Excess Baggage Charges - Hong Kong to Singapore?

[ggglo]

We are planning to travel to Asia in December to meet a December cruise in Singapore. We are troubled by the baggage allowances when you are travelling from one country to another within Asis. We are going Business class from Fort Lauderdale to Hong Kong, then from Hong Kong to Singapore(economy -three days later), crusing from Singapore to Hong Kong, then returning from Hong Kong to Fort Lauderdale.

 

The international segment of this trip is no problem. We are allowed more than enought baggage. The problem seems to be Hong Kong to Singapore. This is an inter-Asia flight on a different airline and therefore, we are allowed only 44lbs per person. The charges for overage is not a known factor. Everyone at the airlines are just guessing how much. Rules are very different there then here.

 

Has anyone had experience with this situation? Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has knowledge of how this is handled??? Also, has anyone shipped their luggage ahead to avoid any problems?

 

Please let me know. Thanks!

[greatam]

We are planning to travel to Asia in December to meet a December cruise in Singapore. We are troubled by the baggage allowances when you are travelling from one country to another within Asis. We are going Business class from Fort Lauderdale to Hong Kong, then from Hong Kong to Singapore(economy -three days later), crusing from Singapore to Hong Kong, then returning from Hong Kong to Fort Lauderdale.

 

The international segment of this trip is no problem. We are allowed more than enought baggage. The problem seems to be Hong Kong to Singapore. This is an inter-Asia flight on a different airline and therefore, we are allowed only 44lbs per person. The charges for overage is not a known factor. Everyone at the airlines are just guessing how much. Rules are very different there then here.

 

Has anyone had experience with this situation? Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has knowledge of how this is handled??? Also, has anyone shipped their luggage ahead to avoid any problems?

 

Please let me know. Thanks!

 

IF you have booked the ticket as one ticket (USA to Hong Kong, 3 day stopover in Hong Kong, open jaw from Singapore to Hong Kong, and return to the USA), the USA luggage allowance should apply (although it may have dropped down to 2 bags, 50 pounds each to accommodate your coach tickets). IF you booked the ticket as USA to HKG return with a separate ticket between Hong Kong and Singapore (which it sounds like you did), you are bound by the weight limits of the particular airline flying you from HKG to SIN.

 

Which airline???? IT is VERY common in most of the rest of the world to have a 44 pound baggage limit. There are certain rules which allow US passengers to travel back and forth internationally with 2 50 pound suitcases and often, much more in Business or First.

 

You will simply have to pay the excess luggage fees or ship stuff TO Singapore. A 50 pound suitcase shipped from the USA to Singapore will run about $300-350 plus customs and brokerage fees with 4-7 day delivery (which means you have to pack everything 10 days before it leaves the USA). You can ship via USPS (30 day surface on ship) to Singapore for about $175.00. You also MUST have a delivery address to do this yourself-hotel that will ACCEPT baggage, packages (some won't due to security concerns).

 

You will have to run the numbers. Almost every airline has charges posted for excess baggage fees on their website.

[ggglo]

Per Delta Airlines (right now they have the lowest business fares to Hong Kong), the luggage agreement between airlines from US to foreign countries only applies if you are doing a continuous trip on the same day and your luggage is ticketed from the beginning to end up in Singapore and is transferred directly in Hong Kong to Singapore-bound airline.

 

Otherwise, once you make the 3-day stopover, you ticket is not continuous and you must pay the fees. No one knows exactly how much, that is why I have asked the question, hoping someone has been in this position.

 

Thanks for you response!

[greatam]

Per Delta Airlines (right now they have the lowest business fares to Hong Kong), the luggage agreement between airlines from US to foreign countries only applies if you are doing a continuous trip on the same day and your luggage is ticketed from the beginning to end up in Singapore and is transferred directly in Hong Kong to Singapore-bound airline.

