Travelling With Oversize Luggage.
Travelling With Oversize Luggage.
I've never done this before. But I'm looking to bring a fairly large item back from the UK. It's an electric piano. Buying there will save me several hundred dollars, IF I can get it back.
The size is 152 x 56 x 47 cm boxed. And weight I think is about 40 kg.
How does it work? Obviously I don't want it chucked around with all the normal baggage. Is there a way to ensure that it will be handled carefully?
And will I have to pay extra? There will be 4 of us travelling with I expect 30 kg limit each - would this item count towards our 120 kg allowance?
As I say, never done this before, so any advice appreciated.
Cheers.
The size is 152 x 56 x 47 cm boxed. And weight I think is about 40 kg.
How does it work? Obviously I don't want it chucked around with all the normal baggage. Is there a way to ensure that it will be handled carefully?
And will I have to pay extra? There will be 4 of us travelling with I expect 30 kg limit each - would this item count towards our 120 kg allowance?
As I say, never done this before, so any advice appreciated.
Cheers.
TheGrimReaper wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:45 pmSlavedog, you do not belong on this forum as you talk too much sense.
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Airlines often have special dispensation for sports equipment and musical instruments.
Yes it can come out of your total allowance, and it can be marked as fragile. But I have no idea what goes on behind he scenes for fragile luggage.
Look up the rules online for musical equipment. I expect it will be fairly straightforward.
Yes it can come out of your total allowance, and it can be marked as fragile. But I have no idea what goes on behind he scenes for fragile luggage.
Look up the rules online for musical equipment. I expect it will be fairly straightforward.
I wish I were wrong but I don't think this will qualify as a musical instrument, not will it be allowed as part of the luggage allowance. If it's a one piece 40kg item it'll be subject to freight rates, meaning not cheap.
In any case make sure in writing with the company (Thai ? )) before turning up at the airport.
In any case make sure in writing with the company (Thai ? )) before turning up at the airport.
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I think it could depend if it is packaged in a travel case or packaged in its original box.
Thai airways has this on their site...
One portable musical instrument
Included in allowance
Yes
Note : If the item not exceeding 100cm (39 inches) in length.
I guess a digital piano could be more than a metre long
Thai airways has this on their site...
One portable musical instrument
Included in allowance
Yes
Note : If the item not exceeding 100cm (39 inches) in length.
I guess a digital piano could be more than a metre long
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Unaccompanied baggage (and it may or may not end up on the same flight as you). It's easy and not at all expensive. The only hassle is that it would be treated as cargo on arrival and be subject to fees. When I brought clothing over this way, things were double checked they were for personal use and checked nothing else obvious was in there that shouldn't be. The fees involved (including import duty I think) were less than $15 (this is for customs clearance etc not the cost of unaccompanied baggage, which is priced per kg..and much cheaper than excess baggage). An electric keyboard would likely attract higher fees though. I'd take it out of its original box to strengthen an argument that you are not bringing it in to sell.
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At Egyptair you get a whopping 54kg to BKK in economy class, just saying.
Cut the piano in half so that you can fly on a shitty route LHR to BKK with an Egyptair allowance of two pieces, maximum weight of each 23 Kg.LowLifeInTheKOW wrote:At Egyptair you get a whopping 54kg to BKK in economy class, just saying.
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On Asian and European carriers, yes, you can accumulate your baggage weight. I’ve distributed a lot that way in the past. But, a single box with that weight (over 23 kg) will be the problem - and it’s not like it’s 25kg, but 40 is a lot! I’m sure you’ll be charged an extra fee, as they’ll need special handling for it. Contact the carrier.
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Your electronic piano is most unlikely to be accepted at check-in for a number of reasons.
Let's overlook cubic size for a moment.
What is most likely to stop you is the near universal airline labour agreement that limits individual passenger bags/items to not more than 30 kg.
Then there are requirements as to how an item wishing to be checked in as part of a passengers baggage allowance is packed. The airlines will not accept, nor accept any liability for items such as yours being damaged in transit. In the unlikely event of it being accepted at check-in you will need to sign a legally binding waver to this effect.
As someone who brings large items to Cambodia on a regular and ongoing basis I've learned a couple of lessons the hard and costly way during the course of doing this.
The individual weight and size limitations MAY, exceptionally, be waived by the airline subject to prior negotiation and written agreement of that airline's Load Control department. But it is not easy to get and whatever you do be sure to have the agreement to accept the item in writing and to have copies of that agreement to hand in at check-in time. Although with excess baggage weight costing AUD$30 per Kg from SYD to PNH every effort needs to be made to avoid this charge.
Generally, and generalisations are potentially dangerous, airlines will accept many non-standard items provided they are packed in normal commercial cardboard cartons. On one occasion I presented the same regular item in an open timber crate rather than in a large carton and it was totally rejected by the check-in counter chick, the airline representative at the check-in counter and, on appeal, by the airline Load Control senior member as, because of the nature of the open timber crate, it classified as "Cargo". Yet the very same airline had on my previous flight just a couple of month before accepted a large timber, pallet-based timber box containing an identical item. Go figure. This rejection proved very costly to me because the item I had expected to travel with me was too valuable to just abandon so it had to go in to the airport left luggage department at AUD$18 per day plus 10% GST and I was in Cambodia for just a few days short of a month.
Your chances are better if, as I am, you are a high miler frequent flier gold card member as the airline will sometimes cut you a bit of slack as to size and total weight because of your value to the airline.
