rmcrf:

Those studs can be found on just about every part of the anatomy. I thought they were removeable - am I wrong?

Bob[/QUOTE]

I believe they are - at the time the whole stud was metal but now only the middle bit is metal and the top bit is plastic, he never had any trouble with it when he was travelling overseas.

quote:

Originally posted by rmcrf:
rmcrf:

Those studs can be found on just about every part of the anatomy. I thought they were removeable - am I wrong?

Bob

I believe they are - at the time the whole stud was metal but now only the middle bit is metal and the top bit is plastic- he had only had it in a couple of weeks and was unable to remove mit. He never had any trouble with it when he was travelling overseas.[/QUOTE]

quote:

Originally posted by rmcrf:

quote:

Originally posted by rmcrf:
rmcrf:

Those studs can be found on just about every part of the anatomy. I thought they were removeable - am I wrong?

Bob

I believe they are - at the time the whole stud was metal but now only the middle bit is metal and the top bit is plastic- he had only had it in a couple of weeks and was unable to remove it. He never had any trouble with it when he was travelling overseas.

[/QUOTE]

Back to baggage charges. . .

I just returned home on Delta from a getaway to Florida.

My luggage weighed 52lbs. (my case empty is 13lbs.) The clerk said $80 overweight charge please or take out stuff. I took out a pair of sandals and the scale hit 50lbs and he said now you are ok and checked the bag.

So. . .. they are serious about overhcharges - I mean 2 lbs --- thought they'd at least have a 2 lb. tolerance.

quote:

Originally posted by Roxy:
Back to baggage charges. . .

I just returned home on Delta from a getaway to Florida.

My luggage weighed 52lbs. (my case empty is 13lbs.) The clerk said $80 overweight charge please or take out stuff. I took out a pair of sandals and the scale hit 50lbs and he said now you are ok and checked the bag.

So. . .. they are serious about overhcharges - I mean 2 lbs --- thought they'd at least have a 2 lb. tolerance.

UNBELIEVABLE! Delta is my airline of choice; They fly every where I fly reguarly, direct. I tend to travel pretty light, but it's still good to have some "lee-way."

Roxy: Thanks for getting back on this. I think more and more airlines will be stringent on their weight policy and I am trying to get an idea of what is happening.

I am going to Europe soon and for the first time will most likely go over the check in weight. I am looking at alternatives to getting stuff to the destination rather than through check in.

We flew a domestic flight in Brazil and they were fanatical about weighing our cabin luggage. I was pretty worried as I tend to put my books, hairdryer and other heavy stuff in there. Just scraped in, about 7kilos I think?

quote:

Originally posted by rmonturi:

quote:

Originally posted by Roxy:
Back to baggage charges. . .

I just returned home on Delta from a getaway to Florida.

My luggage weighed 52lbs. (my case empty is 13lbs.) The clerk said $80 overweight charge please or take out stuff. I took out a pair of sandals and the scale hit 50lbs and he said now you are ok and checked the bag.

So. . .. they are serious about overhcharges - I mean 2 lbs --- thought they'd at least have a 2 lb. tolerance.

UNBELIEVABLE! Delta is my airline of choice; They fly every where I fly reguarly, direct. I tend to travel pretty light, but it's still good to have some "lee-way."

Delta seems to be one of the more liberal re carry on weight - 40lbs...and believe me people were bringing on the largest bags I have seen in quite some time. And the weight isn't about being a fashionista, there are many other items like books and electronics that eat up the lbs.

Delta will also begin charging for using frequent flyer miles - can't remember the criteria, but $25 is the first tier charge.

They gave out free soft drinks, peanuts or cheese and crackers.

Full size chocolate bars and bags of trail mix or nuts were $3 and alcoholic beverages were $6. This was just a short domestic flight to Florida.

But, in 10 days I'll see what Continental does with my RT non stop to Stockholm/Oslo/EWR for my Scandi tour.

Pretty soon there will be a surcharge to rent your seat!

Roxy,
In May I flew Delta JFK-FCO and the return. There were no extra charges for food (which was excellent) and snacks. Weight considerations were not an issue since I was well within the limits. I guess I lucked out and just made it before the new charges were in effect.

Oh well, "all good things come to an end."

Bob

If you think that you may be over, there is no harm in asking the airline before hand for some leeway re the weight allowance. We have just asked Singapore Air for extra allowance for us when we move back to Aus later this year and they have given us an extra 10 kgs each - so we get 40 kgs extra altogether. I have also asked them for this extra allowance at different times when travelling with them - they are usually pretty good with this and at the end of the day, I figure - what is the worse that can happen - they say No?