 

Otherwise, once you make the 3-day stopover, you ticket is not continuous and you must pay the fees. No one knows exactly how much, that is why I have asked the question, hoping someone has been in this position.

 

Thanks for you response!

 

What you posted is incorrect. IF the ticket is Delta from the US to Hong Kong AND you book a Delta codeshare/Delta partner AND the ticket has continuous TICKETING (not a continuous trip), you most certainly can make a stopover AND keep the USA luggage allowance. It generally costs more for the initial ticket with a stopover. AND it is all in how the ticket is initially written. IF it is NOT a Delta ticket all the way through (that does NOT mean you are flying on Delta planes all the way), you loose the luggage allowance.

 

IF you are looking at someplace like Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, etc. etc., you most likely are getting either a two piece ticket combined by the TRAVEL AGENT, not the airline or TWO tickets-neither one entitles you to the luggage allowance on the HKG to SIN portion.

 

To get a totally through ticket (with luggage follow through and a stopover), you will either have to call Delta -because the HKG/SIN portion will have to be booked as a codeshare on either Vietnam Airlines or China Southern or go to a travel agent to book the ticket. It will be almost impossible to book online-the codeshares above are not easily bookable and you are changing classes from business to coach and then back to business.

 

What you essentially have in mind is a RT business class fare from USA to Hong Kong, then a TOTALLY separate flight from Hong Kong to SIN. Delta does NOT fly from Hong Kong to SIN. Delta's codeshare partners do BUT you can't book the ticket online. Since Delta doesn't fly HKG to SIN, WHICH airline is the ticket for on this flight?

 

IF you want to keep your luggage allowance, your ticket needs to look like this (ALL ticketed by one airline-UNITED-you are flying on 3 different airlines but ALL United flight numbers-works the same way with Delta and the Delta codeshare partners):

 

Miami, FL to Hong Kong, Hong Kong: 9136 miles 20 hrs 20 min

United Airlines United Airlines Flight UA3542 on a Boeing 737 (jet) in first class

(operated by Continental Airlines as Flight CO 339)

(lunch)

Departs Miami, FL (MIA) Sun, Dec 26 11:05a 3 hrs 4 min

Arrives Newark, NJ (EWR) 2:09p

Layover in Newark 1 hr 21 min

United Airlines United Airlines Flight UA3271 on a Boeing 777 (jet) in business class

(operated by Continental Airlines as Flight CO 99)

(dinner, snack)

Departs Newark, NJ (EWR) Sun, Dec 26 3:30p 15 hrs 55 min

Arrives Hong Kong, Hong Kong (HKG) Mon, Dec 27 8:25p

 

Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Singapore, Singapore: 1591 miles 3 hrs 45 min

United Airlines United Airlines Flight UA895 on a Boeing 747 (jet) in business class

(dinner, movie)

Departs Hong Kong, Hong Kong (HKG) Sun, Jan 2 8:00p 3 hrs 45 min

Arrives Singapore, Singapore (SIN) 11:45p

 

Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Miami, FL: 8976 miles 18 hrs 41 min

United Airlines United Airlines Flight UA896 on a Boeing 747 (jet) in business class

(lunch, movie)

Departs Hong Kong, Hong Kong (HKG) Fri, Jan 14 11:35a 14 hrs 15 min

Arrives Chicago, IL (ORD) 11:50a

Layover in Chicago 1 hr 20 min

United Airlines United Airlines Flight UA7536 on an Embraer RJ-170 (jet) in first class

(operated by UNITED EXPRESS/SHUTTLE AMERICA)

Departs Chicago, IL (ORD) Fri, Jan 14 1:10p 3 hrs 6 min

Arrives Miami, FL (MIA)

[NAJNLA]

We are planning to travel to Asia in December to meet a December cruise in Singapore. We are troubled by the baggage allowances when you are travelling from one country to another within Asis. We are going Business class from Fort Lauderdale to Hong Kong, then from Hong Kong to Singapore(economy -three days later), crusing from Singapore to Hong Kong, then returning from Hong Kong to Fort Lauderdale.

