Way to Russia Talk Lounge

UsualSuspect · Guest

All,
It transpires that when travelling via Russian Airlines that you may be
asked to check your cabin baggage in. This is then added to your total weight
of baggage! After my statement of "You've got to be joking" when informed I'd be looking at excess baggage charges, a Russian guy in the queue informed me it was usual. On this occassion I got out of it by saying "If I'm allowed in via the same airline with the same baggage, then why wasn't I charged at that time?".

I don't think I got a sympathy vote, rather that the staff chose to avoid a screaming match with some crazed, frozen, and bleary eyed foreigner about breaches of the Warsaw Convention.

BTW, Sibir was the airline.

Anyone else out there run into this one??

WayToRussia · Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2003 3:22 am Post subject: me too...

Yeah, Aeroflot does this also. Once I was flying from Moscow to Paris, and had about 25 kg in my backpack (20 kg is the maximum allowed) + about 10 kg in my little backpack. The woman at check-in told me that I'll have to pay, and I said that I only have travelers cheques, which wasn't true, and she said ok, go and change them to $$ and pay for your excess (I think it's about $10 for a kg!!), and I said yeah, but I don't think it'll be possible, bla bla bla, so she let me go...

Another time, this summer, I was flying from Irkutsk to Moscow with Aeroflot and my friend Dan had 23 kg in his backpack, plus about 2 kg handluggage. The check-in person started to piss off, but then we called the manager, told that this is a bad practice, they shouldn't do it like this, that we can just put the extra 3 kg in my backpack, which is less than 20 kg, and that we don't agree, and it worked...

So, my advice is to check that you have not more than 20 kg with you, if you have anything extra, better get rid of it, or try to put it into hand luggage. If they want you to pay for it, start claiming your rights, call the manager... Anyway, these check-in people do it, because if they don't charge you for the excess and then Aeroflot decides to check the actual weight, and it's more than allowed, this person who was checking you in will have to pay for it herself! So, that's their motivation...

Dimas / WayToRussia.Net

Guest · Guest

The advise to call a manager is good, unless you travel via airports like Mineralnye Gory. I witnessed the check-in guy making pay a group of 12 Japanese alpinists and 4 American snowboarders for excess weight - moreover, he was always suggesting to pay the fee not to the officials, but to him personally. The Americans did their best, BTW (I had to translate for them as no one around knew English), but in that particular place nothing seemed to be working...

Aeroflot was the airline...

David M Rowell · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2003 3:27 am Post subject:

Note that Americans traveling on an international ticket, or a ticket issued in conjunction with an international ticket, can usually have a 'per piece' rather than a weight limitation.

In such a case, you can check two suitcases, each weighing up to 32 kg (ie 70 lbs) plus also have a piece of carryon as well.

Sure beats the weight system! Laughing

UsualSuspect · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2003 4:33 am Post subject: Not this time....

All,
Funnily enough, no-one weighed my cabin baggage this time!!!! I was a tad nervous though as there were no Customs forms anywhere on arrival or departing. Luckily I kept the exchange receipts and the guy took a look and just waved me through.....

Regards
UsualSuspect