Baggage allowance if emigrating?

[KatieBen]

I'm sure I've read somewhere (and I thought it was here but I've searched and can't find any threads relevant) that if you were emigrating to NZ on a one-way ticket, there were certain airlines that gave you double baggage allowance.

Has anyone else heard of this and if so, which airlines?

We're currently hoping to take most stuff with us in cases and just ship the larger furniture items to cut down on container size and cost.

According to AirNewZealand we can have 46kg each (2 adults, 1 child, 1 infant) so we should be able to manage in any case, but 92kg each would make things much easier!

//KB

[TonnyTessa]

Air New Zealand doesn't give an extra allowance. There is the choice to go via Los Angeles which gives 46 kg rather than the normal 20 kg if you fly via Hong Kong. I guess they reckon that is enough. I think some others give double, but their standard allowance is also 20 kg, so no better it seems than what you already would have with Air New Zealand.

[JandM]

Also, if you find you have more to take than will fit into whichever weight allowance, there is the option to pay for extra bags (I'm sure I've seen someone talking about this who has come in from the US recently - ??), or send some items to yourself in NZ by post or courier.

Edited to add - It was Dilanium, on this thread, http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22491 saying

We brought 12 pieces of checked baggage between two of us on the plane. They were $88 above the 2 pieces each (so only for 8 of them). We also shipped two boxes of electronics via USPS (which arrived before we did). These were much more expensive (total of 100 lbs between the two of them) and cost us ~$500 but they were covered by insurance (so our TV, PS3, wii, etc were covered which they wouldn't have been as checked baggage). Our computers are laptops and they were stored in our carry-on luggage (which was never weighed- thankfully) and all of our DVDs were in a binder in our Carry-ons which turned out to be a good thing since some of our DVD cases in our checked bags (the Superman movie series sticks out in my mind) went mysteriously missing. We also lost a key off of our bluetooth keyboard (but it was the help key which we never use anyway).

So we paid around $1200- but we had everything with us right away.

I will say it was a pain in Auckland getting through biosecurity, but some of the people at the airport were really nice and helped us with our five trolleys.

I should add that our checked baggage was 4 suitcases, a bicycle wrapped in plastic. and 7 boxes (one of which had two guitars in cases in it and was really long).

[Carey]

Singapore Air gave us double, ie 46kg each, but we had to write several letters to get it in writing and amended on our booking. They still queried it at check in at Heathrow but allowed it, thank goodness.

[granger]

Singapore Air gave us double, ie 46kg each, but we had to write several letters to get it in writing and amended on our booking. They still queried it at check in at Heathrow but allowed it, thank goodness.

yes with baggage allowance it's often a case of if you don't succeed at first try try again until the right person sees the request.

[Kerry and David]

We flew with Singapore Airlines and got 40kg. I did confirm it with them via email in advance so had something in writing confirming we were entitled to the additional allowance as I had previously read that some folks had problems.

[Asli&Mark]

Wow, when we were coming over we were only allowed 30kg and it was because we were coming here for good.(2007 March/ Singapore airlines)
You guys now have a great deal.
I could have broght lots more cloting or have done more shopping
Asli

[colandros]

we came with singapore in july and they were very unhelpful.
We had Perminent residence visas and asked about the baggage allowance.
we got the standard email saying you can have double allowance
if you have a "Migrant Visa" and it says you can stay in NZ indefinately.
I rang for clarification and they said unless our visas said migrant and indefinately
we would only get 20kg.
when we checked in at manchester airport the girl on the desk asked if
we were emigrating, we said yes, she said "why havent you used all you baggage allowance?"
We explained , she said "thats rubbish your allowed 40 kg each" , I sighed and agreed

[nate]

I came over from the US, and they didn't give me a double baggage allowance. 20kg was it. However, I was coming over on a tourist visa, with the intention of getting a work permit secured after I arrived.

I chose to pay extra for baggage on the plane rather than ship my stuff, as I didn't come over with much. If you do this, it would be wise to book your flights together - if you don't, you'll get charged again on the extra baggage for any connecting flights. I had to eat that cost unexpectedly.

[doowrehsij]

We are flying Air New Zealand from the UK via LA. Air New Zealand state we can take two bags, each upto 23kg (46kg total)... They do however, give you the same allowance for each child/ infant travelling.. so technically, you should have 184kg allowance!