 

The international segment of this trip is no problem. We are allowed more than enought baggage. The problem seems to be Hong Kong to Singapore. This is an inter-Asia flight on a different airline and therefore, we are allowed only 44lbs per person. The charges for overage is not a known factor. Everyone at the airlines are just guessing how much. Rules are very different there then here.

 

Has anyone had experience with this situation? Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has knowledge of how this is handled??? Also, has anyone shipped their luggage ahead to avoid any problems?

 

Please let me know. Thanks!

 

We're doing something similar in Sept/Oct of this year. Flying United all the way, SFO-PEK, staying several days in Beijing, then cruising to Singapore, staying a few days there, then flying SIN-TYO, staying several days in Tokyo, then TYO-SFO.

 

We've been told by United that for the SF0-PEK and TYO-SF0 flights, we're each allowed 2 bags up to 50 pounds each for free. Overweight bags are $150. (No problem with these flights.)

 

However, United also told us that for the SIN-TYO flight, each person is allowed an unlimited number of bags for free as long as the total weight for all of each person's bags including carryon handbags, etc. does not exceed 44 pounds. However, if the total weight of a person's bags and carryon exceeds 44 pounds, a flat fee of $150 will be charged. There's no way our total luggage for two of us for a month long trip will be below 88 pounds, so for the SIN-TYO flight, we plan to pack so one of us can check and carryon 44 pounds maximum for free, and the other person takes all the rest for the flat fee of $150.

 

HTH.:)

[ggglo]

Thanks for the info. I checked out the United flights from Miami. Business class round trip is $12,000 plus per person. So I don't think so. The Delta flights from Ft. Lauderdale is $4262 round tripand United from HKG to Sin is $250 per person one-way.

 

We checked with Federal Express and we can ship 100 lbs. of luggage for approximately $165 all the way from here to Singapore. We have a business account with them so the rates are very reasonable. We are considering doing this and avoiding any problems at the airport. We will take the 44 lbs with us for our stay in Hong Kong and then pick up our luggage at hotel in Singapore. I can't really figure out any other way to do it and not run into a snag. Of course, it all depends on who checks you in at airport. Some people are very nice and look the other way, others are looking at every piece of luggage as potential profit for airline. You never know what will happen.

 

If anyone has any other ideas, let me know.

[greatam]

Delta flights from Ft. Lauderdale is $4262 round tripand United from HKG to Sin is $250 per person one-way.

 

The two different airlines which are non codeshare partners IS the problem with the luggage allowance. You can either do as NAJNLA suggested and pay one flat fee for everything over the weight limit, ship your luggage to a hotel in Singapore for the cruise OR call Delta and try to book the HKG to SIN flight on one of Delta's codeshare partners (China Southern or Vietnam Airlines with Vietnam Airlines having particularly good service).

 

We checked with Federal Express and we can ship 100 lbs. of luggage for approximately $165 all the way from here to Singapore. We have a business account with them so the rates are very reasonable.

 

IF you can get 100 pounds of luggage shipped for $165.00, grab it with both hands and don't let go. I own an international logistics company shipping millions of pounds of freight around the world yearly via ship, plane and truck. Even with our volume discounts, I cannot come close to those rates on FedEx AIR into/out of Asia. I can with "ground", but you need to allow 35-40 days for shipment, as a small shipment will be consolidated into a large shipment, put on a truck to a USA port for shipment in a container (called LCL-less than container load) on a ship to Singapore. Custom brokers fees alone on an Asia shipment usually run $25-35.00. And there is minimal insurance without paying extra. Normally $.60 per pound-which would make a 50 pound suitcase only worth $30.00 although depending on how your account is set up, FedEx normally insures most packages for $100.00 automatically.

 

MAKE SURE the hotel will accept delivery. Hotels are backing off more and more from receiving packages due to security (bomb/weapon) scares.

