[coyotewildwomen]

We have our PR here, and we love it-

However, we wanted to warn people about some very unfriendly policies of Air New Zealand so you don't get zapped with hundreds of dollars of additional surprise fees. Air New Zealand makes big money off unsuspecting travelers- so here is a warning to you.

Please spread the word so other expats and visitors- including your family and guests don't get zapped!

Air New Zealand will charge you lots of money for every pound of over-age that you have and their baggage limits are pretty low- 44 pounds or 20 kg.

They will weigh everything- your purse, laptop bag, back-pack, diaper bag - all carry on baggage and your checked baggage is included in this 44 pounds. Anything you bring to the counter when you check in- is weighed and included in this limit.

If you are overweight even a pound or more, you may have to pay many hundreds of dollars for baggage overage- so beware. The cost seems to vary depending on the mood of the person who checks you in. We have been hit up for at least $200 every time we fly into New Zealand.

If you are flying in on Qantas or United or a Non Air New Zealand flight and you happen to miss your connection out of Auckland or Christchurch... they will not put you on the next flight for free or a nominal fee. You are likely to have to pay $300 US or more for a brand new flight.

Unfortunately, you have no option but to fly Air New Zealand, internally, at this point. So make sure you have plenty of time to connect from your international flight and pack light! Or be prepared to donate some of your hard earned cash to Air New Zealand!

If you have had a bad experience and need someone to contact, - the email address is flightcomment@airnz.co.nz, and the contact person is Judy McDermit. Don't expect much, but it is worth a try.

Cheers,

Wendy

[kanatakiwi]

I assume you are talking about baggage limits on domestic flights, as the international ones are higher. You raise a good point, but dont think that Air NZ is the only airline that will do this. In Europe now. and I hear LOndon is the most strict about this, you can only have ONE piece of carry on, and that includes a purse. So you cant have a purse AND a carry on., never mind other items etc. they will make you repack. Long lines at Heathrow because of this. Dont know if this applies on the international flights but definitely flights to Europe.
I know you posted about this a month ago, and I assume you are talking about the same incident, but there is no getting around this, its one of the new aspects of travel. I just came through San FRancisco and was struck by how many people had not paid any attention to the new rules re carry on liquids and then wanted to argue with the security folks about their bottle of shampoo or whatever. Best to read the baggage rules and abide by them.
BTW, I find Air NZ is actually one of the better ones, they have let us go when we are just a bit over the limit, have always found them to be pretty easy going, but you have to show you have made a good attempt to abide by the rules.
And my reading of those rules is 20 kigs for checked baggage and 7 kgs for carry on. Limited to two items of carry on.

[Tanya]

Air New Zealand will charge you lots of money for every pound of over-age that you have and their baggage limits are pretty low- 44 pounds or 20 kg.

It does state very clearly that you will be charged for excess baggage. It costs more in fuel etc if everyone has more than the stated limit - so I am not sure why you would think that it is your right to go over. Its not only Air NZ that do this - if you check all the airlines - they all state the same.

BTW if you come from anywhere in the world via the US on Air NZ you actually get 46kg - so much more than coming via the East - which IMHO is very generous. If you book the domestic flight when booking the international - the 46kg still applies on the domestic flight. If you don't book them together then, no you dont ge the extra allowance - so the caution here really is - If you have a domestic flight and can travel straight through, then book them together.


They will weigh everything- your purse, laptop bag, back-pack, diaper bag - all carry on baggage and your checked baggage is included in this 44 pounds. Anything you bring to the counter when you check in- is weighed and included in this limit.

I have seen many people come onto flights with almost the same amount of carry on baggage as is allowed in the checked in baggage. You are allowed an extra 7kg which is not part of the 20kg - check their website - I am not sure why you think its part of the 20kg! Why again would someone feel that the rules do not apply to them. I for one would not want anything falling out of those overhead lockers that weights more than 7kg hitting me or a child on the head.
Again - they need to know the weight so they can judge the fuel they need. I for one would not fancy them calculating the amount needed wrong because people think they can take on what they like.


