Just stumbled across this: http://www.luggagelimits.com/
Very useful, especially the charges for additional bags over the normal allocation.
I like http://www.seatguru.com/ for checking out the plane configuration and finding the better seats.
And http://www.flyertalk.com/ for maximising loyalty reward programme points.
Damn wish I had found that when I was booking flights.
In the end I only paid £40 for an extra suitcase.
Be very careful though, the devil is in the detail on baggage and that website isn't 100% correct for Air New Zealand (the only one I checked and know pretty well).
From my experience too....if you book a ticket through agencies such as 'expedia'/'lastminute.com' etc.. check the ticketing, our tickets were processed in different ways on the 'one alliance' network BA/Qantas but both had different chrages for bags depending on whether it was a BA or Qantas flight number regardless of the livery of the aircraft flying in! It was very confusing at the time and it probably sounds quite confusing here...so beware even if using the one world alliance group of airlines or star alliance etc...we ended up paying on one flight per extra piece and another flight per KG!
Thanks M-Squared useful website
On 8th Jan we travel from Manchester (BMI) - London Heathrow - AucKland - Wellington (ANZ) with Blue stickers on a one way ticket and need to sort out our luggage allowance /excess.
Are we allowed any extra luggage allowance?
Is it best to pay extra luggage allowance in advance or on the day?
Our container doesn't arrive until 10-12weeks later so would you advise packing loads of clothes and anything else in particular?
Any tips generally?
cheers
MBK, You can try checking pros and cons with http://www.excess-baggage.com (I think they charge 165 pounds for 25 kgs excess baggage, it can be suitcase, box or anything and took 1 week-10 days to reach here).
The local agency here in Auckland charges about $90/$95 as handling fee (this never made any sense as I had to do all runaround with documentation my self even after paying it)
Air NZ doesn't give any extra baggage allowance for emigrants, so you'll have the same limits as are normal for whatever class you are travelling. I think you're saying you're flying with Air NZ from London to Auckland, yes? That should mean that the international allowances are carried on for the internal flight on to Wellington, if you've booked the whole thing in one go. However, I remember other people (Duncan74 for one, I think) saying they've had trouble with the British internal flight, so you need to make your case with BMI ahead of time, and take along copies of any emails agreeing whatever arrangements you make with them, ready for discussions at check-in.
Aha, here's an old thread with some relevant comments. http://www.enz.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-30763.html
Milkybar - In summary, you're screwed.
BMI were a nightmare, and I was clearly told that their policy was changing the week after I flew and you'd not even be able to pay extra.
I was flying Business Class Manchester>LHR>AKL>TGA via LAX on NZ1. OK, so I had 2x32kg suitcases and another 32 as a bike bag. But between AirNZ and BMI call centres over nearly 2 months then it still turned out to be a combination of being armed with notes of the discussion, a bit of charm, being their crazy early and the fortune of a power cut that got me on the flight with £150 charge (as expected). At one point then AirNZ told me they would take the bag if their was space, but otherwise wqould bring it to me in LHR departure lounge and I'd have to make alternative arrangements. No really. The issue was that BMI insisted on payment in advance, but can't take bookings for an AirNZ concession agreement. And AirNZ can't take payment over the phone, only at LHR check-in, and of course you don't check in there, it's through ticketed from Manchester.
If you've not already booked those tickets then do what we did in 2008 and Jane's doing in January which is get an avis 1 way hire car and fly from Heathrow. The cost really isn't that bad compared to the grief (and cost) of the BMI excess baggage (that you can't even elect to pay now anyway). Drive through the night to avoid the traffic into LHR, get there nice and early to check the bags and ensure your excess is accepted and then fight to stay awake so that you then sleep on the last leg into AKL and so are almost in tune with the time.
To be fair to all staff involved at flight centre, AirnNZ and BMI at Manchster they were great. BMI call centre were hideous and bring a bag name to the sterotype offshore call centres ("Please spell that, I cannot undertstand that place" "This is BMI call centre?" "Yes" "Ok, M-A-N-C-H-E-S-T-E-R").
Cheers Duncan - so we begin our journey knowing luggage will be a problem!
sorry to hear how much hassle you had -it suggests whatever I do re excess luggage it's gonna a headache. I'm also anticipating that what can be taken on-board will vary between BMI & Air NZ
Be nice for you when your partner arrives in Jan
I'm just speculating at this stage - I don't even know if we will need excess luggage. So hard to know what to take with us, what we'll need.
Can't really change arrangements as work have paid and arranged the flights ... but I can imagine one extra suitcase will be needed?
Still busy at the moment trying to move my son and 25years worth of belongings out the house - hiring a transit on Sat. Once he's moved out at the w/e with all his stuff my OH and I can begin to freecycle, oxfam, bin, set aside our stuff.
Then some point after that prepare for Christmas!