First Choice Airlines baggage allowance

[bec_murphy1984]

I am travelling to Florida next month with FCA.

I have just rang First Choice to find out the baggage allowance and they have told me it is only 20. This can't be right can it? I thought it was about 33 to America??? :confused:

Hopefully someone can help. Im going to have a real problem if its only 20 as what im taking already weighs about 15 so how can i do any shopping out there? :tantrum:

I was planning on buying another suitcase out there and filling this with shopping but that doesn't seem likely now! :sadwalk:

[PaulaK]

Charters tend to have very low baggage allowances. Each airline sets their own limit and unfortunately 20 kilos is a very small amount. :(

[bec_murphy1984]

:cry: Oh man - i can't beleive it's only 20. This has really made me quite sad. I mean how am i meant to look forward to this trip if i cant bring anything back to remind me of it? At the moment my luggage weighs 15 and i haven't even finished packing.

Iv saved for over year and have managed to get £1300 just for spending money for me. Now i can't even use it!

:Pacing:

[PaulaK]

Is there an option to increase your allowance? Sometimes charters allow you to pay for an extra allowance in advance. Failing that, check their policy on excess baggage charges and see if it'll be worth you going over and risking being charged ;)

[Whitequeen]

They assume you won't need all that space because you're only supposed to bring back gifts totalling £145.:shrug:

[Isafari]

Here is a link to FC ailines about the excess baggage etc if you need to use it bec

http://www.firstchoice.co.uk/info/travelinfo/flyingbaggage.html#A

[bec_murphy1984]

Thanks for that link. Its says it'll be £7 for each extra kilo i take! That's just too much!

It says this:

The baggage allowance is no more than 20kgs (44lbs) for each person.

but then says this underneath:

If you are flying with First Choice Airways, any bag weighing more than 32kg will not be accepted and you will be required to re-pack. Families sharing suitcases should ensure no one piece of luggage exceeds 32kg.

So is the 32kg just for families?

Im going to have to pack VERY minimally! :(

[bawden2]

Have you thought of taking a holdall on wheels. They weigh next to nothing and you will be surprised what you can get in it. We are going with firstchoice and i have a daughter that comes with a lot of stuff due to her disability and i am really not to worried. We flew airtours a couple of years ago and they have 20kg allowance as well. We came back loaded and no one made anything of it.
They say 32kg because of lifting regs, not between a family. You have 20kg each.
I am a light packer, i really only take what we need. Board shorts are great you can give them a quick rinse and they dry over night with no ironing needed. Just a thought.
:wiggle:

[bec_murphy1984]

I guess i could look into getting a holdall on wheels but we already have a fairly new luggage set and it seems a shame to buy something else.

I am in desperate need of luggage saving tips now!

Will definately be filling up the hand luggage to the brim and will have to live in bikini's and flip flops! Will also have to wear the heavy stuff on the plane!

Oh dear - this really isnt good...

[katie]

Not sure about FC but if you upgrade to Premier Gold with Airtours, you get a 30Kg baggage allowance. Having said that it would be cheaper to pay £70 for 10 extra kilos.

Katie :)

PS - it's not the first time I've returned wearing 3 sweatshirts & a coat which I've bought out there.

[tb2830]

thats one good thing about travel city direct atleast they give you the option of paying extra to up your baggage allowance from 20kg to 40kg each person and it was only 15 extra per person :)

[bec_murphy1984]

thats one good thing about travel city direct atleast they give you the option of paying extra to up your baggage allowance from 20kg to 40kg each person and it was only 15 extra per person :)

Oh well - ot's all booked now so not much i can do except moan! :lol:

I was so expecting it to be 32kg. 20kg for Florida is just ridiculous. I know FCA have extra legroom etc which is great cos im 5'9 but i'd rather have the extra baggage!

[tb2830]

bec
are you taking any children ...because if you are dont forget if you have paid for a seat on the plane they have 20kg aswell

[bec_murphy1984]

Am going with my brother and his wife and they have 2 kids. The youngest doesnt have hiss own seat and the eldest has her own seat but they will be filling up her suitcase with little uns luggage too. Have already thought of that one! :lol:

[tb2830]

oh well im not sure what esle to suggest unless you do what the others have said and just pay excess baggage charges if it comes to it......have you laundrey facilitys if yes then you could just take enough clothes for say 7 days then do a wash in between then you might have more room in your suitcase..........
how do you know your case is already weighing 15kg have you weighed it and if yes how ???