If you are overweight even a pound or more, you may have to pay many hundreds of dollars for baggage overage- so beware. The cost seems to vary depending on the mood of the person who checks you in. We have been hit up for at least $200 every time we fly into New Zealand.

http://www.airnz.co.nz/travelinfo/baggageinformation/excess_baggage/default.htm

If you check out this link you will find the amounts you will see there is a certain amount charged for each flight. Its not random depending on the mood of the check-in people.


If you are flying in on Qantas or United or a Non Air New Zealand flight and you happen to miss your connection out of Auckland or Christchurch... they will not put you on the next flight for free or a nominal fee. You are likely to have to pay $300 US or more for a brand new flight.
Well its not their problem if the flight is delayed. They dont know you are in another airplane being delayed as you are not in their system because you didnt fly Air NZ. You will come up as a no-show!


Unfortunately, you have no option but to fly Air New Zealand, internally, at this point. So make sure you have plenty of time to connect from your international flight and pack light! Or be prepared to donate some of your hard earned cash to Air New Zealand!

I find it hard to believe that this would not be the same for any other airline!



BTW, I find Air NZ is actually one of the better ones, they have let us go when we are just a bit over the limit, have always found them to be pretty easy going, but you have to show you have made a good attempt to abide by the rules.
I think you have hit the nail on the head there - if you come across rude,obnoxious,difficult, expect the rules not to apply to you, then you shouldnt expect them to go out of their way for you!
Maybe the person in question has been flagged as a difficult customer!

Tanya

[migratory birds]

Which airlines flying into NZ from abroad have the highest baggage weigth limits?

[Dougal]

:clap

[Familyofmonkeys]

We got 30kg hold luggage and 7 kg hand luggage for 4 of us, plus 10kg hold and 5 kg carry on for baby...plus pushchair and infant carrier car seat free with Sinapore Airlines, via singapore.

Emirates offered us 45 kg hold plus 7 kg carry on each for all 5 of us, via Dubai. Didn't go with them though...too expensive for 5 of us, plus they wanted to get copies of our visas etc to get increase in baggage allowance, which would have been a pain at short notice.

[Nathan]

If you are flying in on Qantas or United or a Non Air New Zealand flight and you happen to miss your connection out of Auckland or Christchurch... they will not put you on the next flight for free or a nominal fee. You are likely to have to pay $300 US or more for a brand new flight.
Wendy

Why should they? It seems to me if Quantas screwed up...or United, but we'd expect them to.... they should do the straightening out. Why is a Quantas delay AirNZ's problem?

As for weight limits...US limits are high by comparison to most places. That's just the way it is.

[katandbob]

well AirNZ have been nothing but helpfull to me, both at Invercargill and Christchuch

maybe you picked a bad day!

Kat

[urban78]

Hiya,

Sorry you had a bad experience with Air NZ.

I remember you posting a similar thread a few months back and I PM'd you with details for their customer support team, as they are the last resort to make a complaint regarding service.

It's very important to understand what you pay for and what the rules regarding luggage is when booking for a flight internationally regardless of the airline...and most important if you book through a travel agent or yourself online and also when booking something involving several other airlines. The point you mentioned about other airlines is valid, however when travelling with different airlines that have no agreement in between them, there is no obligation for Air NZ to comply with Qantas rules (and vice versa). In North America United and Air NZ do have agreements for baggage allowances and transfers of luggage, as well as rebooking in case of missed connections or disrupts.

Baggage is a sensitive issue for any airline, expecially excess luggage, the main point being security (balance of weight between cargo, passengers and luggage on the whole aircraft), even more so that sometimes excess luggage cannot be taken on the plane because it is already full.

Just my 2 cents worth :o

Jen

We have our PR here, and we love it-

However, we wanted to warn people about some very unfriendly policies of Air New Zealand so you don't get zapped with hundreds of dollars of additional surprise fees. Air New Zealand makes big money off unsuspecting travelers- so here is a warning to you.

Please spread the word so other expats and visitors- including your family and guests don't get zapped!

