Just had this in from PHASA. I guess it's brings the USA into line with most pther places in the world, but if I were an American, I'd be spitting feathers.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news guys!

British Airways - baggage charges



"British Airways will make changes to its free checked baggage allowances and baggage charges from 07 October 2009.

Customer travelling in the World Traveller economy cabin to and from the USA Canada Bermuda Argentina Mexico and the Carribean will have a one bag free allowance of 23kgs. This means that the World Traveller allowances will be the same for the majority of British Airways routes .
Hold baggage size changes from 240x75x65 to 190x75x65.
Charges for excess baggage (£25 to £30) and extra luggage (£90 to £40 for first excess bag then £90 for subsequent bags).
For UK domestics extra bag increase from £25 to £35 per bag
Firearms cost of £50 per direction.
Sporting equipment now need to fit within luggage sizes and will be included as part customers free checked baggage allowance. Changes to the sporting equipment policy applies for bookings made from 31 July for customers travelling from 07 October 2009.
Executive card Gold and Silver card holders will have two hold baggage for free instead of one.


British Airways franchise partners subsidiaries and codeshare partners may offer baggage allowances that differ from British Airways operated services. Customer and agents are advised to check with the relevant airlines in these cases for the most up to date information.

The changes will affect customers booking from 07 October 2009 for travel after this date. Customers with existing bookings or new bookings up to and including 06 October 2009 will be unaffected and the current two-piece free allowance and existing charges will remain. Bookings must be ticketed before 07 October 2009.

Just another reason to avoid British Air. Let's hope SAA and Delta don't jump on the bandwagon.

My guess is that once one airline gets away with it, all the others will do the same within a fairly short period.

This kind of thing just keeps pushing the limits on whether it continues to be worth the effort and expense to pursue overseas travel of any kind. At my age probably don't have but a half dozen safaris left in me, but this really makes me consider spending more time in the States, Canada and South America and avoid these hassels going on over there.

The possibility of having to rent guns, ammo, buy clothing over there and all the other BS piled on to make weight limits and baggage constraints at some point might just begin to outweigh the benefits.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

I can see a time coming when people coming on safari will hire rifles and send measurements etc ahead of time and have the outfitter buy the relevent clothes from the local trappers store and it all gets given to the staff at the end of the trip......... it'd certainly be a lot cheaper than paying those ridiculous extra bag and excess baggage fees.

How about that UKP50 each way for firearms!!!

I bet it doesn't apply to other sporting goods such as golf clubs etc!

We as airline passengers will never "win" this baggage battle with ANY airlines. Ive flown to the African continent twice for hunts, the first trip on Delta (before they started the flights over) and SAA (when they still used the 747)(this was a combination of Delta in the USA and SAA for the overseas legs) and the second trip on British Airways. Both trips landed me in Joberg and then had to deal with connecting flights on SAA ( whol ast year promptly socked it to me for excess weights and hassled the crap out of me over my ammo). Both trips on the different carriers had pros and cons, BUT, over all the trip on British Air was MUCH more pleasant than the other one. Next year I plan on another trip to South Africa and no internal flights should be needed and guess what, I'm planning on using British Air again! So now I might have to deal with some extra/ecessive baggage charges and I certainly don't want to pay these, but its what the airlines are doing, all of them in some fashion unless you are maybe a FIRST CLASS passenger (certainly can't afford that!). So its either don't go, or deal with baggage headaches. Even internal flying in the USA now a days cost one in baggage fees for the FIRST bag let alone anything else. I doubt it will ever go back to the way it was before, so its sit at home and not hunt/visit/travel or put up with it I suppose. And theres alot more to that BA website about baggage than what Steve posted here, as I was reading it all the other day to see what changes I might have to deal with compared to my flight with them in 2008.

The airlines will continue to nickel and dime us to death. It will soon be that the only way to avoid all these extra fees is to fly naked.

Don't forget they also require 72 hours notice that you'll be flying with sporting firearms and they're pretty strict on the ex military calibres as well.

If you think there is nothing we as consumers can do, BS.

If you will write the airlines and let them know you are going to use XYZ airline from now on because of these extra charges, that will get their attention. You also have to write ABC airline and thank them for not adding these charges and tell them that you will use them from now on. Include copy of XYZ letter when thanking ABC letter.

As a airline executive, if my extra charges of $50 here and $50 there cost me a cancellation of an airfare and that happens enough then I lost money instead of increasing bottom line. They understand that, they will try to push the envelope to increase revenue, but not to the point of risking an airfare cancellation, JMO.

I thought BA would not let you fly to Zim with rifles at all because of the "civil rights" violations of Mugabe.

If anyone has noticed you'll remember that I'm a big advocate of BA and still am. They've never been the cheapest airline to get you to Africa but they have the best record of any airline flying to Africa for having your guns and luggage arrive with you and isn't that the biggest concern on these flights?

Yeah! It looks like your travel maybe a little more spendy after Oct. with BA but as Steve said KLM, SAA, DELTA etc. may institute those charges also.

