Heathrow/Aer Lingus/Laptops!

imalwayshappy · 08-12-2007 04:54AM #1

Heres my rant!

My girlfriend and myself are returning to Ireland over the next few days after 4 months travelling the world. Needless to say we have picked up a number of things on our travels such as a laptop and clothes. Turns out we have 5 bags between us one being a laptop bag. Rather then pay the possible excess baggage with aer lingus of 8euro per kilo. I rang Aer lingus to see what their policy was on booking an extra seat on their flight from Heathrow to Dublin to see if i could increase my baggage allowance from 20kg per person (which is standard) to 40kg. Of course they were like no sir you cant do that so I ask why and they say its a security risk, I reply to the girl what happens if your obese and you need 2 seats? your still only entitled to 20kg only sir. This is a load of bo###x I tell her as aer lingus are more then happy to charge me 8euro a kilo excess baggage and they wont moan about that being a security concern will they???

To make matters worse I find out that Heathrow are only allowing ONE bag per person as cabin baggage!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A laptop bag is considered your ONE piece of luggage so were told that we have to pay more money to check the bags in. What the hell has happened in europe since ive been away? If were not getting screwed by aer lingus were getting screwed by Heathrow security. Apologies for the rant folks but im so pissed with the air industry, we have been on over 25 flights over the last few months and have all this hassle trying to get home!!!!!!!! MAKES ME SICK!!!:mad::mad::mad::mad:

IMALWAYSHAPPY IS NOW IMREALLYPISSED:(

Miss Fluff · 08-12-2007 06:32AM

They are a NIGHTMARE in Heathrow. I was coming through there a few months ago and had my laptop and handbag. They said that that counted as two pieces of hand-luggage so I then had to take the laptop out of its case, put the laptop in my handbag (which thankfully was ample in size) and scrunch up the laptop case (canvas) and plop that into my handbag too. Jeeeez Louise, I was fraught after it. Its that kind of carry on that cause those ridiculous queues too! Grrrrrrr.:mad:

luckat · 08-12-2007 07:00AM

Your one piece of luggage can be up to a specific size - something like 50cm x 40cm x 25cm, but don't believe me, look it up on your airline's site. So you can get a little wheelie bag and put your laptop bag and anything else you need into that. Bí ciúin, a stór!

keefg · 08-12-2007 07:40AM

Get a price off DHL or another courier company to bring your stuff home for you - I am sure it will be a lot cheaper than €8 per kilo.

Maybe get one of your family to contact a local courier / airfreight firm and ask them who their agent is in they country you are in. This way, everything is controlled by the Irish company & you can pay them directly.

cormie · 08-12-2007 08:03AM

I see on the ryanair site it says if a bag is above the dimensions, they wont let you board with it. Has anyone ever actually had this enforced? If you had a bag that's just a bit over the dimensions but is squashable to the dimensions, would it be ok or could you carry a smaller bag in the bigger bag incase you get told you can't bring the bigger one, then just ditch some towels or whatever is causing extra bulk and where do they check the baggage size? At the security check in or at the boarding gate?

Imalwayshappy, can you not just squash the laptop into another bag. Surely if one bag is in another, it doesn't matter?

BuffyBot · 08-12-2007 11:21AM

In fairness, you probably should have researched this in advance.

Padraig Mor · 08-12-2007 11:43AM

No airline will let you book another seat for your excess baggage AFAIK. Heathrow have been enforcing the 'one bag' rule since August 2006. You're not being screwed over by anybody, just by your inability/unwillingness to read readily available information.

John R · 08-12-2007 11:56AM

cormie wrote: »

I see on the ryanair site it says if a bag is above the dimensions, they wont let you board with it. Has anyone ever actually had this enforced? If you had a bag that's just a bit over the dimensions but is squashable to the dimensions, would it be ok or could you carry a smaller bag in the bigger bag incase you get told you can't bring the bigger one, then just ditch some towels or whatever is causing extra bulk and where do they check the baggage size? At the security check in or at the boarding gate?

Imalwayshappy, can you not just squash the laptop into another bag. Surely if one bag is in another, it doesn't matter?

If you can fit everything on one bag and stuff it in* the baggage guides at the airport then they will allow it even if the bag is bigger un-mashed. They generally only ask if it is obvious that someone has a very large bag.

*In and back out again. I saw a woman stuff a massive bag into one of them at stansted a while back and then struggle for 5 minutes to get it back out, she was dragging the whole contraption around until a few other passengers came to her help.

John R · 08-12-2007 12:00PM

imalwayshappy wrote: »

Heres my rant!