[greatam]

We're doing something similar in Sept/Oct of this year. Flying United all the way, SFO-PEK, staying several days in Beijing, then cruising to Singapore, staying a few days there, then flying SIN-TYO, staying several days in Tokyo, then TYO-SFO.

 

We've been told by United that for the SF0-PEK and TYO-SF0 flights, we're each allowed 2 bags up to 50 pounds each for free. Overweight bags are $150. (No problem with these flights.)

 

However, United also told us that for the SIN-TYO flight, each person is allowed an unlimited number of bags for free as long as the total weight for all of each person's bags including carryon handbags, etc. does not exceed 44 pounds. However, if the total weight of a person's bags and carryon exceeds 44 pounds, a flat fee of $150 will be charged. There's no way our total luggage for two of us for a month long trip will be below 88 pounds, so for the SIN-TYO flight, we plan to pack so one of us can check and carryon 44 pounds maximum for free, and the other person takes all the rest for the flat fee of $150.

 

HTH.:)

 

I really don't understand how this ticket is booked. IF it really is United all the way (including any codeshares which have UA flight numbers), booked as ONE CONTINUING ticket with stopovers, there should be no deviation from the US luggage allowance.

 

You might want to read the fare rules of the ticket you purchased.

[ggglo]

I was told the same thing by Delta - once you stopover and your luggage is removed, you come under international rules for Asian flights. If you luggage is booked straight through, there is an agreement between all airlines and you do not have to pay these fees. That is why I posted the inquiry - I wanted to see if others had the same problem.

[NAJNLA]

I really don't understand how this ticket is booked. IF it really is United all the way (including any codeshares which have UA flight numbers), booked as ONE CONTINUING ticket with stopovers, there should be no deviation from the US luggage allowance.

 

You might want to read the fare rules of the ticket you purchased.

 

Our tickets were booked as ONE CONTINUING ticket with stopovers, but United told us by phone that because of the 6-day stopover in TYO, Asian rules will apply for the SIN-TYO leg. The fare rules on the United website are a little vague about stopover bookings, but it does say that Asian rules will apply for all flights beginning and ending in Asia; i.e., Total combined weight of checked and carry-on bags cannot exceed 44 lbs.

[crslover]

On our last one month trip to China our TA wisely told us to upgrade ALL flights within Asia. This was independant of our original flight. The difference was worth every penny. First class flights within China are very limited. The weight factor means everything.

[greatam]

Our tickets were booked as ONE CONTINUING ticket with stopovers, but United told us by phone that because of the 6-day stopover in TYO, Asian rules will apply for the SIN-TYO leg. The fare rules on the United website are a little vague about stopover bookings, but it does say that Asian rules will apply for all flights beginning and ending in Asia; i.e., Total combined weight of checked and carry-on bags cannot exceed 44 lbs.

 

It is all in how the fare is booked and the ticket is written. All alliances-Star, Sky Team and OneWorld-sell tickets by various names-Round the World, Explorer, Explorer Pass, etc. etc. etc. They all have different rules (how many continents, how many stopovers, etc. etc) depending on the country of origin, different pricing, different tax structures and different ways to compute the fare BUT they ALL allow for stopovers AND maintain the original baggage allowance. A true RTW ticket would have required you to fly TO Asia via either the Atlantic or Pacific and return home via the opposite ocean BUT there are shorter versions of RTW type tickets sold allowing the SAME type of stopovers and SAME baggage allowance.

 

I have booked this type of ticket at least 4 times as I have business in the Middle East and Asia. I would ALWAYS be overweight if I booked tickets according to United's/Delta/AA-One World (which is what I fly) requirements for Asian flights. You may have a continuing trip, BUT you do not have a continuing ticket.

