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Warning - Monarch crazy baggage allowances

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
FiFi_Trixibell wrote:
In the nicest possible way, I feel the thread title as "crazy monarch baggage allowances" is misleading! Just seems like a bit of regigging required. Annoying yes, but if that's their policy then fair do's. If the weight's the same then (personally) I don't really care what I pack into what bag. I know some people like to have boots separately (not sure why, they get flung around a hell of a lot in relatively unpadded bags!) but Monarch's baggage allowance seems exactly the same as most of the typical airlines? for 2 of us we always have a ski bag in which we put 2 pairs of skiis, poles and fill up the rest with ski clothing etc to make the most of the 20k. 2 x sturdy holdall hold bags each with 5kg worth of boots in bottom and fill the rest up with the usual bobbins. 2 x hand luggage with not very much else really. wont put boots in with skis as 1 bag isn't not enough allowance for both pairs.

Appreciate for those who want boot bags separately monarch's policy may be different if they make you put them in the hold, but quantities etc seems the same to me Puzzled We're flying with them this year and we wont need to anything different to normal! As with any airline, just check what they say well before you pack Very Happy


Your "nicest possible way" is a bit rich. It suits you just fine but maybe not everyone is sneaking in two pairs of skis in a bag? Maybe they are enforcing a weight allowance because of the general weight of peoples ski bags?

My boots and skis weigh less then 20kg and I would expect since I am paying a kings ransom for a SINGLE pair of skis that I am able to distribute the weight allowance for which I have paid as I please. Customers are always right... Puzzled
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Quote:

My boots and skis weigh less then 20kg and I would expect since I am paying a kings ransom for a SINGLE pair of skis that I am able to distribute the weight allowance for which I have paid as I please. Customers are always right... Puzzled


+1
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stuart wrote:
Still think it's a money making exercise 😡

Anyway, think I've bored you guys enough and I've achieved my objective in warning fellow travellers of the pointlessness of boot bags when travelling with Monarch

Thanks for your feedback


Thanks for the info. was that gatwick?
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if you can't take a weeks ski gear, including boots, in one bag, and skis if you have them in another bag then you need to get a grip. What do you need?


We are always 7-8kgs under between us.
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@kioksor, Ouch! Wasn't being nasty Sad And I would disagree with "sneaking" 2 pairs into a double ski bag. Over a 7 year span of taking 2 pairs of skis in the bag (which have always been well under the maximum weight limit for what we've paid) it has never once been looked in or questioned, simply asked if we're checking a ski bag and processed and paid for accordingly. If there were issues then of course we would just have to pay the difference but not needed to. As you say, fair enough it is totally a kings random for cost of luggage!

All I was getting at was that if they set it out in their policies how they want to do things then they sadly wont give a monkeys in the airport making you repack stuff at a check in desk, even if we as customers feel we should be able to use the weight limit we've paid for as we wish.

No aggro intended. The airlines can dictate what they want at the end of the day regardless of the service they deliver which is frustrating for everyone!
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Quote:

No aggro intended. The airlines can dictate what they want at the end of the day regardless of the service they deliver which is frustrating for everyone!


Airlines are jerks! (well aside from swiss) If only the EU would step in and legislate hah!
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stuart wrote:
A quick warning to fellow travellers, if flying by Monarch on charter flights

There is no point taking boot bags.

The allowances are

Hold bag - 20kg
Boot bag - included in hold bag allowance
Skis/snowboard - 20kg
Cabin bag - 5kg

.....


Seems more than adequate to me. In the days I skied off piste, I used to carry shovel, probe and boots together with the other hold stuff except skis in one bag which would weigh just shy of 20kg.
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whilst I am sure they have their reasons, and after all they make the rules, it does seem a little harsh to say that You cannot split you weight allowance between a number of bags (though clearly a limit would appear sensible in practice).

We are flying with Thompson on a charter in Feb and we get 23kg hold and 7kg hand. However strangely if you take a ski bag the following applies :-

"Ski carriage for a double ski or board bag – so one that's been designed for 2 sets of kit – costs £50. This gives you an additional weight allowance of 20kg. This bag must contain 2 sets of equipment. If there's only one set in the bag, the weight allowance is reduced to 15kg and no refund will be provided."
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@achilles, I agree that 20kg in hold bags and 20kgs in ski bags is perfectly adequate. My warning to fellow travellers was about the bizarre treatment of boot bags, where boot + hold must = 20kg otherwise there's a penalty of £10 per kilo. The sports equipment allowance (eg skis) is 20kg yet they won't allow ski bag + boot =20kg even though boots are clearly sports equipment. So on my trip I had to shuffle 8kg of boots, clothes etc into my ski bag to avoid paying a penalty. The weight I carried was the same, it was just in different bags.