Also, it helps to be travelling on a through ticket with the same airline as any decision made at original check-in has to be honoured through to point of arrival. Not so if more than one carrier, other than the airline's regional associate, is involved.
I've now learned the tricks of doing this for my particular items and in fact spent yesterday stripping the item down in to two components each of which will now easily meet the individual piece weight limitation although the cube of the major component causes raised eyebrows and a few questions both at check-in and most certainly on trying to walk nonchalantly through customs at PNH and REP. But so far so good.
Don't talk to forum. Go and talk to your proposed airline representative in the city of departure. Better still, see if you can talk to the airline station manager and, if agreeable get the authorisation in writing and make copies for all possible problem points along the line.
Also bear in mind that any "non standard" items that do not fit easily in to the airline cargo bins in the hold are the first to be left out until a later flight with a lesser load density.
OML
Let's overlook cubic size for a moment.
What is most likely to stop you is the near universal airline labour agreement that limits individual passenger bags/items to not more than 30 kg.
Then there are requirements as to how an item wishing to be checked in as part of a passengers baggage allowance is packed. The airlines will not accept, nor accept any liability for items such as yours being damaged in transit. In the unlikely event of it being accepted at check-in you will need to sign a legally binding waver to this effect.
As someone who brings large items to Cambodia on a regular and ongoing basis I've learned a couple of lessons the hard and costly way during the course of doing this.
The individual weight and size limitations MAY, exceptionally, be waived by the airline subject to prior negotiation and written agreement of that airline's Load Control department. But it is not easy to get and whatever you do be sure to have the agreement to accept the item in writing and to have copies of that agreement to hand in at check-in time. Although with excess baggage weight costing AUD$30 per Kg from SYD to PNH every effort needs to be made to avoid this charge.
Generally, and generalisations are potentially dangerous, airlines will accept many non-standard items provided they are packed in normal commercial cardboard cartons. On one occasion I presented the same regular item in an open timber crate rather than in a large carton and it was totally rejected by the check-in counter chick, the airline representative at the check-in counter and, on appeal, by the airline Load Control senior member as, because of the nature of the open timber crate, it classified as "Cargo". Yet the very same airline had on my previous flight just a couple of month before accepted a large timber, pallet-based timber box containing an identical item. Go figure. This rejection proved very costly to me because the item I had expected to travel with me was too valuable to just abandon so it had to go in to the airport left luggage department at AUD$18 per day plus 10% GST and I was in Cambodia for just a few days short of a month.
Your chances are better if, as I am, you are a high miler frequent flier gold card member as the airline will sometimes cut you a bit of slack as to size and total weight because of your value to the airline.
Also, it helps to be travelling on a through ticket with the same airline as any decision made at original check-in has to be honoured through to point of arrival. Not so if more than one carrier, other than the airline's regional associate, is involved.
I've now learned the tricks of doing this for my particular items and in fact spent yesterday stripping the item down in to two components each of which will now easily meet the individual piece weight limitation although the cube of the major component causes raised eyebrows and a few questions both at check-in and most certainly on trying to walk nonchalantly through customs at PNH and REP. But so far so good.
Don't talk to forum. Go and talk to your proposed airline representative in the city of departure. Better still, see if you can talk to the airline station manager and, if agreeable get the authorisation in writing and make copies for all possible problem points along the line.
Also bear in mind that any "non standard" items that do not fit easily in to the airline cargo bins in the hold are the first to be left out until a later flight with a lesser load density.
OML
You have two problems, weight restrictions and measurement restrictions. You electric piano exceeds both. Even the most lax airline will not allow luggage heavier than 32 KG per piece, that means your piano has to be shipped as cargo so it can be machine loaded. Bringing 40 kg of cargo on the same flight as you might be pretty expensive, more expensive than a seat actually.
If I were you I would contact the airline and see what the opportunities are for:
- Transferring checked luggage to cargo.
- Exceptional heavy luggage weighing over 32 kg each.
- Bringing you piano in the cabin.
If I were you I would contact the airline and see what the opportunities are for:
- Transferring checked luggage to cargo.
- Exceptional heavy luggage weighing over 32 kg each.
- Bringing you piano in the cabin.
Thanks for the replies.
Having checked the Emirates, Qatar and Cathay websites, it's looking unlikely that this can be done efficiently, if at all. It's just too big and too heavy. And too fragile and valuable for me to take a chance.
So I'll probably end up buying here and paying the increased price.
Having checked the Emirates, Qatar and Cathay websites, it's looking unlikely that this can be done efficiently, if at all. It's just too big and too heavy. And too fragile and valuable for me to take a chance.
So I'll probably end up buying here and paying the increased price.
TheGrimReaper wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:45 pmSlavedog, you do not belong on this forum as you talk too much sense.
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Silly question probably, but have you looked into buying a seat for it, and strapping it in next to you ?
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Good idea. With dark glasses and a dress , nobody will notice she doesn't match the passport picture.Playboy wrote:Silly question probably, but have you looked into buying a seat for it, and strapping it in next to you ?
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I regularly fly with a bicycle in a travel box. Your dimensions won't be a problem, but the weight will be. They'll weigh it at check in, negotiate the excess baggage fee then you'll take it down to oversize baggage area to pass it through the xray machine.
If you could repackage it to save weight to stay within 30kg allowance (unlikely?) It will save a few £££.
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If you could repackage it to save weight to stay within 30kg allowance (unlikely?) It will save a few £££.
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