[bec_murphy1984]

I roughly packed last night and it is weighing 15kg because i weighed it on the scales at home.

I will take minimal clothes and will wash them often so i can do more shopping.

Thanks for the tips!

[tb2830]

thats ok bec's you go and have a great time

[PaulaK]

We take holdalls too, without wheels are better. You'd be surprised how much wheels weigh if they have a pull up handle too. We are allowed 2 x 32 kilos each with VA so 64 kilos per person. I've not managed to go over........yet, but I have had heavy tags slapped on my cases that weigh over 30 kilos and that was outbound! :lol: I think VA they have a policy of charging per excess piece rather than by weight.

If you pack shorts and tee's and cut down on jeans etc i'm sure you'll be fine. Don't bother taking loads of shoes either, I take 1 pair of leather flip/flops or mules that match anything and my trainers that I travel in. :thumbs:

[Cosmic Reas]

We have came back from Florida a couple of times pretty loaded and never had any problems, but I think now with the price of fuel they are clamping down slightly.

[tb2830]

i always travel in my trainers aswell its surprising how much room and weight that they take up then i also just pack a pair of flip flops

[bec_murphy1984]

Thanks guys.

Ok so far i am going to:

Travel in trainers and only pack flip flops
Wear the one jacket i am taking on the plane
Fill the hand luggage with clothes and pack most hand luggage items in a big handbag!
Take minimal clothes and wash them whilst out there

Anything else?

Iv read on another website that they are really strict on 20kg allowance. One girl had 21kg and she had to pay the excess! :unsure:

[Vikki]

Thanks for that link. Its says it'll be £7 for each extra kilo i take! That's just too much!

It says this:

The baggage allowance is no more than 20kgs (44lbs) for each person.

but then says this underneath:

If you are flying with First Choice Airways, any bag weighing more than 32kg will not be accepted and you will be required to re-pack. Families sharing suitcases should ensure no one piece of luggage exceeds 32kg.

So is the 32kg just for families?



I would imagine this means that it is 20kg each, but if an adult and a child are sharing a bag, the bag would not be alowed to weigh over 32kg, even though their entitlement would be 40kg. Does that make sense?

I remember watching one of those airline programs, and them saying bags are not alowed to be over 32kg as that is the maximum allowed by baggage handlers.

[bec_murphy1984]

Thanks Vikki. Im still a bit peeved that i can only take 20kg but im learning to live with it! :lol: Am writing down all my tips for making my luggage less when i go!

[Vikki]

How about things like buying suncream when you get there, that can be quite heavy?

[bec_murphy1984]

Good idea but my mum works for Avon so has LOADS of suncreams ready for us to take. Seems silly to buy them out there but it's an option! We will see how much room we have left. Thanks

I have just thought - me and my boyfriend could share one suitcase and then use one suitcase for all our shopping?

[Vikki]

I have just thought - me and my boyfriend could share one suitcase and then use one suitcase for all our shopping?

I don't think it would really matter as you would still be taking both. We do however, take a holdall in the bottom of one of our cases to use for shopping on the way back. And do remember to reove all tags on your shopping when you come home :) Although, I'm sure you would never spend over the £145 limit :whistle:

[bec_murphy1984]

May i ask why you take the holdall for shopping?

Why dont you just put it in your cases? :)

I was just thinking if we shared on suitcase we would make sure we only had 10kg each - therefore not going slightly over 10 which we probably would do if we had one suitcase of our own. By doing this we could bring back exactly 20kg worth of shopping (!) in the other suitcase rather than say about 15kg if we each took a suitcase and went a little over 10. God that doesnt make sense at all - im terrible at explaining things!:D

[Vikki]

Sorry, I wasn't being clear. As we buy a lot of cuddly toys which don't weigh much, but are very bulky we put them in the holdall, so we go out with 2 bags and return with 3, as the third was in the bottom of one of the suitcases. Does that make sense?

[bec_murphy1984]

Yeah that makes sense but i wont be able to do that as we are only allowed one suitcase each (and also hand luggage each)! We arent allowed to take any more on the way back either. Apologies if this is not what you mean at all! :D

[DanC]

bec, how much does the suitcase weigh on it's own?