Air New Zealand will charge you lots of money for every pound of over-age that you have and their baggage limits are pretty low- 44 pounds or 20 kg.

They will weigh everything- your purse, laptop bag, back-pack, diaper bag - all carry on baggage and your checked baggage is included in this 44 pounds. Anything you bring to the counter when you check in- is weighed and included in this limit.

If you are overweight even a pound or more, you may have to pay many hundreds of dollars for baggage overage- so beware. The cost seems to vary depending on the mood of the person who checks you in. We have been hit up for at least $200 every time we fly into New Zealand.

If you are flying in on Qantas or United or a Non Air New Zealand flight and you happen to miss your connection out of Auckland or Christchurch... they will not put you on the next flight for free or a nominal fee. You are likely to have to pay $300 US or more for a brand new flight.

Unfortunately, you have no option but to fly Air New Zealand, internally, at this point. So make sure you have plenty of time to connect from your international flight and pack light! Or be prepared to donate some of your hard earned cash to Air New Zealand!

If you have had a bad experience and need someone to contact, - the email address is flightcomment@airnz.co.nz, and the contact person is Judy McDermit. Don't expect much, but it is worth a try.

Cheers,

Wendy

[Caroline and Dave]

We have our PR here, and we love it-



They will weigh everything- your purse, laptop bag, back-pack, diaper bag - all carry on baggage and your checked baggage is included in this 44 pounds. Anything you bring to the counter when you check in- is weighed and included in this limit.


Wendy

Hi Wendy.
I have put the links here so you can check out, but the information you have been told is incorrect.
We reguarly travel now with Air NZ and find them excellent.They are more stricter on internal flights. You are allowed 7kg in hand luggage on top of your allowance plus a slim laptop, coat etc.
Heathrow airport is far worse and as others have said will insist you put everything into one bag. This applies to all airlines. If we could avoid Heathrow I would but most of the airlines to New Zealand go from there in our part of the UK except Emirates who go from Gatwick but that is 3 stops and dearer normally.

Hope this helps

http://www.airnewzealand.co.uk/travelinfo/baggageinformation/cabin_baggage.htm

http://www.airnewzealand.co.uk/travelinfo/baggageinformation/check_in_baggage.htm

[Milliemoo]

Can't really add to anything that Tanya said :nice1

We knew about the very tight lugagge allowance for travelling east to AKL from LHR (20kg - BA domestic is 23kg!) but we'd spent up big time in the sales (as you do) and we were 10kg over :exit

I was crapping it at the airport, but the VERY nice check-in lady did some 'creative calculating' and let us off. :D

LHR was a *nightmare* :mad:

Always book connecting flights as a 'through ticket' ie: together, so that you're covered for both missed connections and luggage allowance.

We had an unexpected divert to Christchurch before landing in Auckland and I have to say that AirNZ handled it brilliantly.

People will have bad experiences with every airline, but it does help to do some research on what your allowances and assurances are before you book your tickets.

Rule No1: ALWAYS be overly nice and polite to your check-in person
Rule No2: ALWAYS be overly nice and polite to your check-in person

Milliemoo

[wiki]

There are going to be both bad and good travel tales for every airline, hotel, motel etc... and to provide balance, here is my good Air NZ domestic story.

I had a very good experience with Air NZ a couple of years ago when I was flying back to NZ because my Mum was ill.

My Qantas flight into Auckland was late so I missed not only my separately-booked Air NZ flight to Dunedin, but also meeting my brother who was flying in from Australia and was catching the same internal flight south as I was.

At the NZ check-in desk they couldn't be more helpful - I explained what happened (in tears) and asked to pay for a ticket on the next available flight but they a) put me on for free, and b) rang Dunedin airport who located my sister who was waiting for me and told her what time I'd be arriving and even offered her and my brother free coffee while they waited.

But - and here's the big but - I didn't expect the airline to do any of that. It wasn't their problem to solve, but they went out of their way to help.

[kanatakiwi]

Also worth noting that Air NZ charges $5 per kg for excess baggage weight, as well as $30 for each extra piece of luggage over the allowance. on domestic flights.
If you paid "hundereds of dollars" in excess baggage fees, you must have been quite a bit over the limit!