Enough, move on, nothing more to see here....
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Hmm they are usually more flexible, and very good over twitter at confirming.

No ski allowance paid:
20kgs + allowed to take a boot bag (though no extra weight permitted)
I like this as it makes packing to come home easier - better chance of keeping smelly boots seperate from clothes.

Ski allowance paid => very few questions asked on weights etc

Maybe it's because I check in in a big group though and they just can't be arsed to work it all out.
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ArcticFox1 wrote:
Have they been weighing hand luggage for all, or was it just bad luck that @stuart got his checked, does anyone know?


They've often weighed ours, and been picky about it too.
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@stuart, and @ansta1, I bet it's because the baggage handlers charge by the bag and by weight ...
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hammerite wrote:
A tip to save weight, use a cheapo hold-all from Argos, weighs less than a kilo (has wheels and a extendable handle). It's ridiculous how much some bags and cases weigh and take up your weight allowance.


As a frequent traveller, I disagree. Cheap luggage falls apart remarkably quickly: it's a false economy.
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sugarmoma666 wrote:
No, the check-in staff didn't get it wrong. They just applied Monarch's baggage rules (http://www.monarch.co.uk/faq/flights/baggage/sports-equipment-charter):

"Skis & Snowboards

- On Charter flights Skis and Snowboards are normally booked through your tour operator. Please contact them for advice.
- Skis and snowboards are subject to a maximum weight of 20kgs per item. Any item exceeding this allowance will be subject to standard excess baggage rates.
- Ski boots can be taken in a separate bag as part of the passengers main hold baggage allowance providing that the combined weight does not exceed 20kg.
"

However mad it may seem, that is what they've said on their website and is what they've applied. It doesn't make any sense to me that these are their rules, but at least they've stated them fairly clearly. I guess you can include your boots in you ski carriage, but only if you put them in the bag with your skis.

Monarch appear to have changed their rules on the link above boot bags. It now explicitly says that the boot bag can be part of either the hold luggage allowance or the sports equipment allowance. Perhaps they realised how ridiculous their rules were.
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Quote:
Skis & Snowboards

◾On Charter flights Skis and Snowboards are normally booked through your tour operator. Please contact them for advice.
◾Skis and snowboards are subject to a maximum weight of 20kgs per item. Any item exceeding this allowance will be subject to standard excess baggage rates.

If you are carrying ski boots, these can be taken as a separate item to either your hold baggage or sports equipment allowance, provided the weight does not exceed 20 kgs.

◾Hold baggage + ski boots bag = 20kgs
◾Sports Equipment + ski boots bag = 20kgs

If your baggage exceeds 20kgs you will be charged at the current excess baggage charges.


Blown me down with a feather. An airline applying common sense to a baggage policy? The brass monkeys must have lost their balls in Lucifer's kingdom.
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If you can't get under 40kg combined you have too much stuff!
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Sinkrate wrote:
Yes sounds like the checkin staff got that wrong mate. Surely the weight of the boot bag should have been included in the weight of the ski bag as it is ski equipment, it is being loaded into the same place on the plane so like you say you have already paid for the weight in total in that area. It does sounds like a checkin mistake - maybe they they have been told ski equipment must be in a single bag and that's that.


This seems wrong. Flew back from Innsbruck deliberately with a boot bag because the boot bag weight was included in the ski bag weight! I did that because of the web site information! All was okay. I *think* the check in staff got their own policy wrong!
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PeterGee wrote:
Sinkrate wrote:
Yes sounds like the checkin staff got that wrong mate. Surely the weight of the boot bag should have been included in the weight of the ski bag as it is ski equipment, it is being loaded into the same place on the plane so like you say you have already paid for the weight in total in that area. It does sounds like a checkin mistake - maybe they they have been told ski equipment must be in a single bag and that's that.


This seems wrong. Flew back from Innsbruck deliberately with a boot bag because the boot bag weight was included in the ski bag weight! I did that because of the web site information! All was okay. I *think* the check in staff got their own policy wrong!


