Be careful when booking Emirates or through Expedia.

[Digsy]

Just posting to let you guys know to check your baggage allowance and not assume it's 30kg like most other long haul flights like I did.

I booked an Emirates flight through Expedia and didn't check the baggage, the parts saying "Emirates have a very generous baggage allowance" gave me false hope.

Now I like to buy stuff for family when I'm coming home so my baggage usually is about 25kg on the way back. I weighed my bag before I do the usual shrink wrapping I always do on flights home from Swampy. 26kg, thought nothing of it.

Got to check in, "mister your bag is overweight by 6 kg, do you want to remove some stuff", now obviously I couldn't as it was shrink wrapped and it would take some time and with others waiting to check in, I thought I'd risk it, surely it couldn't be that much of a charge.

2200 (I can't remember the exact amount but it was over 2k) PER KILO!!!!!! Ended up costing me over 13000 baht in total. £300 quid.

Now I doubt I can do anything about it as it says on my info 20kg but just posting to let people know to check their allowance before booking tickets so as not to get stung like I did.

 

[penboy]

Is it still 20k for frequent flyers?

They have also started charging £20?? per flight seat reservation.

[Digsy]

24 minutes ago, penboy said:

Is it still 20k for frequent flyers?

They have also started charging £20?? per flight seat reservation.

Haven't a clue about any of those policies, I'll not be a frequent flyer with them!!

I'm just posting about the scandalous baggage charges which makes it even worse when I was looking at February flights to find the flights quoted have a 30kg allowance.

[mbamber]

The cheapest ticket economy saver Emirates sell direct the baggage allowance is 30kg I am silver with Skywards so get 12kg extra must be a special fare Expedia has got from Emirates.

[mbamber]

Right just found it the ticket is called economy special 20k allowance Emirates site are not selling that ticket directly when I Have  booked for November and the dates in March I am thinking of booking they are not being sold on Emirates site.

[Digsy]

8 minutes ago, mbamber said:

Right just found it the ticket is called economy special 20k allowance Emirates site are not selling that ticket directly when I Have  booked for November and the dates in March I am thinking of booking they are not being sold on Emirates site.

So it was Expedia then, be weary when booking through expedia

[penboy]

I stopped using agent booking sites years ago. They may sell tickets cheaper than buying from the airline direct, but there is a reason for that i.e. terms and conditions are not as good.

 

[Scuba+]

It is a well kept secret and they charge something like £150 per 5kg over. I just flew Economy Flex and its 30kg, you have to be very careful these days and always check before you fly

[OmarB]

Blame no one but yourself buddy though appreciate you're only giving heads up to others and fair play. Am I alone in when receiving Eticket I spend 2 minutes checking dates are correct connections are correct all 4 sectors are "ok" (not waitlisted) and baggage allowance  ?

Did you have print out with you  ??   Did it actually say 20kg (which agree is very low) or the 30kg ?

[greggras]

I had an issue with expedia before, I booked a flight 3 months ahead. A week before the flight I got a call from expedia that the flight got cancelled and there was no option that fit me for rebooking so had to buy a new ticket at double the price.

I called the airline for reimbursement and they said expedia was informed over a month ago. Expedia refused to give out any information and stated that for reimbursement I need to call the airlines.

Stopped using expedia (and any other travel agent) since then.

Sent from my VIE-L09 using Tapatalk

[mbamber]

Always worth doing  an Internet search for a voucher code my last flight and next flight Emirates had a code UKVOUCH which gave you a 5% discount made it cheaper than booking agents there is not a current one but hopefully it will be back.

[nunchuck]

Had the same problem in June booked Emirates with Skyscanner  ,assumed was 30kg as always and couldn’t see baggage allowance until booked, anyway it was 23kgs 

so ask Emirates how much for 7kgs extra return they wanted £467 !!!!! Fuck me my flight was only £457 

anyway go in touch with Tavel trolly and they switch my flight to Qatar same times and 30 kgs

cost me £30 so not bad

booked yesterday with skyscanner and you can see luggage allowance (30kgs) now on website before booking  I checked first with travel trolly before booking just too be sure 

dont know why I couldn’t see allowance before in june

 

 

[JKam]

6 hours ago, mbamber said:

The cheapest ticket economy saver Emirates sell direct the baggage allowance is 30kg I am silver with Skywards so get 12kg extra must be a special fare Expedia has got from Emirates.

Agreed always 30kg when I fly

[taylor1975]

On the subject of checking things ...Is it 6 months validity on your UK passport, in order to enter thailand and associated middle-east country for 2 hour stopover?

