Why do economy passengers from new zealand only receive a 20kg baggage allowance?N.Americans receive up to 60k

Question

I flew to Japan from New Zealand and was only allowed a 20kg baggage allowance, even though I was going to live there. My American friend flew from the US to Japan and was allowed 60kg. The same was true for a friend from Brasil. All flights were economy.

Answer 1

Hi

The reasons for the variances could be one or more of many.

Baggage allowances vary according to the class of transport, your destination, starting point or transit country, the type of good you are carrying (e.g if you are carrying the 'tools of your trade' some airlines will allow you to take them without counting them as part of your normal weight allowance), or whether you belong to the airline's travel club. Additionally, at check in, the rigidity with which the rules are applied can depend on vagaries such as whether on the flight is full or empty, the mood of the check-in clerk, or even how you 'butter up' the airline staff. So, no one can explain fully why your friends were allowed what appears to be above the normal allowances.

However, some of it can be explained.

As an example, lets deal with you flying from New Zealand. If, for instance, you flew with say Air New Zealand, then to fly to Japan your baggage allowance would be 20 kgs in economy class. Plus, pretty well every check-in clerk I have ever come across will let you sneak in an extra 5 kgs without penalty).

Sticking with Air New Zealand, lets say you wanted to go to the USA then your normal economy class baggage allowance for a trip to or through the USA would be 46 kgs (2 bags at 23 kgs each). More than twice your allowance for Japan (unless you went to Japan thru the USA!!). This is because the baggage rules for flights to, from or through the USA are different than for most other countries. Given the tolerances allowed at check-in, I imagine you wouldn't have trouble with 50kgs.

So, most of the difference between your friends allowance and your's can be put down to the fact that they went from or via the USA to Japan. Your friends would have had no problem checking in 50 kgs and its not beyond the realms of possibility that on the day of the flight circumstances were such that an extra 10 kgs was permitted without charge; particularly if your friends mentioned that they were going there to live, or their carry on baggage was light etc etc. (Cabin baggage allowed out of the USA is 18kgs as opposed to the 7kgs allowed out of NZ!!!)

To summarise: the total baggage weight permitted NZ to Japan is 27kgs (20 checked and 7 carry on) but total permitted USA (from or via) to Japan is 64 kgs (46 checked and 18 carry on). God Bless America!!! :-)

As to why this is? One can only imagine it is because Americans tend to travel with far more baggage than many other nationals and there is far more competition in the USA between airlines. Baggage does add to fuel costs and so International airlines like Air New Zealand only compete when they have to!!! Airlines, other than American ones, think 20 kg for Joe Public in economy is reasonable. I am sure all airlines, including those in the USA, would love to squeeze the allowances down, but until they all do it in unison, none of them wants to give the others a competitive advantage.

Answer 2

60kg?! That's highly unlikely. That is 132 lb. No airline would accept that free of charge. Every International Airline that I know accepts 32kg or 70lb. A lot of carriers in the US have reduced the free weight limit for International flights from 70lb down to 50lb. What airline did they fly?? Is he military and on orders??? Even then, they are still not allowed 132 lb free.

I worked for an airline for many years and have never heard of 132 lb free of charge. Id be interested to know who accepts that much for free.

With the current cost of fuel, every airline is making cut backs. What used to be a uniform weight limit now varies between airliens. It has nothing to do with the passenger. Load factors were based on an average person only packing 32lb (15kg) in each bag. Now people are pushing the scales trying to pack everything they own right up to the weight limits. Airlines are having to take away commodities that we used to have, like in flight meals, pillows, blankets....anything that will lighten the load of the aircraft just to conserve fuel.

It all boils down to economics.

Answer 3

Kiwi s have a lower average body mass , then combine that with with a conservative baggage limit and the airline then has capacity for airfreight / or more passengers. It comes down to economics. 30 kg for some internationals sounds more likely limit for bussiness class on international.
Ps (there are no meals served on domestic travel in NZ now either)

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Not enough competition, too expensive fuel.

Answer 6

mite be they are promoting the culture of shopping abroad!