I have a suitcase (wheeled jobby) that weighs over 6kg. I decided to stuff everything in my suit bag (weighs less than a 1kg - samsonite) instead.

[PaulaK]

I thought of something else that may save weight if you haven't already done it ~ don't pack towels!! Use the room and pool towels provided. Only thing I take is my turbanator for my hair :wink:

[Vikki]

Yeah that makes sense but i wont be able to do that as we are only allowed one suitcase each (and also hand luggage each)! We arent allowed to take any more on the way back either. Apologies if this is not what you mean at all! :D

No, that was what I meant. That is really restrictive.....I see why you are annoyed!

[bec_murphy1984]

Turbunator :D - that made me chuckle!

I am not taking any towels - the villa im staying in (my brothers!) has all towels provided so thats a huge help!

The thing thats going to weigh the most is toiletries such as deodorant, shampoo etc but at least these will be quite light by the time we come back.

[bec_murphy1984]

yes am very annoyed with it all as iv put so much effort into saving lots of spending money - now i cant even spend it all! Its a holiday of a lifetime and i want to live it and spend all my well earned money without worrying about that minimal luggage that i can take back. Oh well i cant do nothing about it so will either have to pay the excess or not buy so much. Either way i will still moan! :D

They are really strict on it too apparently! :(

[madmac]

HI, I had to get in on this one as myself and my husband are notorious for being over the limit but we have it down to a fine art after being charged £400 to bring our luggage home in 2000:eek:

We only take the bare necessities in clothes and then buy everything else out there, we take no jeans, trainers, bathroom products, or pool equipment as they are all cheaper out there, we don't bring home any bathroom products at all we just buy what we need for two weeks and then chuck it before we come home. We buy our trainers on our first day out there and then if we want jeans we buy them out there too. We take one suitcase between us and put all of our fold up Nike/Reebok bags in the bottom. We have been having a competition to see who can pack the lightest on the way out - I'm winning with 12kg:D

I think we have only had the 20kg allowance once and that was our first or second time and that was when we had to pay £400 in excess baggage, we learnt our lesson that time:lol:

What I would like to know is how do these people who take the big hard metal suitcases manage, they must weigh 20kg on their own:unsure:

Have a great time - at the end of the day if you want something light to remind you of your holiday - TAKE PHOTOS:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: sorry that doesn't help at all does it!

[bec_murphy1984]

Thanks for your reply madmac! Wow £400 in excess baggage?! What did you buy? :eek: I bet you have learnt your lesson now! :D

I have taken notes on your tips. Im only taking one pair of trainers and am wearing them on the plane. I am also going to be wearing any heavy stuff on the way back!

I'm actually looking forward to the challenge of packing minimally as i always take too much anyway but i bet i won't be looking forward to having my suitcase weighed on the way home! :unsure:

Thanks for your help.

[bawden2]

I think i would be right in saying everyone worries on the luggage weight on the way home and they do not get caught out on how much they have spent.
:wink:

[Whitequeen]

If you're staying in a villa, you'll have a washer so take the absolute minimum of clothes.:thumbs:

[bec_murphy1984]

Dan C - im not sure how much the suitcase weighs on its on - it looks heavy but is nota big metal thing. Im not too sure about buying a light suitcase as we have only recently bought this set!

I will be taking a different hand luggage bag though as the one i have weighs 3kg!!!! I'll be taking a very light one!

[bec_murphy1984]

Whitequeen - im staying in my brothers villa and they have a washing machine so i wont be taking hardly any clothes! Im going to write my proper travel check list now actually! I could take clothes for say 4 days and then just keep washing them! Im going to be buying some too so i wont always be in those clothes! :)

Its just the tioletries that are going to be the problem!

[tb2830]

bec get your tolietries out in florida :) that will save you some weight

[PaulaK]

:iagree: I don't take any toiletries. I used to spend a fortune at Boots before each trip and then lug it all with me. Now I just buy it all there it's cheaper and saves carrying it. I get on the plane with just my handbag (containing purse, mini ipod, essential mum things like wet-wipes :rolleyes: ) and my toothbrush/mini toothpaste :bigsmile:

[bec_murphy1984]

Yeah i could do but it just seems a waste of money when i have already bought it all! Might try and squeeze my deodorant in my handbag or something!

