Virgin new checked in baggage allowance from 23/9/09

[Elise79]

Details here - I have emailed to ask if it is on new bookings from23rd Septmeber or for travel after 23rd September.

 

[Sid74]

Thanks for putting this up.

Is it just me, or does it seem like virgin could be making a problem for themselves with people just deciding to have extra bags as the price is quite reasonable?

I know that I will now not be so worried about staying within my limits on the way home if I know it is only going to cost me an extra $50 to bring all my American goodies home. Last trip I was a few kgs over and the travel company wanted almost $200! Needless to say, I dumped the excess weight.

 

[wayneg]

Thanks for putting this up.

Is it just me, or does it seem like virgin could be making a problem for themselves with people just deciding to have extra bags as the price is quite reasonable?

I know that I will now not be so worried about staying within my limits on the way home if I know it is only going to cost me an extra $50 to bring all my American goodies home. Last trip I was a few kgs over and the travel company wanted almost $200! Needless to say, I dumped the excess weight.

I read it as $50 is only if you go over the 23kg limit upto a max of 32kg so you are paying $50 for max excess of 9kg.
If you wanted an extra bag they are £90($150) each.

Thankfully we don't take (or bring back) 23kg per person so won't affect us. In fact I would be more than happy if they charged £90 for 2nd bag and reduced the fares.

 

[anthony2k7]

love how they're trying to sell it as "simplifying" their allowances when its blatently cost cutting really.

 

[Elise79]

We have flown PE the last 3 times we have been and we always come back with 1 case over 23kgs but usually have less than our 2 cases per person.

If they stick with this it is going to cost them more as we will just travel back with extra cases

We like to travel out with as few as possible (as we have DD in a stroller plus her car seat to get through the airport) but coming back doesn't matter so much as we can drop them at DTD!

 

[Sid74]

I read it as $50 is only if you go over the 23kg limit upto a max of 32kg so you are paying $50 for max excess of 9kg.
If you wanted an extra bag they are £90($150) each.

Wayne, my concern is that this is still quite cheap and people might just decide that they are willing to pay the extra bag cost and this could lead to lots of people just turning up with them. Then where does it all go?

I am concerned that this will push up flight prices as extra fuel is needed to carry all the extra bags.

 

[wayneg]

£90 for a bag one way, I don't think many people will class that as cheap.
Its actually a similar price to posting it thru the post office, anything under 20kg is cheaper sending thru the post than taking it on the plane at £90.
Taking into account the £90/bag they will earn and the amount of people that take nowhere near their allowance I am sure it won't affect ticket prices, we usually take 2 cases between 3 of us, last trip I think we took about 32kg out of a 138kg allowance

I class £90 as way OTT for a piece of luggage, maybe others don't.

 

[Pegasus928]

We normally travel out with one bag each, but coming back we generally tend to have 2 each because of the gifts and clothes that we end up buying. Last time we were about 5kg under per bag and I don't see it being any different this time around.
I agree that £90 isn't cheap, but compared to what I have been charged in the past when travelling back from the middle east with a few kilos over it is more than reasonable. I have always been impressed by Virgins generous allowance, and would think that if someone is given the choice between taking this option or trying to arrange getting everything posted back to the UK they would go down this route for simplicity (that and the fact that they would probably get charged import duty on delivery when their package gets delivered - and this would take into account the cost of postage)

 

[arielrocks]

the way I read it they are changing PE allowence from 2 x 32 to 2x 23.

If I am right then thats a Load of ****

Are they going to be reducing the PE fares along with the luggage reduction?

 

[fairytale]

the way I read it they are changing PE allowence from 2 x 32 to 2x 23.

If I am right then thats a Load of ****

Are they going to be reducing the PE fares along with the luggage reduction?

Agreed

Back to weighing cases on the way home I guess !!!

 

[Elise79]

Had an email reply from VA this morning:

If a passenger has booked before 23 Sept 2009, for travel on or after 23 Sept 2009, they will be entitled to the existing baggage allowance (i.e. the policy that would of been in place at time of booking), even if it is more generous than the new baggage allowance.

 

[CustardTart]

Had an email reply from VA this morning:

If a passenger has booked before 23 Sept 2009, for travel on or after 23 Sept 2009, they will be entitled to the existing baggage allowance (i.e. the policy that would of been in place at time of booking), even if it is more generous than the new baggage allowance.

Thanks for that. We travel out on September 9th and return September 26th - tho' TBH I've never ever got anywhere near the max allowance - new or old...

 

[lagunn]

Thanks for that. We travel out on September 9th and return September 26th - tho' TBH I've never ever got anywhere near the max allowance - new or old...

I hope Virgin tell their staff at DTD check in..I can see them making a fuss..

 

[wickesy]

Had to laugh at this one:

In some cases, passengers travelling in Premium Economy & Upper Class will enjoy a more generous allowance than before.

How is reducing from 2 x 32kg to 2 x 23kg a "more generous allowance than before".

 

[lagunn]

Had to laugh at this one:



How is reducing from 2 x 32kg to 2 x 23kg a "more generous allowance than before".

I know it is as though they think we are all idiots.

 

[Claire L]

Had to laugh at this one:



How is reducing from 2 x 32kg to 2 x 23kg a "more generous allowance than before".

It is if travelling to the Far East or Australia as it used to be max 30kg for one item for PE or max 30kg for total of 3 items for UC.

But agree that the US/Caribbean routes have suffered with this move.

Claire

 

[wickesy]

It is if travelling to the Far East or Australia as it used to be max 30kg for one item for PE or max 30kg for total of 3 items for UC.

But agree that the US/Caribbean routes have suffered with this move.

Claire

Ah, that makes more sense then. I think my answer to your World Traveller Plus question needs changing now though - with the baggage allowances being the same after September I don't think there is much to choose between PE and WT+

 

[fairytale]

So if I'm reading this right, we booked our flights for this October back in December.

Am I therefore still entitled to the 32kg X 2 per person in PE, there and back

 

[natalielongstaff]

we have never been over the baggage allowance yet, i think having the kids cases gives us plenty of allowence

 

[Claire L]

Ah, that makes more sense then. I think my answer to your World Traveller Plus question needs changing now though - with the baggage allowances being the same after September I don't think there is much to choose between PE and WT+

The reason I asked about WT+ was we are considering a destination that VA do not fly to but want a comparable seat space!

I still prefer VA for the US/Caribbean routes expecially the LHR PE seats

Claire