grrrrrr sports equipment surcharge by lowcost airline
Discussion
A certain Irish based low fare airline are really annoying me at the moment. They won't let me book a bag containing 2 snowboards onto a flight unless I pay two surcharges (one per board). They say that the surcharge is for the inconvenience of handling the oversize item - but surely that must mean the bag - if I stuffed with clothes etc, it would be just as inconvenient, so I don't see what business it is of theirs what it contains. They admit that they don't insure it for you against loss or damage, so I don't see how they can justify their stance. Presumably if I took a golf bag, it would be £17 per golf club and £17 per ball - after all, that is all sports equipment too... Their argument just doesn't wash, but what else can I do - I've booked the tickets and need to take the boards with me - held to ransom springs to mind - especially seeing as the surcharges are more than the flight cost...
too big
don't object to the principle of being charged for having a big bag on the plane, just the fact that they double the charge just because they find out you have put 2 of something in a bag the same size. Again, if the item was overweight as a result, i wouldn't mind, but 2 boards don't weigh very much
don't object to the principle of being charged for having a big bag on the plane, just the fact that they double the charge just because they find out you have put 2 of something in a bag the same size. Again, if the item was overweight as a result, i wouldn't mind, but 2 boards don't weigh very much
You have discovered just one of the many reason why these airlines may not cost as little as they appear to. I always fly BA when I can as I have carried my snowboard/boots/snowblades to and from Munich every Christmas for the past 5 years without paying extra once, even when my main bag was tipping the scales at the weight limit.
I dont think you would be able to take them on board.
I tried bringing a hurley (the stick used in hurling) back with me, on a certain cheap irish airline, and was told that it was classed as a)a dangerous weapon and b) as an "awkward object" and I would be charged for bringing on board.
I had to pay 25 euro as I had not previously booked it on the flight, if I had of booked it on in advance would have been 20euro.
What a load of shite.
Saying that I had only paid £15 for a return flight
I tried bringing a hurley (the stick used in hurling) back with me, on a certain cheap irish airline, and was told that it was classed as a)a dangerous weapon and b) as an "awkward object" and I would be charged for bringing on board.
I had to pay 25 euro as I had not previously booked it on the flight, if I had of booked it on in advance would have been 20euro.
What a load of shite.
Saying that I had only paid £15 for a return flight
zebedee said:
. Presumably if I took a golf bag, it would be £17 per golf club and £17 per ball - after all, that is all sports equipment too...
Airlines are out to scam as much money as possible, and if your sports equipment is a "board" of any type the will charge as much as they canpossibly get away with!
Last year I was quizzed regarding my kitesurfing gear it went like this
Airline Staff - "What is in the bag"
ME "Kites"
Airline Staff - "Kites? That does not count as sports equipment, so there is a £35 fee each way"
ME - "But kitesurfing is a sport"
Airline Staff - "No it's not"
ME - "Well what is???"
Airline Staff - "Golf"
ME - "But kitesurfing is more engergetic, watersports are sports etc...???"
Airline Staff - "Watersports do not count as sports"
After a going nowhere argument I ended up paying....
After that I bought a "Naish Deceiver" golf bag - takes a board, 3 kites and most of my clothes - not been charged since!
By the way it is not only cheap airlines that take the p
s, I know of one guy that took kitesurfing gear to Bali, with Thai airlines... His entire baggage (clothes + equipment) weighed in at under the 25Kg limit, but because they decided it was surfing gear he got charged £30 per kilo, each way
came to more than the cost of his own ticket... As for baggage weight allowance I am all for making fat people get on the scales with their luggage, if they plus their luggage weigh in at more than a pre defined average weight they should pay extra to fly their fat arses...
I remember coming home from skiing on a train once. My ski bag was propped in a corner and the guard came through and tried to charge me a child's fare for the skis.
I told him to stick it, that the bag contained broomsticks and that he had no right to search my personal luggage. It worked.
>> Edited by bad_roo on Tuesday 25th October 15:09
I told him to stick it, that the bag contained broomsticks and that he had no right to search my personal luggage. It worked.
>> Edited by bad_roo on Tuesday 25th October 15:09
robbieduncan said:
You have discovered just one of the many reason why these airlines may not cost as little as they appear to. I always fly BA when I can as I have carried my snowboard/boots/snowblades to and from Munich every Christmas for the past 5 years without paying extra once, even when my main bag was tipping the scales at the weight limit.
Not just locost - KLM charge too, sort of. There is no additonal weight allowance for sports equipment, so on flights with a European end destination with the pi$$y weight restriction you end up paying. Flew to Amsterdam then on to Munich last March and got hit with a charge. Flew to Amsterdam (on same flight number) a fornight later with more gear but onwards to Vancouver and no charge with the extra allowances. I see easyjet charge extra too now....so it'll be BA or Continental this year I guess.
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