Extra baggage fee for domestic flights?

[morpheus]

OK, I booked a ticket for my girlfriend to come to the US. However, we are not sure about the fees for the domestic flight in China.

She intends to check in two bags (at most 20kg each). The flight plan is like this (all booked simultaneously at one of those plane ticket websites):

(1) Xi'an to Shanghai via Hainan Airlines

(2) Shanghai to San Francisco via United Airlines

(3) San Francisco to Houston via Continental

(4) Houston to my city via Continental

Does anyone know what the fees might be, or if there could be any problems with luggage? She's worried that the fee for her second bag might be hundreds of dollars... I doubt it but I want to ask someone to be sure.

[roddy]

If I'm reading this correctly

如果您的托运行李和自理行李合并计重，超过旅客免费行李额的部分，应当支付逾重行李费。逾重行李费率以每公斤按逾重行李票填开当日所使用的经济舱客票价1.5%计算

you're looking at 1.5% of the cost of the plane ticket per kg, which might add up to a small chunk of money, but shouldn't run into hundreds of dollars. I'm not sure how strict they are anyway, my impression has always been that as long as you aren't moving an actual tractor you're ok.

[imron]

The question to ask is how long will she be staying, and does she need that much luggage? Most airlines outside the US only allow 20-25kg total weight limit for checked in luggage, so two 20kg bags is twice the standard luggage allowance.

[xianhua]

I can only speak for China Southern Airlines, but I have incurred fines with them before for overweight luggage (significantly less than double too). I would travel as if expecting the fine.

[Lu]

I also can only speak for China Southern. Flew with them a few months ago with two 20 kg suitcases, I forgot the price they told me but it was rather terrifying, something like tens of euros per extra kilo. (Fortunately they worked together with KLM on that flight, resulting in only 70 euro for the second suitcase.) It would perhaps be a good idea for your girlfriend to call the relevant airlines and ask them.

[abcdefg]

Does anyone know what the fees might be, or if there could be any problems with luggage? She's worried that the fee for her second bag might be hundreds of dollars...

I just flew Dallas to Kunming with one small and one medium suitcases checked plus a carry-on. Total checked bag weight was 36 pounds or 16.3 kilos.

Flew American Airlines Dallas to Los Angeles. No free checked baggage when flying coach. First bag cost $20 and the second one was $30, for a total of $50.

Korean Air from Los Angeles to Seoul and Seoul to Shenzhen. No baggage fee.

Shenzhen to Kunming on China Eastern. No baggage fee.

I'll be in China six or eight months. Your girlfriend needs to lighten up.

[morpheus]

Thanks to everyone for the quick replies.

I also can only speak for China Southern. Flew with them a few months ago with two 20 kg suitcases, I forgot the price they told me but it was rather terrifying, something like tens of euros per extra kilo. (Fortunately they worked together with KLM on that flight, resulting in only 70 euro for the second suitcase.) It would perhaps be a good idea for your girlfriend to call the relevant airlines and ask them.

I plan to call. If the cost was so high, then I could book another seat on the first flight for about $200. It's pretty crazy for the fee to be more than half the actual price of the ticket.

you're looking at 1.5% of the cost of the plane ticket per kg, which might add up to a small chunk of money, but shouldn't run into hundreds of dollars. I'm not sure how strict they are anyway, my impression has always been that as long as you aren't moving an actual tractor you're ok.

She said something about 1.5% times the ticket price times the weight. That would make the price be about $60, not the 3000-5000元 she thought at first.

The question to ask is how long will she be staying, and does she need that much luggage?

She's moving, so she probably wants to bring lots of stuff. Whether she needs it or not remains to be seen. Some of my friends claim they ended up throwing away the clothes they brought from their homelands.

Your girlfriend needs to lighten up.

She's worried about changing airlines, but really she has over 3.5 hours each time she needs to do that (in Shanghai and San Francisco). She's irritated because I changed the ticket from arriving at midnight in a city 3 hours from my home to arriving at 8:30pm at the airport in my city. Her complaints are that it is more expensive and she will have to change airlines. To me it seems like an overall a better option, even if really does cost $200 more after fees. What do you think?

[roddy]

I think she's probably nervous about the move and stressed about the journey, so you should just keep on doing what makes sense, while apologizing for it profusely. And tell her there's an import tariff to be paid on shoes.

[imron]

If she's moving then she should consider sending a whole bunch of stuff that she's not going to need straight away by surface mail. Although slower, it'll be significantly cheaper and will also mean she doesn't have to cart so much luggage around.

[morpheus]

I think she's probably nervous about the move and stressed about the journey, so you should just keep on doing what makes sense, while apologizing for it profusely. And tell her there's an import tariff to be paid on shoes.

I think you're right about the nervous part, definitely. The tariff is only on new shoes, I presume?

If she's moving then she should consider sending a whole bunch of stuff that she's not going to need straight away by surface mail. Although slower, it'll be significantly cheaper and will also mean she doesn't have to cart so much luggage around.

