One of the many things a passenger is concerned about while moving abroad is fitting things into the limited space of the suit case. Tackling the baggage allowance imposed by flight carriers is a big problem for many people moving abroad, especially students. To tackle this problem, consider the points mentioned below.
The dimensions of your bags must be within what is allowed by the airline. In addition, goods like big musical instruments or sports equipments may require special kind of handling. They may not be allowed into your regular suit cases. I wanted to carry my cricket bat and was told that as long as it fits inside my suit case, it would not be a problem.
Inquire different airlines before you purchase your tickets. You will very likely be eligible for some sort of extra allowance if you are a student. The allowance limit varies from carrier to carrier. I have traveled in Oman Air and Qatar Airways so far, and in both the flights, I was eligible for extra 10 Kg.
The conditions to avail extra allowance may vary too. In the case of Oman Air, my tickets were purchased via my brother’s agents. Despite buying from agents, Oman Air allowed me to have extra 10 Kg by just showing my student visa for Germany at the airport counter in Chennai. I had confirmed if I would be allowed to do so by contacting Oman Air. My Qatar Airways tickets were purchased from Yatra. On inquiring Qatar Airways, I was told that I would not be eligible for the offer. The reason given was that I did not purchase the tickets directly from them.
To avoid such a scenario, always ask the flight carrier directly instead of assuming things. Rules change from time to time. A friend of mine said she was eligible for an offer that was much different from that of mine on Oman Air. If you are having extra stuff and have no qualms paying, look up the rates online. They are usually cheaper online than the counter of the airport. However, there is a catch. There may be times when a kilo or two may be waived off even if they are above the limit. I had 4 Kg extra while traveling in Qatar Airways from Munich to Chennai and the lady at the counter took my bags without asking for anything. However, when I was coming back from Chennai, I was 3 Kg above limit and was not given the same leeway.
Another way to stuff in a bit of extra Kg while traveling is to put things in cabin baggage. The cabin baggage allowed usually is around 7 Kg. Some airlines, though, do not include things like camera and laptop in the 7 Kg limit. There are also occasions when your cabin baggage is not weighed at all. Of the many times I had flied, only a couple of times did some one weigh my bag. Despite being over limit by a Kg or two, I was not asked for anything.
Offers are usually applicable only when traveling abroad and not while returning to India. This is another assumption which quite a lot of my acquaintances have been a victim of.
Another strategy followed is group traveling. If you know someone going to the same destination with less things, ask if he/she could take some of your stuff. Strangers may be wary but someone who knows you will very unlikely turn you down.
In short, inquire the airlines before you purchase your tickets. Weigh your bags at home instead of making rough guesses. Fly happily with all your things by being well within your limits.
Ankur Sinha is currently pursuing Master of Science in Informatics at the Technical University of Munich. He has worked as a Research Assistant at the Data Mining Research Group of TUM and is currently working as a part time web developer at Bet It Best. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from SRM University, Chennai. His hobbies includes cooking, writing and traveling.