VA baggage allowance (2) this bloomin' stinks!

[Lizzybear]

I expected this would happen but I agree it was a bad move from a company who sell themselves as being a cut above other scheduled airlines.

 

[zara]

come on guys, no one needs 2 bags each for a two week holiday to Florida.
never heard of washing machines....
I've never ever taken two bags......

 

[wayneg]

come on guys, no one needs 2 bags each for a two week holiday to Florida.
never heard of washing machines....
I've never ever taken two bags......

2 things with this.

One, many of us go for more than 2 weeks, just returned from 25 nights.
We travel very light, 2 week we could manage with 1 case each no problem but as with this trip included in the 25 nights was a 7 night cruise, including formal night, semi formal, pirate costumes for pirate night, 20 gifts for gift exchange, gifts for our American friends. We kept it to 4 cases between 3 of us but that was a struggle.
Two, who wants to be doing washing on holiday? not us.

Many don't want or need more than 1 bag but its one of the things that has set Virgin apart from the charter airlines.

 

[originalkk]

I haven't flown with VA for a number of years and was looking into flying with them next year. I am amazed to see that, as well as now reducing the checked baggage allowance to the US, they still seem to have the old ridiculous 6kg cabin allowance, when other "quality" scheduled airlines ditched this years ago.

I'd be interested to know how people manage to take a laptop and a decent camera with a couple of lenses with them on Virgin and stay within this limit?

This all makes them the same as a chartered airline, but for much more £££s.

I guess I'll go with one of the US carriers (or even BA).

 

[Lizzybear]

FWIW we've flown Contintental and VA transatlantic and I thought in economy they were comparable, I certainly wouldn't pay more for the sake of flying with VA. I've also flown with MyTravel a couple of times and didn't think they were siginificantly worse than VA economy, slightly less legroom perhaps and less baggage allowance.

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

come on guys, no one needs 2 bags each for a two week holiday to Florida.
never heard of washing machines....
I've never ever taken two bags......

We are a family of 4,and have taken 6 suitcases each trip.
Considering the price we have paid for the past 5 holidays booked with VA, I'd believe the allowance was very good and what swayed us in the past to book with Virgin..We however go for more than 2 weeks,mainly 3 weeks but also have been for 4 weeks.
I guess it goes off each family...Yes there is washing machines but we are on holiday,I dont want to be doing laundry every day,Kids get messy very easily,my girls go through 2-3 clothes changes a day.

For us I am glad we aren't going next year but will be looking at other companies for our 2011 trip.

If the worst comes of it we would have to pay the extra allowance,But I find it annoying considering it's been that allowance for year's.

 

[Head_in_the_clouds]

Will any of you be writing to Virgin to let them know your feelings? I think I will as the luggage allowance was one of the reasons we flew with them after encountering jobsworths at Sanford who seemed to be out to get as much money out of us as possible on our return trips - all the medications we are on as a family take up loads of weight/space anyway, this year my Dad literally had a case full of medical equipment and supplies just for himself (he has diabetes and heart problems). I remember flying with Virgin as a kid back in 1996 and it was AMAZING, when we flew with Virgin next in 2008 I was really excited but I ended up being disappointed by how shabby the plane was and how most of the perks of flying VA were gone although having said all that safety is our main priority!

 

[Danauk]

I'd be interested to know how people manage to take a laptop and a decent camera with a couple of lenses with them on Virgin and stay within this limit?

I manage this. DH takes My laptop, charger and lenses which go in my lowepro bag and the DSLR goes in a camera bag which he take as a 2nd piece of hand luggage (in the hand luggage section it says you can do this.) We have done this on 3 trips now with no problems. Then I have a piece of hand luggage with the books, camera chargers, satnav and charger in and my handbag with the ipods, iphones, sunglasses and passports in. We always manage to stick under the limit (I check the bags before we leave), but having said that we also haven't had our hand luggage weighed the past few trips either.

 

[Pegasus928]

come on guys, no one needs 2 bags each for a two week holiday to Florida.
never heard of washing machines....
I've never ever taken two bags......

We are a family of four and on the way out will take 3, maybe 4, cases - and at least 2 of those will have an 'empty' case in them ready for the trip back.
We always ending up spending a small fortune on clothes, gifts and treats for ourselves so it was always nice to know that the allowance was there if we needed it. As we always stay in a villa we do do our own washing - and I can honestly say that the 2 minutes it takes to put in the machine - then the other 5 minutes it takes to put it outside or in the tumble drier - never seems to get in the way of our holiday.

I am amazed to see that, as well as now reducing the checked baggage allowance to the US, they still seem to have the old ridiculous 6kg cabin allowance, when other "quality" scheduled airlines ditched this years ago.

I'd be interested to know how people manage to take a laptop and a decent camera with a couple of lenses with them on Virgin and stay within this limit?

I can never remember a time when I have had any of our hand luggage weighed - either by Virgin or any other airline. As a result we normally have a lot of carry on - albeit in one bag each - and I would say it would easily amount to 30kg between the four of us.

 

[Tinks1984]

Hmmmm, I think I'm going to contact Thomas Cook Signature.

