still showing as 3 bags @ 32kg. (but yes, a printout will maybe still be necessary.)

I can imagine the fights at downtown disney checkin or MCO when one group in P/E are allowed 2 bags @ 32kg each and the family behind that booked after the date are only allowed 2 @ 24kg and are made to repack in front of everyone.

David

I read in the travel press on Friday that Virgin are following BA's lead later this year on the 1 piece to USA in economy, but charging 35 for an extra bag if you want to take one...

I'm sure there is no 'look what they've got away with' type action here.....

quote:Originally posted by Captain Paul
I read in the travel press on Friday that Virgin are following BA's lead later this year on the 1 piece to USA in economy, but charging 35 for an extra bag if you want to take one...

I'm sure there is no 'look what they've got away with' type action here.....


Is this yet another change that has just been announced? I was under the impression that it was still 2x23kg as per this new policy that comes into effect as of 23rd September.

-Steve

Virgin don't seem to know what they are doing!
Perhaps just leaking different stories to see what the reaction would be?

They have only just corrected the VH 'Valerie' site to show 2 pieces for Econ. to the USA.
They still have some completely different sizes & allowances on the VH & VS sites.
eg:
VS - 'When added together, the three dimensions of any piece of luggage must not exceed 158cm (62in)'
VH - 'Less than 90cm x 75cm x 43cm (35.5ins x 29.5ins x 16ins)'

For infants without a seat:
VS - 'Infants not entitled to a seat are entitled to one piece of checked baggage weighing no more than 10 kg and with dimensions of 9 x 14 x 22 ins.'
VH = 'Infants (under 2's) travelling without a seat: Checked luggage: One piece 35.5 x29.5 x 16' or 90x75x43cm weighing no more than 23kg plus a stroller or bassinet or car seat'

(VH figures from here. VS figures from here.)

Is someone deliberately trying to cause confusion?

Interesting story in the Sunday Times today. In an article about BA moving to a one bag limit here - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel ... 814126.ece it says

'Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic has made a U-turn on plans to charge a staggering 90 for second suitcases on some long-haul routes from September 23, confirming that the page detailing its new baggage policy would be deleted from its website. The good news for economy passengers is that our two-bag limit remains in place until further notice, said Virgins Paul Charles.'

Does anyone know whether you can choose which baggage allowance you have. I already have tickets for Dubai (UC) for a flight in October.
At the moment the allowance is a total of 30kgs. However, from 23 Sept
it will be 3 x 23 kgs = 69kgs. Could I choose the latter option.

Anna

I spoke to the premier team about my luggage allowance travels home to Australia and they confirmed that I could take the new allowance, she checked with someone and she confirmed it was OK. [y]

Wonderful[y]


Anna

Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere but I see they are making more changes as of 25th November. This from the VS website.

-Steve

That's a pain in the rear! I was hoping to have the new baggage allowance for my trip home. Oh well 30kgs it is.

Dominic

quote:Originally posted by Stevieboy
Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere but I see they are making more changes as of 25th November. This from the VS website.

-Steve


The link here.

I have to say this is a completely half cocked and truly idiotically thought through set of policy changes.

Even in this link and the table they can't say 2 bags for US and India pax but have to make it a sub-note - heavens, make it easy in plain English rather than contradict, plus it's repetitive and they can't say what the charge is for bags over 23kg. Looks like a YTS trainee put the policy together and wrote the content.

At least it's now for tickets booked from 25 November but I'd bet many people will come over ground staff confused and applying their rules before then.

The 23KG+ bag charge is 30 / $ 50 (in the airport column)

But yes, constant changes are not good for pax or staff.

BTW what realy irtritates me is why because your going on a golf etc holiday you get a 'free'; bag but when I go on a shopping holiday I don't !

[Scrooge]

Just a little off topic, but what is irritating me right now is that I can't book firstchoice from Vegas, there are good cuts to make, then there are stupid cuts to make, this is getting stupid.

quote:Originally posted by slinky09
quote:Originally posted by Stevieboy
Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere but I see they are making more changes as of 25th November. This from the VS website.

-Steve


The link here.

I have to say this is a completely half cocked and truly idiotically thought through set of policy changes.

Even in this link and the table they can't say 2 bags for US and India pax but have to make it a sub-note - heavens, make it easy in plain English rather than contradict, plus it's repetitive and they can't say what the charge is for bags over 23kg. Looks like a YTS trainee put the policy together and wrote the content.

At least it's now for tickets booked from 25 November but I'd bet many people will come over ground staff confused and applying their rules before then.


You've interpreted that one way but it could also be interpreted differently. The exception on that link says '- Passengers travelling in Economy between the USA and India - one additional bag at 23 kilos.' I initally read that as people who have a through ticket from the USA to India rather than any passengers travelling to the US. Does anyone know which way this should be read?

[Nottingham Nick]

The policy of making cuts in order to stay in business is a necessary evil unfortunately.

In my view slinky sums it up with the phrase 'half cocked'. It is badly thought out and too complicated. Too many changes in too short a period of time IMHO.