Actually toiletries arent that much of a prob. It doesnt matter how much room they take up on the way out there cos i will probably leave them in florida so i have more room to takethings back! :D Jeez - id better write all this down!

[tb2830]

paula .........oh the joys of ipod lol i love mine and ive just bought a ipod mini for my 13 dd and now thinking of getting hubby one for christmas........

[PaulaK]

paula .........oh the joys of ipod lol i love mine and ive just bought a ipod mini for my 13 dd and now thinking of getting hubby one for christmas........

I love mine!! :thumbs: My sonicare toothbrush and my mini ipod are the 2 things I can't leave home without! .....oh and DH's credit card of course :wink:

[bec_murphy1984]

I have a sonicare toothbrush too! haha

I dont have an ipod though - they have never interested me :eek: - to be honest i hardly know what they do! :blush2: I know they can play your fav tunes, buuuuut is that it?:unsure:

My handbag is huge so hopefully i'll be able to jam loads of heavy things in it and make out its really light! It'll probably weigh about 3kg!

[JuniorMickey]

my iPod has almost 1200 songs (which is the land of iPod is a fairly small music collection) if you have an iPod photo you can also use it as a storage device for your photos (it has a color screen and you can scroll through them etc.)

[bec_murphy1984]

Cool - i have never had the desire to get one for some reason! I guess i'd never use it! Bet the photo ones are expensive! If i got one in America would it work in the UK?

[JuniorMickey]

Not sure about that, but I use mine in the car - my entire CD collection that the touch of a button. It's wonderful

[bec_murphy1984]

Really in the car? This is all new to me! Never knew you could even do that?! Might have to put it on my Xmas list! :D

[tajainaz]

Bec, can you put any of your toiletries in smaller containers for your trip? Obviously, some things, such as deodorant (stick or spray) won't work, but lotions, creams, etc.

I'm putting three very large wheeled bags in a an upcoming yard sale and planning to purchase one slightly smaller, much lighter one with the proceeds! I haven't weighed the individual bags, but based on my "lift & carry" philosophy of weight, they weight 8 to 10 lbs. each! :eek: The newer ones are about half that weight! :thumbs:

Most of our domestic flights have a limit of 50 lbs. per bag (some are less), and these bags usually come in at 45 to 48 lbs each!

Definitely limit your wardrobe to 3 changes of clothing, as you have access to a washer and dryer. Wear your heaviest pair of shoes for the flight and pack one lighter pair (comfortable that can withstand a day in the parks!). Be sure to pack a set of underwear in your carry-on, though! That's my one pet peeve--my luggage going astray and no clean undies! :ohno: :lol:

Don't worry! You'll have a wonderful holiday--even with a limited wardrobe! :)

[tajainaz]

And unless you need heavier clothing for at home, it's still summer in Florida in September! One pair of lightweight slacks and a light/jacket sweater is all you'll need! You'll probably purchase sweatshirts and possibly jackets in Florida, in any case! :)

[bec_murphy1984]

Thanks Taja.

Iv done my packing list andall im taking is 7 tops, 4 dresses, 1 pair of 3/4 length trousers, 2 x jeans, 1 x jogging bottoms and one skirt. This covers evening and day wear. Do you think this is enough / too much?

Im wearing heavycombat trousers on the plane and am wearing the only jacket im taking on the plane.

Im only taking2 x flip flops and am wearing trainers there.

Phew!

[bawden2]

I have just packed for our hol on saturday, well leave tomorrow for gatwick. My daughter comes with a lot of stuff due to her disability. I weighed the luggage and we are still 15kg under.
:thumbs:

[tajainaz]

Unless you're doing something really dressy or prefer wearing dresses/skirts during the day (many do--I'm too much of klutz!), I would eliminate all the dresses except 1, and possibly keep the skirt, as it can be paired with different tops. I would limit jeans to 1 pair--they're going to be hot in Orlando at this time of year. You probably won't wear them unless you do something that makes you mosquito bait! :D

Change the bottoms to 2 or 3 pairs of shorts, capris or lightweight slacks, if you have them--just so you don't have to go out and buy more stuff. Make sure your tops are lightweight/sleeveless/short sleeves. T-shirts, camis and tank tops are fine! Possibly one long-sleeved button front shirt you can wear as a jacket or shirt.