 

[davidge]

2 minutes ago, taylor1975 said:

On the subject of checking things ...Is it 6 months validity on your UK passport, in order to enter thailand and associated middle-east country for 2 hour stopover?

 

6 months for Thailand. Not always enforced but not worth risking.

Doesn’t matter for stopover as you’re not entering the country.

[mbamber]

58 minutes ago, taylor1975 said:

On the subject of checking things ...Is it 6 months validity on your UK passport, in order to enter thailand and associated middle-east country for 2 hour stopover?

 

Renewed mine 9 months before it ran out paid on line posted it Monday got it back the next Monday you get it valid for 10 years from the date it was due to expire.

[rog555]

3 hours ago, davidge said:

6 months for Thailand. Not always enforced but not worth risking.

Doesn’t matter for stopover as you’re not entering the country.

Anyone know why the 6 month passport validity requirement exists ?

I can guess that authorities may worry that you get sick or arrested in their country and so have an expired passport. (Least of your worries).  But why 6 months in particular ? Average length of dengue fever ? 

Someone with a bureaurocratic, logical mind may have an answer.  

It just means passports expire or cease to be of use 6 months before expiry date.

[rogdtm]

Hi Digsy. Having read your thread and with my November trip upcoming using Emirates, I made sure my allowance was 30ks , Had me worried for a while, but thanks for your post , a very good reason for this forum.  Now all set and counting the days.... Cheers Digsy....

[Scuba+]

Anyone know why the 6 month passport validity requirement exists ?
I can guess that authorities may worry that you get sick or arrested in their country and so have an expired passport. (Least of your worries).  But why 6 months in particular ? Average length of dengue fever ? 
Someone with a bureaurocratic, logical mind may have an answer.  
It just means passports expire or cease to be of use 6 months before expiry date.

6 months is very common, not just for Thailand

[baddog666]

I appreciate that OP posted this as a heads up to others.

That said , I don't understand why anyone would use a third party booking agent for long distance flights. I use all the websites to check fares and dates, but always book through the airline. If you save a little money , there is usually a reason why. 

 

[OmarB]

2 hours ago, baddog666 said:

I appreciate that OP posted this as a heads up to others.

That said , I don't understand why anyone would use a third party booking agent for long distance flights. I use all the websites to check fares and dates, but always book through the airline. If you save a little money , there is usually a reason why. 

 

in your experience but not in ours. My crew always use Travel Trolley wouldn't like to guess the combined tickets bought from them from all 16 guys certainly way in excess of 250+ and not one single issue ever.  I book all the tickets for us all I often wonder if I should ask for group discount but nevertheless they are platinum for us.  We had one airline issue few years ago (not agent issue) where some of the group had been bumped off Etihad. I rang TT in London telling them to put a rocket up Etihad in Abu Dhabi 40 minutes later call back all reinstated on flight. 4 were put up to Biz of the 12 that trip

I do get the £10 vouchers they often give out as well for trust pilot rating feedback.

[nunchuck]

Yes always use travel trolly. 

[rog555]

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

10 hours ago, rog555 said:

Anyone know why the 6 month passport validity requirement exists ?
I can guess that authorities may worry that you get sick or arrested in their country and so have an expired passport. (Least of your worries).  But why 6 months in particular ? Average length of dengue fever ? 
Someone with a bureaurocratic, logical mind may have an answer.  
It just means passports expire or cease to be of use 6 months before expiry date.

6 months is very common, not just for Thailand

Yes.   Almost universal. I just wonder what the reason is.

[penboy]

2 hours ago, OmarB said:

in your experience but not in ours. My crew always use Travel Trolley wouldn't like to guess the combined tickets bought from them from all 16 guys certainly way in excess of 250+ and not one single issue ever.  I book all the tickets for us all I often wonder if I should ask for group discount but nevertheless they are platinum for us.  We had one airline issue few years ago (not agent issue) where some of the group had been bumped off Etihad. I rang TT in London telling them to put a rocket up Etihad in Abu Dhabi 40 minutes later call back all reinstated on flight. 4 were put up to Biz of the 12 that trip

I do get the £10 vouchers they often give out as well for trust pilot rating feedback.

Have you ever had to change a flight due to illness etc. That is when you find out why an agent's price is cheaper. 

[baddog666]

Agents get commissions from the airlines and hotels. Some get discounted rates on rooms, but much less from airlines. It is all about customer service.

Trying to change flights  using a third party can be a nightmare. 

Now I have used Travelocity , same ownership as Expedia to book a flight and hotel package for a few days.... saved a lot of $$$ and luckily no problems .

If it works for you , fine..... I like to book direct .