From the beginning of September 2010, the cost of an economy ticket will include a single check-in item of luggage with a maximum weight of 23 kilos. The previous limit was 20 kilos. The maximum permitted combined measurements of the bag (height plus length plus width) will be 158 centimeters.
The aim of the new rules is to serve customers better and to clarify the procedure,’ said Anssi Komulainen, Finnair’s SVP Customer Service. “Economy Class passengers can now take a heavier bag on their flight than before as part of the price of the flight.’
Business Class passengers, Finnair Plus Platinum, Gold and Silver members, oneworld tier members and holders of more highly-priced economy class tickets will be permitted to take two items of baggage, each weighing a maximum of 23 kilos, totalling 46 kilos.
Finnair is also extending the option of paying for excess bags and weight online and in advance. From 1 September 2010, payments of excess baggage and weight fees paid on the Internet will be as much as 30% cheaper than when paid at the airport.
The new rules apply also to passengers who buy only flight tickets on Finnair leisure flights (AY2001-AY3000) on or after 1 September 2010. The rules for passengers traveling as part of a tour operator package will change 1 April 2011.
Rules for carry-on baggage remain unchanged:
-Business Class, Finnair Plus Platinum, Gold and Silver members and Finnair Club members: one bag with the maximum outside dimensions of 56×45x25 cm or 22×18x10 in., plus one briefcase or laptop computer, regardless of travel class. A total of two pieces, with a maximum combined weight of 10 kg or 22 lbs.
-Economy Class: one class-flights, flights within Finland and leisure flights: one bag with the maximum outside dimensions of 56×45x25 cm or 22×18x10 in. One piece only, with a maximum weight of 8kg or 17.5 lbs.
Caveat emptor is the watchword for airline travelers in whatever class to check carefully rules for both checked and carry-on baggage – especially if they are ‘interlining’ from one carrier to another on multi-sector flights – especially when transferring from a legacy carrier to a no-frills operator.
The diplomatic row some time ago issuing from Russia’s refusal to extradite to Britain former KGB agent Andrei Lugovoy, who allegedly murdered fellow Russian Alexander Litvinenko with a dose of polonium-210 in London in November, 2006, leaving a lethal radioactive trail in restaurants, hotels and planes, recalls to mind a letter I received from a reader, a ‘nuclear inspector’ with the European Commission in Luxembourg, who claims his baggage had received ‘dangerous levels’ of X-rays during a connection at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport.
Peter (not his real name) writes: ‘My flight from Marseille to Luxembourg (via Paris CDG) arrived with no baggage, despite a three-hour layover in Paris. When it finally caught up with me, I found that my Nuclear Electronic Dosimeter inside was emitting an alarm tone. When it was electronically read at my office, it transpired that the baggage had received an X-ray does of 0.326 mSv (milli Sievert) - very high when you consider that a person is normally allowed a maximum 2mSv a year! X-ray machines also produce doses of “radio activity.”‘
‘I don’t know what the security people did with my baggage in Paris,’ Peter adds, ‘but it is important to advise other travelers that such high doses of radiation will destroy unexposed film or other sensitive materials and may even cause trouble for electronic circuits, and flash cards, or memory sticks. My bags are never locked so they can be opened and checked by security, who clearly refer to use electronic X-ray systems to the maximum. Airports should do more to control security staff who, in my case, must have left the machine on for an inordinate amount of time.’
A disturbing new angle in surviving the airport experience.
With many airlines now charging for checked luggage, Marriott Rewards and The Luggage Club, a baggage shipment service, have teamed up to allow members to redeem points for gift cards to ship luggage door-to-door. Marriott Rewards members can earn 10 Marriott Rewards points per dollar on services and redeem points for gift cards in increments of $50, $100, $250 and $500.
The Luggage Club (www.theluggageclub.com) picks up travelers’ baggage at their home, office, or location of their choice, delivers it to their final travel destination and returns it home at the end of the trip; there are no limits on size, weight or number of items. Next-day service to deliver a mid-size bag from Paris to New York starts at around $312.
Sometimes, taking a lot of stuff with you is unavoidable; especially when it comes to sports equipment, like skis and golf clubs, and other outsize items.
Rather than risk the hassle and nightmare of mishandled or lost bags, consider shipping your bags with a specialized courier service.
BA recommends First Luggage (www.firstluggage.com) who pick up and deliver baggage by FedEx all over the world. The cost for one-way shipping of a suitcase of 66 pounds from Milan to Brussels is about £89 ($177); or from Britain to the United States, £129). BA passengers who book online receive a five percent discount.
Excess Baggage (www.excessbaggage.com) ships bags from offices and homes in 300 countries, charging from $4 to $10 per kilogram for most destinations. Excess Baggage has a network of agents that include Contour USA (www.contour-usa.com) for shipments from the United States. It is also worth checking out the luggage courier services of www.Skycapinternational.com and www.Virtualbellhop.com, both based in the United States.
Luggage Express (www.usxpluggageexpress.com) has a similar door-to-door courier service across the United States and is extending now to cities in South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean and Europe. Prices start at $85 for a 35- to 40-pound suitcase between U.S. cities to $325, with duties and tax, from New York to London.
Luggage Forward (www.luggageforward.com) is a United States-based baggage and sports delivery service. Price is based on size (not weight), distance and level of service.
XS Baggage (www.xsbaggage.com), based in Washington D.C, has a South Pacific office in Auckland, New Zealand.