 

If you booked it online using the multi city function, I can almost guarantee that is what happened. RTW, Global Explorer, Explorer Pass, etc. etc. generally CANNOT be booked online (although United does have a "tool" where they try to make it easy-Sky Team and One World do not). It is even difficult to get a regular reservations agent to do it for you. You got a RT ticket from the USA to Hong Kong and a SEPARATE ticket from SIN to Hong Kong or Tokyo, particularly ggglo, who is flying on Delta, then United. There is NO connection or alliance between Delta and United, so you essentially have two different trips on two different airlines. AGAIN, it is all in how the ticket was booked-as a continuing TICKET or a continuing TRIP. BIG difference in the fare rules.

 

This from the fare rules for RTW trips on Star Alliance (United and partners) AA and Delta don't make it quite as easy as you cannot book RTW/Explorer trips online:

 

Baggage Allowance

 

* The “Piece Concept” applies for the entire journey, which means a maximum of 2 pieces of luggage per person:

 

For most Star Alliance member carriers the following rules are valid:

First and Business Class: 32kg (70Ibs) per piece

Economy Class: 23kg (50Ibs) per piece

 

Each piece must not measure more than 158 cm (62 in) adding the dimensions: height + width + length

 

In case of doubt, please contact your Star Alliance member carrier for more information.

 

 

Stopovers and Transfers

 

* A stopover is defined as a stay of more than 24 hours.

* You have to include 3 or more stopovers in the normal Round the World fare. The maximum number of stopovers for this fare is 15.

* For the Special Economy Round the World fare, you have to include between 3 and 5 stopovers.

* Both, of the Round the World fare and the Special Economy Round the World fare allow a maximum of 1 stopover in any one city and no more than 3 stopovers in any one country (exception USA: max. 5 stopovers).

[greatam]

On our last one month trip to China our TA wisely told us to upgrade ALL flights within Asia. This was independant of our original flight. The difference was worth every penny. First class flights within China are very limited. The weight factor means everything.

 

This is an excellent suggestion and one people should heed, particularly when flying on foreign airlines. It also works in Europe very well on European airlines-the upgrades are NOT particularly expensive and generally are on par with what excess luggage charges are (expensive per kilo).

[NAJNLA]

It is all in how the fare is booked and the ticket is written.......If you booked it online using the multi city function, I can almost guarantee that is what happened. ........ AGAIN, it is all in how the ticket was booked-as a continuing TICKET or a continuing TRIP.

 

Ours is a single ticket from United.....SFO-PEK, SIN-TYO, TYO-SFO.....3 non-stop flights.......and I booked online at the United website using the multi-city function.

[NAJNLA]

I checked out the United flights from Miami. Business class round trip is $12,000 plus per person. So I don't think so. The Delta flights from Ft. Lauderdale is $4262 round tripand United from HKG to Sin is $250 per person one-way.

 

Hmmm......as booked on the United website, our economy multi-city ticket price for SFO-PEK, SIN-TYO, TYO-SFO, was under $1400 plus tax per person, less than $1500 per person total.

[greatam]

Ours is a single ticket from United.....SFO-PEK, SIN-TYO, TYO-SFO.....3 non-stop flights.......and I booked online at the United website using the multi-city function.

 

I'm not going to argue anymore. If you did not want to read all the fare rules for each individual flight segment BEFORE you booked the ticket, you COULD have booked it using an agent and had a continuing TICKET. You have one single piece of PAPER with an all United ITINERARY in a fare class that DOES NOT allow stopovers (hence, you LOOSE the luggage allowance) To get a continuing TICKET, you would have had to do the research to MAKE SURE your fare class allows multiple stopovers on an open jaw ticket-quite a few of them don't. MAY have cost you more or less than what you purchased. But just using the multi-city booking feature DOES NOT guarantee a continuing TICKET. You have to read the fine print in the fare rules BEFORE you book.

[greatam]

Hmmm......as booked on the United website, our economy multi-city ticket price for SFO-PEK, SIN-TYO, TYO-SFO, was under $1400 plus tax per person, less than $1500 per person total.