She seems to think that shipping ANYTHING is too expensive... I want to encourage her to try it. What is the best way to go about it?

[gougou]

I remember flying internationally a couple of years ago, on a Chinese carrier. I had 10 kg too much, I think.

"That'll be 330 USD", the nice lady said.

- "Are you kidding, I'm just a poor student, I can't afford that."

After frantically typing into her calculator, she says: "Ok, we can make it 300 USD"

- "Well, it wasn't the 30 dollar part I was worried about."

- "Hmm, then there is nothing we can do. Unless... you walk over there, buy one of those plastic bags for 1 RMB, and put all your stuff in there and take it as carry-on."

Needless to say, that is exactly what I did - that time and ever after. Not sure whether it is still possible, but back then carry-on was not weighed (and judging by my flight from Jingdezhen in October, at least chinaware is still exempt of weight and size restrictions).

[abcdefg]

The tariff is only on new shoes, I presume?

Roddy was pulling your leg (joking) about that.

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/imelda-marcos-3000-pairs-shoes-9044413

I helped a friend plan her move from Kunming to San Antonio last year. One thing that relieved a bit of stress was a back and forth dialogue on questions such as "Can you buy a rice cooker in Texas or do I have to bring mine from home?"

[imron]

It will cost some money to send stuff, but if you are sending by surface mail it should always be cheaper than paying overweight luggage charges which are extortionate. I guess the only way to get her to try is to get her to go to the post office and try sending something (maybe a box of clothes for the opposite season she'll be arriving in) weighing up to say 10kg. Get them to weigh it all up and get the price for sending it via surface mail. If it works out cheaper than overweight luggage, then you're in luck. Otherwise she can decide not to send it, so you won't be out of pocket except for the cost of the box.

[morpheus]

I'm getting wildly varying stories, so I think I must call the airline tomorrow to ask... I will report on the results.

[roddy]

Gargh, I swear half the cultural and linguistic misunderstandings on here stem from my attempts to be funny. But I just can't help myself . . .

It could well be worth going through a list of what she's bringing and seeing if anything is unnecessary. There's often a perception that everything will be massively expensive overseas, so suitcases full of quilts and appliances are taken over.

[morpheus]

I called Hainan Airlines and they told me that because of the way I booked, my girlfriend will be allowed to carry two standard bags consistent with United Airlines policies. She used some airline terminology I didn't quite understand, but that's what I was able to gather.

I also found out that their fee for an extra bag is $110, and for an overweight bag is $325. That's pretty wild, lol. But at least everything looks ok otherwise. Maybe she won't have to pay any fees at all.

[xianhua]

Perhaps this thread could be maintained as an 'Extra baggage fees for domestic flights in China' resource for future travellers? Users could then add their experiences to assist other travellers since it does seem a bit hit and miss whether you get charged (although China Southern Airlines never seem to miss).

[Lu]

Further tips:

- Shipping by surface mail is pretty cheap, in any case a lot cheaper than overweight luggage. There are some threads on that I think, or ask your gf to ask the post office.

- Apart from your check-in luggage you are usually allowed to bring a piece of carry-on luggage, a laptop in a laptop bag and a suit in a suit... bag, whatdoyoucallit, with a hanger. The laptop bag is never weighed, so put some heavy books in it with the laptop. I've never carried a suit bag, but I'd guess it's also never weighed, so put some more clothes in it.

- When checking in, leave your only-barely-allowed-sized and overweight 1 piece of carry-on luggage with the people seeing you off, and check in showing just your check-in bag and a purse. When carrying your carry-on luggage onto the plane, pretend it weighs nothing. I don't remember my carry-ons ever being weighed.

- Bring one set of clean clothes in the carry-on, in case luggage gets lost.

Yah, and what Roddy said about being nice. She's the one emigrating, quite a big step. Anyway, if she makes sure she has her passport and money, it'll all be fine after she's arrived.

[abcdefg]

A Chinese friend told me that on a domestic China Eastern flight last week her checked luggage weighed 27 kg. The excess 7 kg cost her 130 RMB, calculated at 18.6 Yuan/Kg. She showed me the receipt.

I think the "good old days" of being able to just smile and hope that the check-in agent will be casual or lenient are gone. Airlines everywhere have realized that charging for baggage, especially excess baggage, and being strict about it, significantly boosts their bottom line.

Baggage Fees Send Airline Revenue Soaring

3rd quarter sees 23% jump in luggage charges, as other ancillary income also rises

December 13, 2010|By Julie Johnsson, Tribune reporter

The 20 largest U.S. carriers collected $906.4 million in baggage-related charges during the third quarter, a 23 percent jump from 2009 results, according to data released Monday by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-12-13/business/ct-biz-1214-bags-20101213_1_baggage-fees-passenger-frustration-jay-sorensen

[xianhua]

Some airlines may even plummet to the depths of charging for the most basic of rights .

In addition to the tips on packing given above, I would also recommend weighing your empty suitcase. Our older one (large size) weighed nearer 5kg, but some of the lighter models now are down around 2.5kg or less. That's a precious 2.5kg gained.