See rest of thread. It depends when you flew - the rules changed sometime between this thread starting and yesterday. When the thread started the rules on Monarch's website said very clearly that if you had a separate boot bag it was included in the hold baggage 20kg and not the ski carriage allowance.
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stuart wrote:
Still think it's a money making exercise 😡



Why??
As you point out they didn't make any more money.
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I've just had my E-Ticket sent to me by our TO for a Monarch charter flight and it appears that you're only allowed 5kg hand luggage from Gatwick but 10kg from Manchester Puzzled
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I'm going on a Mark Warner holiday this Sunday who are using a charter Monarch flight and have rung them this evening to clarify the situation as their information is different again to what's on the Monarch website re charter flight allowances.
See here http://www.markwarner.co.uk/travelinformation

The chap I spoke to at MW wasn't aware that Monarch had changed it on their website recently so he is going to find out and call me back. It is much more useful if you can have a main bag up to 20kg then have your boots and skis counting towards the ski carriage you've paid for but their link above says not at the moment they have to be all in the hold luggage allowance of 20kg (or take your boots in your hand luggage of up to 5kg which is what I might end up doing now).
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I'm heading out on a monarch flight from Gatwick on Sun, I've booked the usual single ski carriage and fit 2 pairs skis in same bag.

I noticed that the allowance specifies 'skis one pair' . Anyone had problems with this ? (sort of answered already I guess)
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@scarbski, is it with Mark Warner? Because if it is the chap earlier on told me that the ski carriage allowance is restricted to 13kg (which would stop people putting more than one pair in the same bag in theory). I don't know where the 13kg thing comes from though as there is no mention of that on the Monarch website unless MW have their own rule on it.
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VolklAttivaS5 wrote:
@scarbski, is it with Mark Warner? Because if it is the chap earlier on told me that the ski carriage allowance is restricted to 13kg (which would stop people putting more than one pair in the same bag in theory). I don't know where the 13kg thing comes from though as there is no mention of that on the Monarch website unless MW have their own rule on it.


I suspect the issue here is the rules on the website apply to Monarch scheduled flights not charters. The first line does say to contact the TO for advice. A charterer can set their own rules and don't have to adhere to the airlines standard policy.
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@Gaza, I see where you mean but there is a separate link for sports equipment on charter flights under the FAQ section. It does say ski carriage is normally booked through your tour operator and to contact them for advice but then it goes on to give the weight allowances for skis and boots etc for charter flights.

I will see what MW come back with when they call me back with clarification-the worse case scenario is my boots go in my hand luggage which is better than ending up being 1kg over on the hold luggage and paying £37.50 which is what MW said it would cost even with pre-booking (£37.50 each way for up to 5kg extra).
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Baggage allowance is CRAZY. One ski holl I realised that we could take our return luggage back in two cases rather that three (useful to us as we had two young kids so we're carrying the three cases between two adults). I packed the smaller case and put it into the larger empty case. At the airport they were insistent that I couldn't have a case weighing 21kg despite now only having two cases instead of three. So I took the smaller case out of the bigger case and all was sorted. The check in girl was very confused and now the airline had to deal with 3 cases instead of 2 :/ but at least we were within their guidelines Laughing
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@Shimmy Alcott, isn't it elf'n'safety rules that upsets things? (though I agree for 1kg it seems ridiculous). I think, though I am not sure, that they are supposed to label anything over 20kg with extra hi-viz labels saying "heavy" or something like if anything is over 20kg's to warn unsuspecting baggage staff. I may be wrong, does someone know?
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thecramps wrote:
@Shimmy Alcott, isn't it elf'n'safety rules that upsets things? (though I agree for 1kg it seems ridiculous). I think, though I am not sure, that they are supposed to label anything over 20kg with extra hi-viz labels saying "heavy" or something like if anything is over 20kg's to warn unsuspecting baggage staff. I may be wrong, does someone know?


I think it is anything over 23kg that get the Heavy labels. I can see why they do it. Have you ever tried picking up a 32kg bag? Shocked Shocked Shocked
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@Gaza, before I educated mrsthecramps, yes I have. rolling eyes
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thecramps wrote:
@Gaza, before I educated mrsthecramps, yes I have. rolling eyes


Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy

I have to admit I've had a similar weight bag. I was going around the world and had a load of dive gear in it. I eventually had to buy a collapsible trolley. Razz
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VolklAttivaS5 wrote:
@scarbski, is it with Mark Warner? Because if it is the chap earlier on told me that the ski carriage allowance is restricted to 13kg (which would stop people putting more than one pair in the same bag in theory). I don't know where the 13kg thing comes from though as there is no mention of that on the Monarch website unless MW have their own rule on it.


