Airlines change tack on confusing baggage policy

This year has seen a number of airlines change their baggage policy, one of the latest to do so being Virgin Atlantic. In the new scheme, passengers flying Virgin Atlantic to any destination will have to adhere to a new baggage policy starting September 23.
According to the airline, the checked-in baggage policy change is meant to streamline procedures hitherto specific to different regions.
At the moment, different rules apply on baggage allowed on various routes, affecting charges on excess baggage.
Passengers travelling to or from Kenya, the US, the Caribbean, Cuba, Jamaica, and Nigeria are guided by the number of pieces they carry, that is the number of bags, they travel with.
However on the South Africa, India, Mauritius, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Dubai and Australian routes baggage is charged in terms of weight. Passengers charged on the weight concept may be disadvantaged compared to those levied per piece.
For example, an airline may allow an economy passenger to carry up to 30 kilogrammes and levy any extra weight.
However, using the per piece policy that allows a passenger in the same economy class to carry two bags of 23 kilogrammes each and hand luggage of seven kilogrammes, the sum total of allowable baggage would be 53 kilogrammes. These two different policies are confusing to passengers.
Once the new baggage policy is implemented, a uniform policy will apply to all Virgin Atlantic passengers irrespective of their routes. Each piece of baggage that a passenger is permitted to carry can weigh up to 23 kilogrammes across all classes of travel, above which a levy applies. However, there is a maximum weight of 32 kilogrammes.
14/08/09 Beatrice Gachenge/Business Daily Africa

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Categories: Foreign Aug 2009