Garuda excess luggage

[Hot Opal]

My Wife & I had a great time in Bali UNTILL WE TRIED TO LEAVE !!!!!
We had too much luggage (all purchased cheap in Bali).
The Garuda checkin guy said we had to buy another bag because our bags were too heavy for the baggage handlers to lift.
Fair enough!
Bags in Bali are only a few bucks we thought.
Not so at 10 PM in the airport.
AU$200 was the cheapest we could buy a cloth sports bag!!!!!!!
With my pocket AU$200 lighter we headed back to checkin.
"Problem !" This time we were overweight by 17kg! (the new bag probably weighed 5kg).
We had to line up with a mega line of very unhappy Aussies to pay for our excess luggage.
The cost US$10 per kg.
With my credit card down US$170 we boarded the plane.
AU$200 plus US$170 amounts to 1/3 of the entire cost of airfare & accomodation for one of us.
The moral to the story "The cheap airfares & shopping may not always remain cheap".
QANTAS sounds good!!!!!!!

 

[Bert Vierstra]

RE: Garuda Ripoff

If you are unprepared for overweight, it always a hassle. When I came to Bali, I had some computer stuff with me, and I had to pay 800 EUR extra to get it on the plane, never realized it...

I think that it was Singapore Airlines...

Does Qantas give overweight for free ?

Anway its always smart to be prepared for these kind of things so you are not tempted to blame others..

Oh, you better take care with Qantas too:

http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/c ... 02,00.html

 

[Hot Opal]

RE: Garuda Ripoff

I think Qantas allows an extra 10KG.
That's what the disgruntled people in the line told me anyway.
Next time I will check.

 

[Bert Vierstra]

RE: Garuda Ripoff

How does a Qantas ticket compare to a Garuda ticket, pricewise ?

 

[Hot Opal]

RE: Garuda Ripoff

Prices here in Aus vary week to week.
Someone is always putting up a new super dooper deal!

 

[mimpimanis]

RE: Garuda Ripoff

I dont see it as a rip off, you know what your baggage allowance is when you travel. I always find Garuda & Malaysia to be flexible up to a couple of kgs but 17 kgs is way over the top. Can you imagine if everyone turned up with that much extra baggage? I have been way over going to Bali one time & had to pay but I expected & accepted it.

 

[patatje]

RE: Garuda Ripoff

What is the problem with taking computerstuff with you? Do you have to ask the airline-company? I heard that some people let it put in their pasports when they bring their laptop with them. For the taxes, I thought.
I remember that when you check in early that they are not to strickt in much luggage. But when more and more people arrive they can see how much luggage they already have and when it's much they become more strickt?
In the past I sometimes asked in front if I can take more luggage. Because when you travel with a little baby you cannot bring luggage for them but when they are small you need much stuff to bring. I asked Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa if I could take more luggage and they allowed it and it was on my ticket.

 

[Bert Vierstra]

RE: Garuda Ripoff

Its no problem to take computer stuff, but I took a laptop and plenty off other things like hardisks, motherboards, keyboards, about a little computershop, with me...

 

[lozza]

RE: Garuda Ripoff

I think you will find Air Paradise cheaper than both Garuda or Qantas when travelling between Australia and Bali.

 

[Claire Quinn]

RE: Garuda Ripoff

It just seems lately that Aussies are packs if whinges (I am an Aussie). You know how much you are allowed. And as for your wonderful Qantas, I came here a month ago and some charming stuck up little checkin girl charged me $385. I did not whinge cause I knew I was OVER. I was coming here to live and needed to bring a few extras. You came here for a holiday, spent your money here, you bought to many heavy things...you have to pay. I worked and lived in Australia for 25 years, paid heaps of tax, employed people etc etc, decided to leave and still had to pay cause I was over in my baggage, but I did not compalin. Maybe a few Aussies should go to England to live.

 

[mimpimanis]

RE: Garuda Ripoff

Yes & the aussies call us Brits whinging POMs!

 

[Hot Opal]

RE: Garuda Ripoff

Some may think it is a winge.
However there are double standards.
Had I carried some of the gear as hand luggage it would have been OK.
When I left Australia (with Garuda also) they weighed my camera bag (hand luggage) and told me I was on the limit.
I did the right thing and put some of my expensive camera gear in the cargo luggage praying it would not be lost.
Leaving Bali they did not weigh hand luggage so I could have put more into my camera bag and got away with it.
Some people had massive bags as hand luggage so they obviously knew what happens.
I paid what I had to, but this thread is to make others aware of what can happen.
I also think US$10 per kg is a bit rich!!!!!

 

[Tracey]

RE: Garuda Ripoff

I have heard of people paying more than that for excess luggage!

I see it as a whinge too...!!!

 

[Bert Vierstra]

I changed the title of this thread. I wont to avoid that people not reading beyond the first message think Garuda rips people off.

A question Hot Opal: How do you feel about Indonesia, and did you enjoy your holiday in Bali?

 

[Claire Quinn]

Mim, that was no offence to you, I love the brits

 

[mimpimanis]

I believe the cost of excess luggage is an industry standard ( I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong !) It is a fixed percentage of price of a full economy ticket for that route. So on a short hop from Australia you will pay less than on a long haul from UK.

Again when you book your ticket you know the baggage allowance both for check in & for hand luggage. I have often had my hand luggage weighed.

The point is if your baggage is over weight you should expect to have to pay, if you dont then consider yourself lucky.

This is like the people that complain about having to pay police fines/bribes when riding bikes around Bali. My husband & I have often been stopped by police in Lombok but never paid a single rupiah, mainly because we always have our helmets on & have our bike papers with us. You will only have to pay if you break the rules. If everything is legit you dont need to worry.

 

[matahari]

Well not having a valid MC drivers license is breaking the rules isn`t it and I guess the most expats/tourist drive without licence!? I`v been stopped many times just because I`m a tourist and the police sees the opertonity, Not complaining thou, alot cheaper then getting an international MC licence.


Overweight luggage-tip:

If you get to the checkin and not having any money to pay for the overweight or simply just don`t wanna pay for it you can put on alot of the clothing you have in your luggage...

 

[Hot Opal]

Bert I don't know about the rest of Indonesia so I can't comment.
However we loved Bali and the Balinese people.
I think visitors will either love it or hate it there is no middle ground.
Once you get your head around the fact that some areas are 3rd world and the living standards and smells are a bit ordinary you can have a wonderfull experience.
To the Lombok Pommie: I was told that Guruda only recently lowered their baggage weight by 10kg per person.
If that had not happened we would have been 3kg under not 17kg over.
To me it is no longer an issue, I only posted this thread to make people aware.
You must have too much time on your hands if you sit down and read the fine print.
I am too busy to go into so much detail and usually use past experience as a guide.

 

[mimpimanis]

Hi Hot Opal

No, it is not that I have too much time to read the fine print. (incidently the baggage allowance is printed on your ticket not in the fine print.)

Any travller I know is aware that the standard baggage allowance for flights is 20kg. I can also tell you that for Garuda flights from UK to Bali there has been no change in the baggage allowance in the last 8 years. It has always been & still is 20kg.

 

[sander]

Hmm, sorry mimpimanis, I disagree with your last statement. I been to bali twice with garuda ( From amsterdam to denpasar via singapore/jakarta ) and they always allowed 25 KG, so that is 5 KG more then most other airlines.

However it is not an issue anymore because garuda not flighing to holland anymore and I never had to much luggage with me