Its a late ski total booking , booked the usual single carriage for both sets and noticed the note on the confirmation em.
Also states only skis , snowboard allowed in bag !

As far as I can see if you book an extra bag then its none of their business what's put in it.

Guy on booking also said 15kg whereas I've always assumed its 20kg as the normal baggage allowance.

Both sets skis should be well inside 15kg tho (I think)

Find out on Sun ! Smile
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scarbski wrote:
VolklAttivaS5 wrote:
@scarbski, is it with Mark Warner? Because if it is the chap earlier on told me that the ski carriage allowance is restricted to 13kg (which would stop people putting more than one pair in the same bag in theory). I don't know where the 13kg thing comes from though as there is no mention of that on the Monarch website unless MW have their own rule on it.


Its a late ski total booking , booked the usual single carriage for both sets and noticed the note on the confirmation em.
Also states only skis , snowboard allowed in bag !

As far as I can see if you book an extra bag then its none of their business what's put in it.

Guy on booking also said 15kg whereas I've always assumed its 20kg as the normal baggage allowance.

Both sets skis should be well inside 15kg tho (I think)

Find out on Sun ! Smile
[img]

I've had reduced baggage allowances on a cheap late booking before.[/img]
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Mark B wrote:
I've just had my E-Ticket sent to me by our TO for a Monarch charter flight and it appears that you're only allowed 5kg hand luggage from Gatwick but 10kg from Manchester Puzzled

I'd guess the Gatwick flight is charter (flight code beginning MON), which has a 5kg limit, whereas the Manchester flight is scheduled, which has a 10kg limit.
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We fly with monarch from manchester on Sunday. I called ski total about the weight limit on ski carriage and was told that it was at discretion of check in staff but 'one set per bag only' so I ended up booking another set to avoid any hassle!

Interesting about the differences in hand luggage allowance, but as most TOs charge extra flight supplemental to fly from manchester (£35pp) it's an expensive 5kgs!
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@sugarmoma666, thank you - I hadn't thought of that. I'd assumed both would be charters.
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Flew Monarch charter into Gatwick <-> Geneva last week (Ski Total) and there was definitely a mixture of skis only in ski bags and big wheelie bags with skis, boots & clothes in.

Can't remember them actually checking ski weight at Gatwick as it has to go to outsize baggage and not with the rest of the suitcases. Very pernickety on hand luggage on way out though (5 kg)
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I can understand why they would want to discourage big heavy cumbersome bags to load but how I see it is if you pay for extra weight in the form of ski carriage then it should be up to you how to distribute it it shouldn't matter how many bags where in what etc etc. It all seems a bit moot to me, it all adds up to the same and surely it's better to have stuff in the hold anyway not maxed out hand luggage up overhead where it could be dangerous.
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Bottom line is that whoever you fly with, be it scheduled or chartered, check before you go.

Easyjet charge for each bag checked in irrespective of their combined weight but each must be less than 20Kg, so two bags at 10Kg will cost twice as much as one bag at 20Kg. The cost also depends on when you pay - if you bring along an extra bag not checked in online, it costs double to pay at the desk and even more at the gate (don't know how that would arise but there it is).

My trip this year through Neilson / Thomas Cook says each passenger can take 20Kg but is not restricted to one bag and can be pooled across a single booking, with no single item more that 30Kg.
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Last couple of holidays we went on, 2012 and 2013 the ski allowance was 10Kg. We managed 1 set of skis and bindings, and another set of skis only. The bindings went into the hold luggage. Boots also went into hold luggage.

20Kg for ski carriage seems good
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@junitrules, yeah 20kg for skis and boots is more than adequate.

Mark Warner have got back now and have confirmed that on their flights with Monarch the ski carriage has indeed been increased to 20kg. However, the boots must be within the 20kg hold allowance whether they are in a boot bag or not. This is contrary to what it says on the Monarch website but at least I know what to expect now.

For example if your hold bag is 15kg boots 5kg skis 8 kgs, no problem. But if your hold bag is 18kg boots 5kg and skis 8kg then you would be over and expect to pay excess baggage charges, even though the skis and boots comes to only 13kg.

Seems a bit unfair to me but I think I will see if my boots fit in my ski bag with my skis and if they do that will be job done as the ski bag will come to less than 20kg easily and so will the hold bag with no boots in there.

Easyjet ski carriage may be quite expensive but at least you can pool your allowances.
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