Quite honestly, you're probably going to melt in your combat trousers as soon as you walk outside in Orlando. Tuck the 3/4 (capri) pants or skirt in your carry-on so you can change in the ladies room while waiting for your luggage.

Flipflops tend to be lethal in the parks. Some people wear them comfortably; most people end up with miserable feet. You know your feet best! Anything you can wear for 10+ hours walking and standing will survive in the parks! :thumbs:

This isn't the time be overly concerned about fashion. :sigh:

[bec_murphy1984]

Thanks for those tips Taja! They were really helpful.

Iv taken my combats off my list now and am going to take my white linen trousers instead. I will probably still take my 3/4 lengths in my hand luggage to change into! Poor people will be exposed to my milk white legs! :eek: :lol:

Im wearing my trainers to the parks just in case my flip flops fall off on the rides!

My dresses can be worn for day time and night time wear although my brother said no one really dresses up for meals in restaurants in the evening?! Would shorts still be ok to wear in restaurants? We wont be going anywhere posh he said - just places like Wendy's :confused: Means nothing to me as iv never been!

I rang the airline and i cant pay for excess baggage in advance - only on the day if its overweight and its £7 per kilo! :eek: :(

I feel like iv got loads of tips though and should still be able to bring back quite a bit! :wink:

[JuniorMickey]

You don't need a dress to eat at Wendy's! Wendy's is fast food and no dressing up is required. The only places you'd want to dress up for are nicer places but it sounds like your brother is planing on steering clear of them so I wouldn't worry if I were you

[bec_murphy1984]

Thanks JM - may be able to cross a couple things of my list now!

[tajainaz]

Quite honestly, dresses and skirts don't work well with many of the rides in the parks! But it's nice to have one to change into sometimes after a busy day walking and standing--just to feel feminine! :) And if you're just going out in the evening--even non-dressy--the change can be nice. I would limit it to one dress and one skirt, though.

If you have lightweight slacks, 3/4 length pants (capris or whatever they are being called these days), shorts, culottes--anything of that sort, bring them in place of jeans. Don't worry about your white legs--you'll be in excellent company!

Bring one pair of jeans if you must, but remember they are heavy and warm! And, realistically, you probably won't wear them unless it's as a fashion statement!

You're going to have access to a washer and dryer, so if everything you bring is washable, you won't need a lot of clothing. You can pop a load into the washer at night and into the dryer in the morning, if you don't feel like staying up to babysit it! :)

When we visited WDW in August, 2003, Leu took enough clothing for about two weeks. We were there 8 days (7 nights), with 2 of the 8 days travel days. I did laundry for both of us on Day 4, and we wore the same clothing throughout the trip. :shrug: 'Course, we're also middle-aged, and comfort tends to come before fashion--although we love fashion, as well! :)

[tajainaz]

Wendy's is fast food--think burgers and chicken strips! They do have salads and a bit healthier menu, as well.

You will need to dress up only if you dine at some of the resorts or Orlando's more upscale restaurants. And even that is more "business casual" than dressy most of the time!

Here's what I took for our 8-day trip in August, 2003:

Wore for traveling:
Slacks, tank top and unlined blazer (all washable), sneakers.
Carry-on bag contained 2 sets of underwear, jammies, and the exercise clothing, as well as small containers of lotions & potions. The only thing that traveled full size was my sunscreen! Oh! And two decks of cards! ;)

Packed:
4 pairs of slacks (I don't wear shorts or capris!)
6 sleeveless or short-sleeved tops
1 long tank dress (can be teamed with blazer for dressy look or worn casually)
1 knit tank top & pants for exercise--in carry-on (also worn during laundry duty)
jammies (in carry-on)
6 sets of underwear (2 in carry-on)
4 extra pairs of socks (they don't dry fast and we didn't have a washer/dryer)
1 pair of sneakers
1 pair of Birkenstocks with backstrap

Everything coordinated with everything else. Didn't necessarily match, but the colours/patterns worked together.

Of course, what I didn't mention is the dozen Ace (elasticized) bandages (had a foot and leg injury during the visit that required two bandages each time I had to wrap it) that required a bit of space! They also don't dry quickly, which was a bit of a pain. It took 2 to 3 days for them to dry. :sigh:

Without the bandages, everything fit into a pilot's case and my carry-on bag. And I'm a plus-size woman!

