Hand luggage

[Derbyram]

There appears to be a mixed opinion or facts regarding hand luggage if you are going on a cruise and stay. Some say it's 5kg others 7kg. Anyone know what the official line is? We are flying with thomsons but they seem to contradict themselves.

[shot2bits]

If you are flying Thomson airways, it's 7kg. If, like us, you are flying with another airline, in our case Germania, then it is 5kg. I read and re read our T&Cs then phoned Thomson, who confirmed this.

[jenny wren]

Yes it is as shot2bits says and 7kgs with Thomson airways....check the maximum measurements as well. I take a copy of the paperwork with me with the appropriate bit highlighted, as we did have this queried once........I think it is only cruise and cruise and stay passengers who have this extra allowance.....:)

[shot2bits]

Seems it's the price you pay for flying from a regional airport, in our case, Norwich. They will also nail us £10 per kilo if we exceed our weight allowance! Just calls for some careful packing before a two week cruise!

Edited July 10, 2016 by shot2bits

[WeeCountyMan]

The allowance for a Thomsons cruise is 7kg, one piece only - ladies (as far as I know) are not allowed a handbag separately, which some other carriers permit.

 

It's a miserly 5kg for standard package holidays, however in the recent past we were permitted 7kg because we had booked one of their more expensive Platinum (or whatever it's called) deals.

[davecttr]

Why is everyone packing gold bars :confused:

 

My pack for 14 nights on Discovery was 15kg check in including posh jacket and 4 kg carry on including all my paperwork, medications, electrical gear, camera, rain jacket etc etc. :)

[Cappers]

Why is everyone packing gold bars :confused:

 

My pack for 14 nights on Discovery was 15kg check in including posh jacket and 4 kg carry on including all my paperwork, medications, electrical gear, camera, rain jacket etc etc. :)

 

That's cos you are a bloke Dave !! You didn't have to pack 10 pairs of shoes and a different frock for every night:D very impressive though. I keep my hand luggage down to a small bag but I always have the extra 5kg luggage allowance and it's always almost to the limit:rolleyes: I couldn't travel light if my life depended on it!

[kruzseeka]

Yes it is as shot2bits says and 7kgs with Thomson airways....check the maximum measurements as well. I take a copy of the paperwork with me with the appropriate bit highlighted, as we did have this queried once........I think it is only cruise and cruise and stay passengers who have this extra allowance.....:)

 

The confusion I think arises from the fact that they use the same information on tickets for Thomson package holidays/flights and for cruises instead of having dedicated tickets for cruise passengers - I'm not sure whether it applies to C&S as well jenny - would definitely be worth checking it out for anyone doing C&S.

 

After an altercation at our local airport re hand luggage allowance (check-in staff insisting it was 5Kg even for cruises) like you, I've always printed out the relevant bit from the T&Cs and taken it with me. It wasn't me who was challenged (7Kg hand luggage is more than I want to carry so my bag was less) but the lady concerned ended up opening her hold cases to try to redistribute packing. I'm afraid I'd have made a stance at that point but it has made me ultra careful to have the confirmation of 7Kg for cruises about my person!!!! :rolleyes:

 

I made a complaint to the airport on our return as I thought others could get caught out by the wrong information being spouted by the check-in staff and even end up having to pay xs baggage charges. I got a very mealy mouthed response - and think they were actually still missing the point. When I replied with a cut and paste from Thomson's own brochure confirming it was 7kg and suggested their staff needed extra training I didn't her any more! This wasn't down to Thomson but an airport issue - they sometimes aren't as clued up as we are so best to go confident of your facts - and exactly what you're entitled to re luggage allowance.

Edited July 10, 2016 by kruzseeka

[WeeCountyMan]

After an altercation at our local airport re hand luggage allowance (check-in staff insisting it was 5Kg even for cruises) like you, I've always printed out the relevant bit from the T&Cs and taken it with me. It wasn't me who was challenged (7Kg hand luggage is more than I want to carry so my bag was less) but the lady concerned ended up opening her hold cases to try to redistribute packing. I'm afraid I'd have made a stance at that point but it has made me ultra careful to have the confirmation of 7Kg for cruises about my person!!!! :rolleyes:

 

In my experience a relatively high percentage of Thomsons own staff who should know this simply don't.

Edited July 10, 2016 by WeeCountyMan

[Derbyram]

Thanks guys I thought that was the case but wasn't 100%. Thomsons website isn't the easiest to understand.

[WeeCountyMan]

Thomsons website isn't the easiest to understand.

 

That's for sure !!!

 

I had a quick look at prices for our October cruise, booked on Monday, the last day of the reduced price on the drinks package.

 

It's now £25.94 per person, per day - showing as £363.09 for two punters.

 

Not according to my calculator, which says that should be £363.16 !!!

 

Maybe there's a 7p discount this weekend ? :confused:

 

Maybe the computer is arithmetically challenged ? :D

[shot2bits]

Thanks guys I thought that was the case but wasn't 100%. Thomsons website isn't the easiest to understand.

 

 

That was the 'case' no pun intended?

[spoon84]

I arrived home from two weeks on the discovery yesterday. When I was leaving Glasgow - on a BA charter it said on the screens that max hand luggage was 12kg. Which would of been great if we had been informed and saved me lots of upset when trying to pack! In all the paperwork I had it said that the hand luggage allowance was 5kg. I ended up paying £20 the day before I was due to leave for an extra 5kg which I wouldn't have needed if I had known about the 12kg allowance. The £20 is neither here nor there but I could of done without the stresses of deciding which shoes and dresses to ditch.

[kruzseeka]

Isn't it annoying? I think what we've been quoting so far are for Thomson flights which is probably the more common situation. I think it's important that you raise the issue of allowance if you are travelling with a different carrier though as sometimes the allowances are different and sometimes better. In my experience they usually tell you to check the allowances of the carrier you are flying with and for you it would definitely have been worthwhile had you known. What a pity - especially as it cost you extra. Oh well a lesson learned and next time if it happens again, you'll be able to take all the shoes you want! ;)

 

Thanks for the heads up though - useful information for others not travelling with Thomsonfly.

[okavango]

In my experience a relatively high percentage of Thomsons own staff who should know this simply don't.

 

not sure about all airports but at a lot the check in staff are not actually thomson staff, they work for the likes of servisair and will cover multiple airlines with appropriate uniform, in some airports there are no thomson staff at all.

[WeeCountyMan]

not sure about all airports but at a lot the check in staff are not actually thomson staff, they work for the likes of servisair and will cover multiple airlines with appropriate uniform, in some airports there are no thomson staff at all.

 

Yes, you are correct, I was referring to Thomsons employees directly engaged in dealing with customers, either in TAs or at airports etc.

 

That said, service agency staff should still be aware of the relevant allowances, especially British based ones.

 

A working knowledge of luggage restrictions is a basic skill in these jobs I would suggest.

 

Not rocket science to have an aide memoire list to hand with appropriate information.

 

When we bought our cabin bags a few years back the shop had a laminated card which gave dimensions etc. of just about every carrier that used UK airports.

 

It's nonsense IMO to experience the situation outlined above where the lady had to needlessly pay an extra £20 etc.