British Airways charter cabin baggage.

Hello,

We're travelling on QV next week for the 6th time on a fly cruise.

Does anybody know what the British Airways charter flight cabin baggage allowance is? Our e-ticket states 5kg, whereas Cunard (UK) website says a baggage allowance much larger for cabin baggage, with a size of 56 x 45 x 22cm.

Has anyone got recent experience? We called cunard and have been told 3 different things by the call centre!

Thanks in advance.

I doubt it is a charter flight.....Cunard purchases seats on regular commercial flights. Go to the airline website and go off their policies.

British Airways operated 14 charter flights today hope that helps

It's deffinately a charter flight with BA from Heathrow, Cunard just don't seem to be able to decide how much cabin (hand luggage) we are allowed or what size it can be.

BA are one of the most generous with cabin baggage, especially regarding weight. You can take 2 bags:

One 56cmx45cmx25cm including handles, pockets and wheels and another 45cmx36cmx20cm including handles, pockets and wheels.

Both bags can weigh up to 23kg each.

The cruise lines rarely get the baggage allowances correct for any airline as they deal with so many. They usually play it safe by quoting the smallest allowance they know of.

The sizes quotes above are definitely correct for BA, charter or not.

I doubt it is a charter flight.....Cunard purchases seats on regular commercial flights. Go to the airline website and go off their policies.

For their fly cruises Cunard use charter flights, often with BA.

The last time I took a fly cruise with Cunard we were most definitely on scheduled BA flights.

This was a late booking and others who had booked earlier were allocated seats on a charter, but not BA.

I am surprised to hear that they sometimes charter BA aircraft, maybe they just book a majority of the seats?

My strategy would be: pack as much as you can into the hold luggage and take a hand luggage bag which expands. In this way it will be smaller than the skeleton luggage module BA have at terminal 5 or wherever. Wear a jacket, pullover and a coat with pockets full of whatever you can fit it. As soon as you get on plane empty pockets into expanding hand luggage bag and put jacket in there too. They never weight it on exiting the plane.

Regards John

Hello,

 

We're travelling on QV next week for the 6th time on a fly cruise.

 

Does anybody know what the British Airways charter flight cabin baggage allowance is? Our e-ticket states 5kg, whereas Cunard (UK) website says a baggage allowance much larger for cabin baggage, with a size of 56 x 45 x 22cm.

 

Has anyone got recent experience? We called cunard and have been told 3 different things by the call centre!

 

Thanks in advance.

I am going on the same cruise and I can assure you that your hand baggage size is not more than 56 X 45 X 22cm and can weigh no more than 23kgs and you must be able to lift it into the overhead locker. You can also take either a handbag or laptop bag in addition.

Hello,

 

We're travelling on QV next week for the 6th time on a fly cruise.

 

Does anybody know what the British Airways charter flight cabin baggage allowance is? Our e-ticket states 5kg, whereas Cunard (UK) website says a baggage allowance much larger for cabin baggage, with a size of 56 x 45 x 22cm.

 

Has anyone got recent experience? We called cunard and have been told 3 different things by the call centre!

 

Thanks in advance.

Hi crossalex

It is my clear understanding that the baggage allowance on a BA charter [at least with Cunard] is exactly the same as a BA scheduled in economy, namely 23Kg in the hold and two bags in the cabin both of which can also weigh 23Kg albeit one of those must be relatively small and fit under the seat in front. The only difference is that it is not possible to purchase extra hold baggage on a charter whereas it is on a scheduled. For the majority that is not an issue.

Because I generally have to travel with a mobile office [that allows me to get away on more cruises :)], DW and I always try to arrange a BA flight but on our next one in October, we are having to fly indirect; out via Munich with Lufthansa [8Kg cabin allowance] and back via Paris with Air France [12Kg cabin allowance].

Hope this offers some reassurance.

Hi Crossalex

i was wondering what happened when you arrived at airport with regards to your hand luggage allowance. Did you get more than 5kg allowance or did you get BA 23 kg allowance for hand luggage?

We're travelling on QV next week for the 6th time on a fly cruise.

Does anybody know what the British Airways charter flight cabin baggage allowance is? Our e-ticket states 5kg, whereas Cunard (UK) website says a baggage allowance much larger for cabin baggage, with a size of 56 x 45 x 22cm.

Has anyone got recent experience? We called cunard and have been told 3 different things by the call centre!

Thanks in advance.

We've done 2 fly cruises with Cunard and opt for the LHR departure each time due to the generous baggage allowance, against using the regions which is a lot less at 20kg and 5kg.

If you book early enough, you will be allocated a Cunard BA charter flight. If booked late, they will put you on a scheduled BA flight instead.

They both allow 23kg cabin and hold luggage, but the cabin bag has to be within certain dimensions (check BA website for that). You will also be allowed a handbag/laptop bag too.

They usually charter the old 767s which are seated 2 3 2 and the front section are the old Club Europe seats which are ever so slightly larger, up to about row 10 I think. You CANNOT pre book seats like on scheduled. Cunard pass the details to BA beforehand and seats are allocated by date of booking (not on ship grade of cabin type) so you could sit together as a couple or could be across the aisle, or separately around the cabin if late bookers.

The first one we went on a meal was provided, but the second one was buy on board - cash was not allowed, it was only payment by card or by using BA Avios points. It's the usual M&S buy on board menu which I don't like, so took my own Boots meal deal on board instead.

Hope this clears things up a little.

Hi thanks for your reply

Just off the QM2 yesterday. We booked the flights thru Cunard. The flight on BA from Boston to London check baggage fees were: first bag free, next bag $100 and then $200 per bag after that. We had 3 checked bags so we paid $100 extra as we were each allowed one free bag.

to clarify Cunard charters it's own flights for it's QV and QE Med fly-cruises and has done so for many years PLUS also puts pax for these cruises on scheduled flights too by own choice sometimes, or if the charter goes full

From LHR they charter BA 767's 262Y pax and you will receive the same allowance for bags as BA Y scheduled flights

23 kgs plus 1 cabin bag AND another small laptop/purse type bag

If you have 2 bags to checkin and you are within your 23 kgs that is fine too - and you can pool allowances with other half/friends

you cannot check in online on BA.com for these flights (seats are allocated by Cunard/BA the night before but you will usually be sat together) nor can you earn avios

plus they usually have dedicated check in desks both at LHR and VCE/BCN/ATH or FCO

Lounge access at LHR is usually OK for gold card Exec club members - just ask at lounge - not at check in

Catering on board used to be free meals and free drinks, but it not now but the same as mainline Buy on Board M&S food

The 767's are being retired this year so I do not know what Cunard will do in 2019 for fly-cruises to the Med.

No idea if they will continue the BA charter agreement - the new aircraft to replace the 767 will be 777 or 787

the A321neo BA are getting can seat around 220 or so but frankly I will be surprised if they can get all the pax and luggage on these with ease and not be weight restricted

FYI

any Cunard charter flights from MAN or BHX are usually with Thomson or Titan and the above does not apply

For Flights joining or leaving QM2 on a TA at LHR/NYC you will be on a scheduled flight

There aren't any fly cruises to the Mediterranean in 2019.

There aren't any fly cruises to the Mediterranean in 2019.

yoohoo hattie - haven't been on for a while - hope you are well

I wondered that - what with QE going down to Oz as well -

the only charter maybe will be pax going back from Rome to the UK on QE's pos'ng voyage to Oz

Cunard are selling a SOU-Rome Med cruise next year on QE

well no more BA charters then it seems ;)