My girlfriend and myself are returning to Ireland over the next few days after 4 months travelling the world. Needless to say we have picked up a number of things on our travels such as a laptop and clothes. Turns out we have 5 bags between us one being a laptop bag. Rather then pay the possible excess baggage with aer lingus of 8euro per kilo. I rang Aer lingus to see what their policy was on booking an extra seat on their flight from Heathrow to Dublin to see if i could increase my baggage allowance from 20kg per person (which is standard) to 40kg. Of course they were like no sir you cant do that so I ask why and they say its a security risk, I reply to the girl what happens if your obese and you need 2 seats? your still only entitled to 20kg only sir. This is a load of bo###x I tell her as aer lingus are more then happy to charge me 8euro a kilo excess baggage and they wont moan about that being a security concern will they???

To make matters worse I find out that Heathrow are only allowing ONE bag per person as cabin baggage!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A laptop bag is considered your ONE piece of luggage so were told that we have to pay more money to check the bags in. What the hell has happened in europe since ive been away? If were not getting screwed by aer lingus were getting screwed by Heathrow security. Apologies for the rant folks but im so pissed with the air industry, we have been on over 25 flights over the last few months and have all this hassle trying to get home!!!!!!!! MAKES ME SICK!!!:mad::mad::mad::mad:

IMALWAYSHAPPY IS NOW IMREALLYPISSED:(

If it is really going to cost a fortune get the train and ferry instead.

imalwayshappy · 08-12-2007 05:40PM

Weve sorted it out I think we binned a few things and made room for the laptop in one of our bags. The tickets for home have been all booked so wouldnt be arsed treking around the Uk trying to get ferries. As for the regulations on the BAA website they said November 6th and didnt state the year so I didnt know it was brought in in 2006. I still think the whole thing is still scam. The yanks system is a little better it seems IMO

imalwayshappy · 08-12-2007 05:45PM

Padraig Mor wrote: »

No airline will let you book another seat for your excess baggage AFAIK. Heathrow have been enforcing the 'one bag' rule since August 2006. You're not being screwed over by anybody, just by your inability/unwillingness to read readily available information.

Thats crap about the airline. Theres nothing in aer lingus terms and conditions about the the weight issue. If you pay for two seats on a plane you should be entitled to 40kg easy as that. For a person who may be obese it is not a safe assumption to make that they could use the extra space?

highlydebased · 08-12-2007 05:51PM

No, paying for two seats is irrelevant. Only one person may use on seat, and only have allocated allowance.

It is not possible ( with any airline) to split baggage allowance.

WexCan · 09-12-2007 07:34PM

BAA are relaxing bag rules from Jan/Feb. Will revert to the old 1 bag plus laptop case/camera case/handbag.

Most airlines will overlook a cabin bag that's slightly larger than the allowed dimensions, but just remember some airports have attachments to the x-ray machines in central search that only allow the precise dimensions through.

If you do get it through central search, the gate staff and cabin crew will generally turn a blind eye unless the flight's quite full and there's very little space in the overhead lockers.

pow wow · 10-12-2007 08:21AM

cormie wrote: »

I see on the ryanair site it says if a bag is above the dimensions, they wont let you board with it. Has anyone ever actually had this enforced? If you had a bag that's just a bit over the dimensions but is squashable to the dimensions, would it be ok or could you carry a smaller bag in the bigger bag incase you get told you can't bring the bigger one, then just ditch some towels or whatever is causing extra bulk and where do they check the baggage size? At the security check in or at the boarding gate?

Imalwayshappy, can you not just squash the laptop into another bag. Surely if one bag is in another, it doesn't matter?

I've never seen it enforced by any airline, though I have seen some people who've made it to boarding with enormous things (like paintings!) be told it's too big and has to go in the cargo hold, but they don't charge extra for the additional piece of baggage. I've certainly never seen anyone be made to leave it behind!

When I've flown in America anything over handbag size (i.e. the little wheely cases that are just below the dimensions but still pretty big) is taken off you at boarding and given back to you when you get off the plane onto the jetbridge. They call it the 'valet' service.

WexCan · 10-12-2007 02:38PM

Was quite surprised today, had passengers coming on with two trolley bags each, and some with absolutely huge cases that barely fit in the lockers. And this was out of Gatwick. Now whether this is a result of BAA being a bit more generous, or the fact that BAA has a lot of Glasgow staff (bit more laid back) in Gatwick to cover staff shortages/holidays etc I don't know.

Heathrow/Aer Lingus/Laptops!

Comments