Nick

quote:Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
The policy of making cuts in order to stay in business is a necessary evil unfortunately.

In my view slinky sums it up with the phrase 'half cocked'. It is badly thought out and too complicated. Too many changes in too short a period of time IMHO.


What makes it worse though is that VS will have been having meetings about the implementation of the changes for months. Given that at the best of times VS and VH call centre staff do not know the correct procedures to follow, this will be a nightmare.

Mr Donkey

It has been taken that the extra bag allowance for Y only applies for those flying from India to the US (and vice versa) on a through ticket.

If the Y allowance from the UK to the US was for 2 bags it would have been in the table but VS have caused the confusion themselves by using unclear language.

quote:Originally posted by tontybear
EEK ! reducing the PE/UC baggage is not good. Nothing to do with baggage handler safety - thats why the 32KG limit was introduced and enforced.

If this is a way to try and reduce costs / increase revenue mayube they should start to strictly enforce the existing limits for those who exceed them rather than penalise everyone.

But the change will be good for when(ever!) I fly to OZ. 30KG would not be enough on the way back !

Am glad though that it looks like it will only affect bookings made after the 23rd Sept (have I read that right?) In any case I'll print out the details of whats on bookings page as evidence for my flights on the 24th & 30th September - I am planing on using up the full 96KGs !



tonybear, did you print off that page (see your last para)as I am travelling on the 30th September to Boston and would like a copy of that page with me. Obviously it has been removed from the web site now as the new regulations are on there, but I remember it did say if you had booked before 23rd September then the original weights would be accepted. Thanks

[Neil]

quote:Originally posted by SNOMO
tonybear, did you print off that page (see your last para)as I am travelling on the 30th September to Boston and would like a copy of that page with me. Obviously it has been removed from the web site now as the new regulations are on there, but I remember it did say if you had booked before 23rd September then the original weights would be accepted. Thanks


The new rules only come in to force for all flights booked after the 25th November, so you won't have an issue at all. The current allowances stay in place right through until then.

Thanks Neil. I have just checked out the website again and printed the relevant page off just in case, which states that :
'Virgin Atlantic will be changing it's check-in baggage policy to a 'Piece System' across the entire network for all tickets booked from 25 November 2009. This replaces the change originally intended for launch on the 23rd September and now includes a revised allowance for passengers travelling Economy.'

So the planned 23rd September change is a total irrelevance.

tontybear please ignore my post to you as I now have the answer I needed.

What happens if I have a booking on one PNR for say EDI-MAN-MCO. The EDI-MAN part is bmi and the MAN-MCO part is Virgin Atlantic. As a gold card holder with bmi I can basically put as much luggage in the hold as I want and the weight doesn't really matter either as I get an extra 20kg as well but let's say I want to put in 3 bags each weighing less than 23kg.

Does the bmi allowance only apply on the bmi sectors or does it apply on Virgin as well as it's all on a single PNR?

Virgin's website says:

For any passengers transferring to/from another airline - generally the Virgin Atlantic policy on the applicable route the passengers travels should apply. However, please note exceptions may apply and if unsure passengers should check with each airline and with the local Virgin Atlantic office.

Are the local offices any good. This is something I'd like to get in writing as well if the response is in my favour so any ideas of an email address I could try asking the question to?

Sorry, just found another confusing answer:

quote:What is my allowance, if I am transferring to/from another flight?

If a passenger is travelling on Virgin Atlantic for their entire journey, the most generous baggage allowance will apply.

If a passenger has purchased one ticket for their entire journey, that includes flights with other airlines, each operating airlines allowance will apply.

If a passenger has purchased separate tickets for each airline in their journey, the individual airline's baggage allowances will apply for each flight. In this case, any additional allowances offered by another airline will not be applicable on flights with Virgin Atlantic.


I can read the bit in bold to have a couple of different meanings.

[Neil]

AFAIK each individual airlines policy counts for that leg.

But as you say it really shouldn't affect you either way. At best the VS allowance will apply for all the flights, meaning if you are flying UC, you can get 3x32kg (VS have AGAIN, changed the UC allowance back to 3x32kg, not the 3x23kg). At worst, the VS allowance applies for your flight with them, and as you have stated you are covered on your BMI flight by your Au status with them.

quote:Originally posted by Neil
AFAIK each individual airlines policy counts for that leg.

But as you say it really shouldn't affect you either way. At best the VS allowance will apply for all the flights, meaning if you are flying UC, you can get 3x32kg (VS have AGAIN, changed the UC allowance back to 3x32kg, not the 3x23kg). At worst, the VS allowance applies for your flight with them, and as you have stated you are covered on your BMI flight by your Au status with them.


This is likely to be a Y trip so it's quite important as the BD allowance is much better for me than the VS allowance when flying Y.

[Neil]

quote:Originally posted by xdh

This is likely to be a Y trip so it's quite important as the BD allowance is much better for me than the VS allowance when flying Y.


I am almost certain that there is no chance your BD allowance limits will be relevant for your VS flight. Who are you booking through?