News Forum - Surprise! Additional luggage fees on a budget airline ruin family holiday

[Thaiger]

Yikes. How much were you charged recently for late checked baggage fees? All but some of the larger legacy or national airlines charge for checked in luggage these days and arriving at the airport check-in, without having paid for your checked luggage, when you booked the cheap seats online, will likely provide an unhappy surprise. So HOW unhappy? Have a guess how much a family of 4 Mum and Dad and 2 children, and 4 normal size bags? The flight was from Hanoi to Jakarta on Air Asia, with a transit at KL on the way. Of course the fine […]

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[Giltee]

I realised long ago that it’s almost no cheaper to use that airline, when you take into account pre-booked baggage fees, meals, drinks, seat selection, all that you get on some airlines as part of the ticket price. Not only that supposedly cheap airfares often attract rowdy, impolite, self centred passengers from certain countries. You get what you don’t pay for. For that reason I never fly with them unless there’s no other option. 

[dbrenn]

  On 6/13/2022 at 8:07 AM, Giltee said:

I realised long ago that it’s almost no cheaper to use that airline, when you take into account pre-booked baggage fees, meals, drinks, seat selection, all that you get on some airlines as part of the ticket price. Not only that supposedly cheap airfares often attract rowdy, impolite, self centred passengers from certain countries. You get what you don’t pay for. For that reason I never fly with them unless there’s no other option. 

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Agreed. Once you add in all the surcharges, you might as well have flown with a decent airline. 

[Tim_Melb]

The reason that family were charged so much is they didn't pay for the bags at the time they bought the tickets online. Even the big carriers are doing this with discount tickets these days. You need to read the booking conditions and makes sure your ticket includes your checked bag or pay the extra fee for your bag when you buy the tickets to get a fair price. If you don't they will hit you up for Hundreds per bag when you check in. 

[oldschooler]

  On 6/13/2022 at 11:36 AM, Z650 said:

Which 'certain countries'?

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CCP China I would think here

but the British erwigo crowd to Spain is far worse; drunk & violent.

[oldschooler]

  On 6/13/2022 at 11:36 AM, Z650 said:

Which 'certain countries'?

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Perpetually Offended / Race Card Alert !

[PapayaBokBok]

  On 6/13/2022 at 4:16 PM, oldschooler said:

Perpetually Offended / Race Card Alert !

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maybe the internet is too much for your delicate condition......are  you the offended one??

[HiuMak]

Covid Tax.

Airlines need to recoup somehow from last 2 years

[BigHewer]

I was flying from Vienna to Duesseldorf some years ago and got pinged with an excess baggage bill. I did have an allowance, but I’d exceeded it (spectacularly).  I then proceeded to “wear” it (pun intended). 

Triple layers, heavy items in pockets etc. Probably looked like the Michelin Man, but saved 300 euro. 

I’m wondering if this unfortunate family tried the same technique?

[Smithydog]

I too was once hit by excess baggage charges at the check in on a discount airline. I can't remember the exact figures but it was well over 10,000 Baht she told me compared to online of well under 1,000 Baht for the 3 of us travelling at the time. There were quite a few passengers, Thai and non-Thai around me at the payment counter facing the same situation.

I said I was happy to pay the charges as per the online schedule, an informed her that the only reason I hadn't paid in advance was because their online payment system was not working. But was told this was impossible. I politely asked to speak privately to a Manager but was told that person was not available and I had to pay the fees quoted if I wanted to catch the flight. She was quite direct and firm but I think they had copped a bit of abuse already that day, but certainly not from me as I never once raised my voice and spoke calmly and respectively.

Ok, I said, let me show you. I had another flight to book for a later date and on my phone tried to book it. Once again, when trying to get to the next screen after selecting my excess baggage amount, the same error came up. I then showed her a series of screenshots of the same error on my laptop taking over several attempts in the past 48 hours, all showing the same system error.

I simply said in my opinion I thought it was unreasonable to expect someone to pay higher when their own computer system prevents their customers from doing it early as the airline desired. They charged me the online fee. I do know one guy was charged the same as he was at the next window at the counter and both heard and saw what I did. How they accounted for their errors that day, especially probably overcharging quite a few, I don't know.

Sad part is that it took me being burnt in an earlier airline in Thailand computer booking fiasco that caused me take screenshots along the process, which I now do always. Easy to delete afterwards if everything comes out ok which mainly it does.

[oldschooler]

  On 6/13/2022 at 4:30 PM, PapayaBokBok said:

maybe the internet is too much for your delicate condition......are  you the offended one??