We've BOOKED and paid a deposit, but not yet paid off the balance. We're flying with Virgin, so it would be nice to know if we'll get this allowance or not for our family trip next May?

 

[originalkk]

I can never remember a time when I have had any of our hand luggage weighed - either by Virgin or any other airline. As a result we normally have a lot of carry on - albeit in one bag each - and I would say it would easily amount to 30kg between the four of us.

I used to do a lot of business travel a few years ago, when the likes of BA had a low cabin bag weight limit in economy. On all European flights, they would always weigh any cabin bag with wheels. Of course, as the US airlines didn't have these weight limits, they would never bother on flights to the US.

If an airline is tightening up on baggage generally, and they have a written policy on weights, they may try to tighten this also. Having such a a policy would certainly be a dis-incentive for me to book with them, as I don't really want to rely on their discretion when I get to the airport.

 

[wideeyes]

Two, who wants to be doing washing on holiday? not us.

Me ether, though I am not going there again!So I will leave it at that!

We are going 3 weeks next year and going PE and I wanted to take just the one case (ONE of the reasons I booked PE) and with the new allowance I will have to take two in future. The economy allowance want effect me as I want ever want to take 4 cases between the two of us, however I can understand why people would be angry when it is one of the reasons they choose VA.

 

[Pegasus928]

Me ether, though I am not going there again!So I will leave it at that!

It's probably for the best

 

[disneyholic family]

2 things with this.

One, many of us go for more than 2 weeks, just returned from 25 nights.
We travel very light, 2 week we could manage with 1 case each no problem but as with this trip included in the 25 nights was a 7 night cruise, including formal night, semi formal, pirate costumes for pirate night, 20 gifts for gift exchange, gifts for our American friends. We kept it to 4 cases between 3 of us but that was a struggle.
Two, who wants to be doing washing on holiday? not us.

Many don't want or need more than 1 bag but its one of the things that has set Virgin apart from the charter airlines.

as others have noted, it's not the travel out that's the problem, it's the return when we're loaded down with our many many many purchases.

Just the shoes we buy for DH in america take up an entire suitcase (he wears size 15 shoes )
and all his new clothes take up another case or two...

we've left the states with 10 suitcases for the 4 of us,
though we'd only filled 2 suitcases on the way there....

talk about power shopping...

of course, we're a special case, but still, many people do lots of shopping and need that second bag to cart it all back..

 

[Natasha&Matt]

Hmmmm, I think I'm going to contact Thomas Cook Signature.

We've BOOKED and paid a deposit, but not yet paid off the balance. We're flying with Virgin, so it would be nice to know if we'll get this allowance or not for our family trip next May?

I called them earlier too Rachel, they said we will still get the 2 bag allowance but im not sure i would believe that right now might try again in a few month see what they say and then maybe get written confirmation from them x

 

[maznorm]

Absolutely appalling. Virgin have just lost themselves a customer. We used to fly with Virgin for the service, the luggage allowance and the dtd drop off. On our last trip with them (2007), we found the service to be below par. The response we received from them concerning this to be simply inadequate and the further response from our higher level complaint to be completely unhelpful and quite simply attempting to justify our treatment. However, we felt we should continue to support one of the very few airlines that still offered what we consider to be a reasonable luugage allowance. Now that Virgin have cheapened their standards but almost doubled their costs, we can no longer justify that loyalty.

As for all of you people who are suggesting laundry instead of complaining about a lesser luggage service, well.

Firstly, I have very little desire to waste my holiday stuck in some dark, dingy laundry room rather than enjoying my time with my family.

Secondly, doing laundry would do very little to reduce the amount of clothes, shoes and toys we bring back with us.

Thirdly, we don't get to do this every year. We go to Florida once every 3 years or so. We like to stock up, particularly on kids clothes.

Fourthly, we flew First Choice Premium once. The luggage allowance was something like 20k, one case each. The only thing that has ever stopped us flying Premium with them again (bearing in mind that their premium was roughly the same cost as Virgin economy) was the poor luggage allowance. I think it's time to look at them again.

What happened, Virgin? You used to be cool.

 

[Melcatfish]

What happened, Virgin? You used to be cool.

they overspent on their advert that is playing on every channel so are trying to rake it back a bit in excess baggage charges!

Mel
x

 

[disneybarbie]

We booked tickets in March this year for December trip... really hoping the 2x 23kg baggage is still applicable as I was planning on a lot of Christmas shopping while in WDW!!

In July, my suitcase was 22.5kg on the way out and 27kg on the way home.. scared1: buying too much fabulous Disney merchandise, I guess!) so we had to do a quick 'repacking' at the Virgin DTD check-in
I couldn't help thinking it would've been easier taking 2 suitcases, weighing much less each

Barbie x

 

[wideeyes]

It's probably for the best

 

[Tinks1984]

I called them earlier too Rachel, they said we will still get the 2 bag allowance but im not sure i would believe that right now might try again in a few month see what they say and then maybe get written confirmation from them x

Oooo you're a little star Tasha!

I'll keep my eye on them too, contact them again maybe just before the November deadline and I'll let you know what they say x