Hi SiD,

I find Singapore Airlines the best for luggage allowance, and I like your considerate idea of asking ahead.

Just read this article in an Australian news paper online... makes interesting reading

NEXT time you take to the skies you may find there are fewer pages in your in-flight magazine, your fork is slimmer and your plate feels different. Blame it on soaring oil prices.

The seat you are sitting on may be lighter. Perhaps there's less water on board for the bathroom taps and toilets. The drinks trolley coming your way probably weighs less too.
It's all part of efforts by airlines to shed weight and conserve fuel, running in tandem with more radical steps such as cutting routes and capacity.

"Individually they may sound quite trivial but they all add up," said Andrew Herdman, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.

"Obviously, the more expensive the fuel, the more the savings translate into. Given that oil prices are at a record high and have quadrupled over the past few years, there's even more effort" to reduce weight, he said.

Japan Airlines (JAL), Asia's largest carrier, is among carriers that are putting fewer pages into their in-flight magazines. It has also slimmed the handles of its forks and spoons, reducing their weight by two grams each, said JAL spokesman Hisanori Iizuka.

The weight of a freight container has been cut by 26kg, reducing the burden of a flight by one tonne.

Even the porcelain in business class on international flights is 20 per cent lighter since the manufacturer put tiny bubbles inside.
"It's important to make every little effort, which matters when you carry hundreds of passengers on a flight and operate 365 days" a year, said Iizuka.

"The heavier the plane is, the lower its fuel efficiency. This is part of our efforts to slim down everything possible."

It's not the only airline looking to shed weight. Qantas is also considering similar steps to conserve fuel.

"We don't want to compromise our product or service," but the carrier is looking at lightweight meal carts, alternative packaging and examining "what we carry to remove waste, that type of thing," a spokeswoman said.

Singapore Airlines has introduced lightweight drink trolleys and serviceware on board new aircraft such as the A380 superjumbo and the Boeing B777-300ER.

"These carts and serviceware will be on all new aircraft which join the fleet in the future. As for magazines, based on crew feedback, titles not in demand were removed," a spokeswoman for the carrier said.

All Nippon Airways has also been reducing the weight of seats, tableware, trolleys used by cabin attendants and other items.

"By introducing lighter porcelain for first and business classes, we have reduced the weight by an average 66kg on one flight," a spokeswoman said. "We're always looking for items whose weight can be reduced."

Even paint adds weight to an aircraft, so some carriers have been experimenting with only polishing the exterior, particularly for cargo planes.

Airlines worldwide face total losses of at least $2.39 billion this year due to soaring fuel costs, according to the International Air Transport Association, which says the industry is in "crisis".

At least two dozen carriers around the world have gone bust this year.

Some carriers have begun charging passengers a fee for checked luggage.

And there is even speculation that the passengers might eventually have to step on the scales before boarding a plane, with heavier travellers paying more to fly, although experts say that day is not here just yet.

"I don't think we've quite got to the point of passengers being weighed," said Herdman.

The next lines are not from the article, but it does make one wonder how long it is before the last the last statement becomes a reality???

Yes that is today's world of commerical flights...it's almost comical!

Oh you would like a seat to Rome instead of the standing room bullpen? That'll be $500! Oh you want a seat belt to go with the seat, that'll be $300.

Toilets will be coin operated. Blankets and pillows are already hard to find and some airline has now removed the video console from the seat in front of you and will no longer offer movies.

So basically, bring your own stuff. Flyers will start to invent contraptions to strap on portable DVD players, pillows, blankets and a food and drink cooler. Tour flyers will soon look like a soldier on a mission flight.

Can I quote you? I asked my husband if he would like me to bring an extra Pashima shawl and pack it in his carry-on (I have some extremely lightweight, yet warm ones, which take up very little room) and he told me I needn't bother, as the plane will have blankets.

Umm, I wouldn't count on it.

Blanket ,pillow, pair of socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, are still being issued on Singapore airlines.
While I'm on the board. I've just finished the mammoth task of converting my holiday videos to DVD ( 7 one hour DVD's)
It reminded me to say, anyone touring Egypt, be sure to take the option" light and sound show" at the pyramids.
It's one of those memorable moments, sat in the middle of the desert as the sun goes down. Warm air. Loads of stars. A few camels wandering around the perimeter of the seating area.
Then the laser lights depict the story of the pyramids and Egyptians at that time,on the sides of the pyramids, along with the recorded voice of Omar Sharif booming across the sandy waste.
It really is spectacular, and don't worry ! If your video camera packs up in the humidity,( as mine did !). There's a stall that sells DVD's of the whole show, well worth buying !