 

ggglo is booking business class air from the USA and return, with an economy segment on United from HKG to SIN.

[ggglo]

Thanks Greatam. I did not know about the RTW ticket. I have not booked this air ticket yet due to the confusion about luggage. I will contact an agency that specializes in RTW tickets. There are quite a few listed on Google and all offer individual help in writing the proper ticket.

 

Hopefully this will help us and I thank you all again for your input!

[sandbug2]

May be a silly question but- we have booked our tickets using points through air Canada (I know , usurious fess, etc) and it is one continuous ticket (stopover in Bejing, Air China to Shanghai) so will our luggage limit be the 50 lbs?

[crslover]

If your luggage has to be re-checked in Beijing you will be subject to China's luggage policy. It could be 44 lbs or less.

[ggglo]

I spoke to an air specialist company today. Based on our itinerary, they could not find any way around the luggage weight limitation. They quoted me the same flights I had already seen on the internet. So I guess we will ship our luggage via Federal Express.

 

If any one has found any other ideas, let me know.

[NAJNLA]

I spoke to an air specialist company today. Based on our itinerary, they could not find any way around the luggage weight limitation. They quoted me the same flights I had already seen on the internet. So I guess we will ship our luggage via Federal Express.

 

If any one has found any other ideas, let me know.

 

To each his own, but we prefer keep all our luggage traveling with us and pay the flat $150 fee for excess baggage on the Asia segment. I'll try to remember to post how it all worked out on this thread in early November after we return. :)

[greatam]

May be a silly question but- we have booked our tickets using points through air Canada (I know , usurious fess, etc) and it is one continuous ticket (stopover in Bejing, Air China to Shanghai) so will our luggage limit be the 50 lbs?

 

It all depends on how the ticket is written. Some fare classes allow for stopovers, some don't (and I don't mean the difference between economy, business and first). The higher fare classes in economy usually allow for stopovers, some of the discounted business fare classes do not.

 

Changing airlines on a NON codeshare flight also "interrupts" the continuous TICKET (not continuous TRIP). IF the Air China flight is an Air Canada flight number (codeshare) AND the Air Canada flight INTO Beijing allows for a stopover, you will retain your original luggage allowance. But in airline parlance, it is all in how the "construction" of the ticket is done.

[greatam]

I spoke to an air specialist company today. Based on our itinerary, they could not find any way around the luggage weight limitation. They quoted me the same flights I had already seen on the internet. So I guess we will ship our luggage via Federal Express.

 

If any one has found any other ideas, let me know.

 

They didn't look very hard. I can book the trip through our office GDS using Cathay Pacific/Vietnam Airlines today and continue the luggage allowance. What I posted with the United itinerary is a THROUGH ticket with stopovers-but considerably more costly than your Delta ticket. There are many, many other options as well. As you can plainly see by the United rules I posted, RTW/Explorer/other long haul tickets retain the luggage allowance. It is all in how the ticket construction is done.

 

My suggestion to you-book the Delta flight while the price is still holding and either add in the United flight (that United segment looks to be pretty expensive but maybe it is cheaper combined with your Delta flight) or book one of the many, many airlines flying HKG to SIN-Jet Star Asia being particularly good. They are owned by Qantas, one of the better airlines in the world. Try for business class (price will be about $400-450)-usually get at least 30KG of luggage in business, 20kg in economy. Excess baggage charges are usually between $10-15 per kilo. So if you left the USA with 2 50 pound bags each and booked a business class seat from HKG to SIN, your excess luggage would cost between $150-225 EACH. It may even be more economical to book the United flight and pay the flat fee. Or book an economy ticket (20kg of checked luggage) and pay the excess fees.

 

Really, really check out what you were told by FedEx. I am in the international shipping business-as I posted previously, I sure couldn't get that kind of rate with air from the USA to Singapore. Surface, yes (30-45 days for delivery)