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MY “ condition” ? See the race baiting group here is in session. Yes “ certain countries” are clearly shite in all respects. Why probe that fact?  This is news to your naive type ?

[oldschooler]

  On 6/14/2022 at 2:16 AM, Smithydog said:

I too was once hit by excess baggage charges at the check in on a discount airline. I can't remember the exact figures but it was well over 10,000 Baht she told me compared to online of well under 1,000 Baht for the 3 of us travelling at the time. There were quite a few passengers, Thai and non-Thai around me at the payment counter facing the same situation.

I said I was happy to pay the charges as per the online schedule, an informed her that the only reason I hadn't paid in advance was because their online payment system was not working. But was told this was impossible. I politely asked to speak privately to a Manager but was told that person was not available and I had to pay the fees quoted if I wanted to catch the flight. She was quite direct and firm but I think they had copped a bit of abuse already that day, but certainly not from me as I never once raised my voice and spoke calmly and respectively.

Ok, I said, let me show you. I had another flight to book for a later date and on my phone tried to book it. Once again, when trying to get to the next screen after selecting my excess baggage amount, the same error came up. I then showed her a series of screenshots of the same error on my laptop taking over several attempts in the past 48 hours, all showing the same system error.

I simply said in my opinion I thought it was unreasonable to expect someone to pay higher when their own computer system prevents their customers from doing it early as the airline desired. They charged me the online fee. I do know one guy was charged the same as he was at the next window at the counter and both heard and saw what I did. How they accounted for their errors that day, especially probably overcharging quite a few, I don't know.

Sad part is that it took me being burnt in an earlier airline in Thailand computer booking fiasco that caused me take screenshots along the process, which I now do always. Easy to delete afterwards if everything comes out ok which mainly it does.

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Interesting but, outside Europe,  I would never fly budget airlines. Unsafe. Unreliable.

Air Asia ? Not a snowballs chance in hell I would risk me or my family with them or equal. Would simply not fly if scheduled airlines too expensive. 

[oldschooler]

  On 6/14/2022 at 1:23 AM, BigHewer said:

I was flying from Vienna to Duesseldorf some years ago and got pinged with an excess baggage bill. I did have an allowance, but I’d exceeded it (spectacularly).  I then proceeded to “wear” it (pun intended). 

Triple layers, heavy items in pockets etc. Probably looked like the Michelin Man, but saved 300 euro. 

I’m wondering if this unfortunate family tried the same technique?

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Yes, It’s called “ repacking”. Have discarded small heavy items like books or old shoes in similar circumstances. 
Never considered the “ wear” option !

[oldschooler]

  On 6/13/2022 at 6:04 PM, Z650 said:

Looks like he is.

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Always challenging nonsense here

[oldschooler]

  On 6/13/2022 at 11:30 AM, dbrenn said:

Agreed. Once you add in all the surcharges, you might as well have flown with a decent airline. 

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And not just Cost but for Safety & Reliability. Never flown budget airlines outside Europe.

[PapayaBokBok]

  On 6/14/2022 at 2:58 AM, oldschooler said:

MY “ condition” ? See the race baiting group here is in session. Yes “ certain countries” are clearly shite in all respects. Why probe that fact?  This is news to your naive type ?

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WHY probe that fact? And Which countries are they? since you seem to know...isnt that why there are moderators here?...You brought attention to it...and yet you still continue to use this site, self admittedly amongst the swarms of racists here per your claim"  are there no other sites to get your thai news??????

and your emojis are expected---just shows everyone here WHO you really are..."oldschool" mindset indeed

[astro]

  On 6/13/2022 at 11:30 AM, dbrenn said:

Once you add in all the surcharges, you might as well have flown with a decent airline. 

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Not always so, needs to be assessed case-by-case.

I have nothing against budget airlines in principle, but got fed up with the constant rescheduling of flights to inconvenient times.

Maybe just bad luck on a particular route...

[oldschooler]

  On 6/14/2022 at 4:37 PM, PapayaBokBok said:

WHY probe that fact? And Which countries are they? since you seem to know...isnt that why there are moderators here?...You brought attention to it...and yet you still continue to use this site, self admittedly amongst the swarms of racists here per your claim"  are there no other sites to get your thai news??????

and your emojis are expected---just shows everyone here WHO you really are..."oldschool" mindset indeed

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OFF TOPIC : People who have to ask such questions  are would never accept the factual answers (I did offer one likely country here).

Incredibly Naive. Wouldn’t last a week in such places !whose population are the most “ racist” around and who just wouldn’t understand your pathetic White Guilt “defending” them

I brought attention only to race baiters being present after one had childishly revealed himself by asking  “ which countries ?” in response to another poster using term “ certain countries”.