Oh well you will know next time.:o

[leejenns]

we flew airnz out of heathrow via LA and they were fantastic, the kiwi crew were deffinatly freindlier on the second leg of the journey to auckland than the uk crew into LA, my wife and i flew with our 2 children, a 5 year old and a 10 month, we had great bulk head seats with a cot for the baby, the attendants were very helpfull.
regards baggage, as we were emmigrating we had lots of bags, 7 in total plus 3 rucksacks, 1 baby bag, pushchair/car seat, as we flew via LA we had 46kgs each including the baby, all our bags came in at about 32kgs each and we were not charged for any excees weight. one suitcase was over 36kg and we had to move some stuff across another case but other than that no problem. i couldnt recommend them enough!!
we will definatly use airNZ again if we fly back to blighty for a holiday:)

[jdbob]

Returning from New Zealand for the 3rd time is the first time they ever weighed my attache case. Of course it was over 7kg but once I told them I had my laptop in there it was no problem.

[duckdodgers]

Heathrow airport is far worse and as others have said will insist you put everything into one bag. This applies to all airlines. If we could avoid Heathrow I would but most of the airlines to New Zealand go from there in our part of the UK except Emirates who go from Gatwick but that is 3 stops and dearer normally

I don't think it's just Heathrow. it's a UK-wide directive that all airport security agencies have to abide by (I have heard stories from passengers that some don't - in which case wouldn't that be illegal if it's a DFT and therefore government directive?) - The 1-piece rule and the liquids rule should be in place in ALL UK airports.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/airtravel/airportsecurity/

Regardless of what whichever airline you're with allows (and most will allow the 1 cabin bag PLUS the extra bit - coat/handbag/laptop etc), the DFT directive enforced by the airport security guards over-rides that, until you get outside the UK.

My OH had a trolley bag which fitted within the DFT guidelines, fitted his laptop bag inside to go through security (they make you take it out anyway as with any large electrical item as you go through the scanner) and then had it separate at the gate so the trolley bag was within the Airline weight allowance.

[veronica]

I think that some of the confusion is a cultural difference. In Europe and the UK we have been used to strict baggage allowances for a number of years (its always been 20kg baggage allowance) and a lot tighter security than the US. We are also used to dealing with budget airlines like Ryan air and easy jet which have the same flight conditions as internal air nz flights. Its all stated in the booking conditions when you make the booking that if you miss the flight thats it. its down to you.

The only thing I really have against Air NZ is the fact that they make the bookings in 12 hour clock whereas the rest of the world uses the 24 hour clock, this has resulted in some confusion with my daughter especially as she used to be a check in agent in the UK and still sees 9.00 as only being 9.00am 21.00 is 9pm to her in travel terms.

[Nathan]

AirNZ treated us right again. I've had nothing but good experience with them.

In Aukland, we were gigged at security for an over-sized carry-on. Went back to ticketing, and altho' we'd maxed out with the other checked bags, the agent did some creative enrty and the extra bag went thru to Welly without charge or hassle.

Thank you, AirNZ. We are loyal customers!

[bob_the_engineer]

This has been one of my pet hates for a long time, I really don’t think it should be allowed charging for extra baggage.

If you turn up with too much luggage, you should be turned away, as simple as that!

Anyone with a clue about physics, and any imagination must (much like me) cringe when they see those people that turn up at the airport with luggage that weigh so much.

On one hand I have some sympathy for those with children, lets face it those little critters need a certain amount of paraphernalia, on the other hand I’d probably hate to see it even more if they were my children having to fly on a plane with loads of luggage.

Does nobody else think about the number of variables involved in getting a jet across the planet, relative motion causing varying fly time, varying loads requiring additional fuel weight, reduced speed compounded by the extra fuel you need to carry the extra load. OMG stop with the bags!

Bob

PS
if you buy a transferable ticket you can change it at no cost, even if your flight is extended by some inconsiderate passengers, who’s excess weight in bags extended the flight time :nice1 .