I don't get a paid to say this but BA just does it better. My clients flying with them have just been very happy. SAA and Delta, particularly this year, not so much!

Mark

Indy,

It isn't BA as such. I think you'll find that it's an international agreement of some kind, not to ship weapons of war to Zimbabwe. Theoretically, no European airline (at least) will permit arms to Zim.

The world is only one year into a ten year recession, so I don't worry too much about things like this --

It won't be long before every airline either becomes more customer friendly or the less resonsive airlines will simply cease to exist.

The airline industry is pretty much screwed around the world.

This isn't new, it's the new normal.

I'm a big BA fan for what it's worth, but they are bleeding red ink like the rest of the world's airlines.

Flying is just expensive. I've made several international flights this year and it always amazes me to see how many bags people bring with them and then bitch at the counter person about the surcharges.
If you are going on a week's safari, or even two weeks, do you really need more than one bag and one gun case?
For what it's worth, I just flew back from Canada on Northwest and had to pay $125 for my 'extra' bag - luckily it was my new dall sheep horns and hide.

Had a client yesterday flying Virgin to Nairobi with 4 rifles /cases they did not charge him
margarita

May be we should spare a thought to the airlines, as they have a lot of money to pay to the governments.

I read not long ago that each "slot" from Heathrow to any destination outside Europe costs 25 million sterling!!??

That money has to come fro us, as passengers.

I for one wish that airlines would just include the cost of baggage transpor into the airfair.

All the little "up-charges" are annoying.

Same thing with the safari. Camp staff tips come to mind. Better if the outfitter just charged staff labor into the day rate.

The "success penalty" for larger trophies is madening.

All the little extras on top like area fees and extra taxes are also very annoying. Just add it to the day rate and avoid the hassle. It also would make it easier to know what the safari will actuallly cost...

Brett

Sorry I can't complain...Under the present system I could be sitting on a flight from London to say Durban, and the American passenger sitting next to me would have twice the luggage allowence at no cost...

Of course I would have prefered if equality had been arrived at the other way, ie our luggage allownce had been increased....

Actually I would be happy if firearms were treated like other sporting items such as golf clubs and not counted against your allowence but I'm not holding my breath..

If they'd just include it up front, up to so many pounds!!!

Tips are supposed to be for a job better than well done.

I've told several people before, if you are keeping your prices in hopes of getting a big tip to offset the low price you are more of a gambler than I am. Make your profit up front and then enjoy whatever extra you get!

It is easy to complain about these charges. No one likes them. However, we all need to remember the multi-billion dollar losses the airlines industry has incurred.

At some point, they have to make a profit.

Larry,

I'm really not complaining about the total dollar for a flight which is reasnible IMHO.

I just don't like the "al la cart" extras. I would be happy to pay an extra hundred dollars and have a reasonable weitht limit for luggage. Let's say the old international flight weight limit of 70lb each for two bags.

Paying extra for rifles is irratating but if it made things smooth and I were made to feel at the airport that traveling with firearms was normal and accepted I would glady pay for that also.

Brett

hell's bells, if somebody needs two 70 lb. bags for a safari, they must be taking a portable generator!!( or taking a 4 rifle battery and 1000 rounds of ammo)

My bags weighed 70 lbs.

I always took stuff to Zim the PH and staff needed.

Things like big saws, axes, box cutters [for striping elephant and giraffe hides], tow straps, etc.

Once I even took one of those baby monitors
to my Videographer, as his wife had just had a baby.

Of course I did have 35 to 49 lbs of ammo, depending on the year.

Don't ask don't tell.

United charged us $150 each to fly from Nashville to Dulles. We were 2 & 6 lbs over on our guncase. United/SAA still owes me between 80,000 & 100,000 airmiles from muliple trips. Then, we each had to pay $145 each to get our guns from Forward Air in Nashville when SAA at Dulles shipped with the wrong carrier. We were told we would be reimbursed. Well, I'm still waiting for my check but am about to start raising hell with them and have no problems getting some Gov't agency's involved (those guys are always looking for something to do). I may not get anywhere with United or SAA but I can sure never fly with them again; nor recommend them to my clients.
LDK

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I read not long ago that each "slot" from Heathrow to any destination outside Europe costs 25 million sterling!!??

QFT

Much of the expense is government shake down money in the form of gate fees. With limited availability due to the usual poor government planning, it's open season on the airlines.

The airlines have guys sitting in think tanks, coming up with ways to raise revenue. Currently it is cheap for me to fly out of our little muni airport in Durango to NY, Chicago, LA etc. at about $230r/t. BUT, they are charging for bags, food, prime seat locations, etc. The guise is to keep the up front fair low then add on for serices a passenger might wish to have. Thats the idea behind the little fees that are popping up.

On the weight issue, Saeed excluded as I know he has Walter, I have never understood how someone can bring more than 50 lbs of stuff. I think on a first safari everyone gets a pass as they are inexpereinced, but after that and with all the info out there I cant see why you cant keep your checked bag with ammo under 30lbs, a carry on around 15lbs.