Classic Transparent Race Baiting Agitation Called Out !!

***OFF TOPIC/ Subject Closed***
Start your own Offended Race Baiter post.

[oldschooler]

  On 6/14/2022 at 5:07 PM, astro said:

Not always so, needs to be assessed case-by-case.

I have nothing against budget airlines in principle, but got fed up with the constant rescheduling of flights to inconvenient times.

Maybe just bad luck on a particular route...

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Not phased by the frequency of crashes & deaths then just the rescheduling ?

[astro]

What crashes?

Perhaps only in "certain countries"?

[HolyCowCm]

  On 6/14/2022 at 1:23 AM, BigHewer said:

I was flying from Vienna to Duesseldorf some years ago and got pinged with an excess baggage bill. I did have an allowance, but I’d exceeded it (spectacularly).  I then proceeded to “wear” it (pun intended). 

Triple layers, heavy items in pockets etc. Probably looked like the Michelin Man, but saved 300 euro. 

I’m wondering if this unfortunate family tried the same technique?

Expand  

I am pretty calculated when traveling and baggage, but same like you, I can become the michelen man,or  load my backpack up more, and have even in the past put things in my other family's bags just  to skate by. As for this partiuclar airline in this article, don't travel with them unless out of a have to.

[HolyCowCm]

  On 6/14/2022 at 2:16 AM, Smithydog said:

I too was once hit by excess baggage charges at the check in on a discount airline. I can't remember the exact figures but it was well over 10,000 Baht she told me compared to online of well under 1,000 Baht for the 3 of us travelling at the time. There were quite a few passengers, Thai and non-Thai around me at the payment counter facing the same situation.

I said I was happy to pay the charges as per the online schedule, an informed her that the only reason I hadn't paid in advance was because their online payment system was not working. But was told this was impossible. I politely asked to speak privately to a Manager but was told that person was not available and I had to pay the fees quoted if I wanted to catch the flight. She was quite direct and firm but I think they had copped a bit of abuse already that day, but certainly not from me as I never once raised my voice and spoke calmly and respectively.

Ok, I said, let me show you. I had another flight to book for a later date and on my phone tried to book it. Once again, when trying to get to the next screen after selecting my excess baggage amount, the same error came up. I then showed her a series of screenshots of the same error on my laptop taking over several attempts in the past 48 hours, all showing the same system error.

I simply said in my opinion I thought it was unreasonable to expect someone to pay higher when their own computer system prevents their customers from doing it early as the airline desired. They charged me the online fee. I do know one guy was charged the same as he was at the next window at the counter and both heard and saw what I did. How they accounted for their errors that day, especially probably overcharging quite a few, I don't know.

Sad part is that it took me being burnt in an earlier airline in Thailand computer booking fiasco that caused me take screenshots along the process, which I now do always. Easy to delete afterwards if everything comes out ok which mainly it does.

Expand  

CM airport I have probably seen half a dozen foreingers who were caught out and were down right fu8riously yelling/screaming at the gals behind the counter window. And I mean loud. Happens to be the same airline as mentioned in the article. 

[dbrenn]

  On 6/14/2022 at 5:07 PM, astro said:

Not always so, needs to be assessed case-by-case.

I have nothing against budget airlines in principle, but got fed up with the constant rescheduling of flights to inconvenient times.

Maybe just bad luck on a particular route...

Expand  

True. They always seem to depart at 6 am, often from scruffy airport terminals that are hard to get to. 

[HiuMak]

  On 6/14/2022 at 5:07 PM, astro said:

Not always so, needs to be assessed case-by-case.

I have nothing against budget airlines in principle, but got fed up with the constant rescheduling of flights to inconvenient times.

Maybe just bad luck on a particular route...

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and not to mentioned delays to flight

[BigHewer]

  On 6/14/2022 at 8:34 PM, HolyCowCm said:

I am pretty calculated when traveling and baggage, but same like you, I can become the michelen man,or  load my backpack up more, and have even in the past put things in my other family's bags just  to skate by.

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I agree. I don’t usually get caught. In my case, I was slightly overweight for my long haul flight (from KL) but well over for the short haul connection. My mistake.

  On 6/14/2022 at 8:42 PM, HolyCowCm said:

CM airport I have probably seen half a dozen foreingers who were caught out and were down right fu8riously yelling/screaming at the gals behind the counter window. And I mean loud. Happens to be the same airline as mentioned in the article. 

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I’ve seen these scenes unfold as well. Not called for at all. Not the staff’s fault. They’ve just been told to enforce a zero tolerance policy.

Must be a tough job working the check in counter for them.