[Vikki]

a tip from someone who knows.....don't wear flip flops in the parks!

[tb2830]

vicki could you tell us your flip flop story as i was gonna live in my flip flops lol

[Dizneemad]

Try and take enough toiletries for your trip, so as they are all used up and you will not be bringing them back(extra weight for shopping). New toiletries perfumes etc buy these at duty free as they are not included in your weight limit.

[Vikki]

vicki could you tell us your flip flop story as i was gonna live in my flip flops lol

Its pretty long, but the short version is that I wore flip flops for a day and I came home with such sore feet you woulnd't believe it. Theses are flip flops I had for about three years and wore constantly in the UK, however, as soon as I wore them at WDW they rubbed and were very uncomfortable. I think it was mainly because they have a very unforgiving sole, which has no padding whatsoever, that was the problem. And also, when it rained, they fell off as they were so slippy. I would recommend either wearing trainers (I have some really lightweight ones which are ideal) or those teva sandal things which have straps to keep them on your feet. I know they don't look that good with skirts and dresses, but I'd rather be comfortable than fashionable to be honest.

[Aly]

Another tip - my hubby bought 6 tshirts on International Drive for $10. Not bad quality either - he is still using them. At this price they can be ditched before you fly home.

Also - I woudn't recommend flip flops for walking round the parks. Your feet swell and they rub, nothing worse than having bad feet! We bought sandals from Clarks with Velcro fastenings which were ideal.

Hope you have a lovely time.:thumbs:

Alyson

[bec_murphy1984]

Thanks for your replies!

Only one week to go!!!!! :excited:

I will definately not wear flip flops in the parks then - i will be wearing my trainers and will save my flip flops for when i go shopping etc...

I still havent got my suitcases down yet - i will probably get them down tonight. My aim is 10kg so fingers crossed thats all i take! Iv had loads of tips which i am very grateful for! :)

[bec_murphy1984]

Me again!

Someone suggested to me over the weekend that it would be cheaper to send things back home via post which would take about a week.

Does anyone know how i would go about finding out about this and how much it would cost?

Im not saying i will definately do this but i would like to know about it if it comes to it...

:)

[Mermaid]

HI, I had to get in on this one as myself and my husband are notorious for being over the limit but we have it down to a fine art after being charged £400 to bring our luggage home in 2000:eek:

We only take the bare necessities in clothes and then buy everything else out there, we take no jeans, trainers, bathroom products, or pool equipment as they are all cheaper out there, we don't bring home any bathroom products at all we just buy what we need for two weeks and then chuck it before we come home. We buy our trainers on our first day out there and then if we want jeans we buy them out there too. We take one suitcase between us and put all of our fold up Nike/Reebok bags in the bottom. We have been having a competition to see who can pack the lightest on the way out - I'm winning with 12kg:D

I think we have only had the 20kg allowance once and that was our first or second time and that was when we had to pay £400 in excess baggage, we learnt our lesson that time:lol:

What I would like to know is how do these people who take the big hard metal suitcases manage, they must weigh 20kg on their own:unsure:

Have a great time - at the end of the day if you want something light to remind you of your holiday - TAKE PHOTOS:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: sorry that doesn't help at all does it!


OMG what did you buy???...my hubby and I go crazy with jeans and trainers and and and.....

[Vikki]

I will definately not wear flip flops in the parks then - i will be wearing my trainers and will save my flip flops for when i go shopping etc...

Ah good, you won't regret it. Have you packed yet then?

[bec_murphy1984]

Nope i havent packed yet!:eek:

I am hoping to get the suitcases down tonight. I have done my travel check list and it is very minimal so am looking forward to my suitcase weighing 'not a lot' :D

I am going to tryand find out how much it is,and how i would go about sending back items from Florida to the UK as someone said it would be cheaper than paying excess baggage. But i really dont know where to look!

:)

[Vikki]

.......afraid I can't help you there

[bec_murphy1984]

That's ok. Hopefully someone might know. Theyprobably have something similar to our post office but dont know what that might be!

Thanks anyway Vikki! :)

[JuniorMickey]

the USPS website (http://www.usps.com) will be able to help you out with shipping :D

[bec_murphy1984]

Thanks very much JM! :D