pandy1956,I keep my room until I depart for the airport at 03.30,my sandwiches are kept in the fridge until then,I put them in a small coolbag in my hand luggage.

Just want to say that I found Dalaman very quick and efficient. The only gripe I have is with the price of food and drinks there. I paid 14TL for one can of Efes on Monday.

Bigkacker, not sure how you can say they were too concerned with taking your water off you to check your passport and boarding card as you have to go through passport control AFTER discarding the water at the second security check At passport control all they are concerned about is looking at and stamping your passport as they assume the liquids have been confiscated by now.

bigkacker,

You make some strong acusations there, but it's something we've covered on this topic many times. There's no corruption going on. The scales at the airport are accurate and money doesn't go in to the pockets of handling agents. It actually goes to the airline who have to pay for extra fuel to carry extra luggage, albeit at a markup and commission to the handling agents. There are liquid restrictions in airports throughout europe. Water isn't taken off you to force you to buy it at the airport, it is a security restriction. Dalaman Airport is known to be one of the most expensive in europe though.

Darren

Ok if the scales at the airport are accurate could you please explain to me how something can weigh 19kg and then increase in weight by 2kg when the heaviest items are no longer contained within?

Could you also explain how a bag of diving gear has somehow managed to gain 3kg in weight when two lead block weights each weighing 1kg were removed from the case and accidently left at the hotel?

You can not honestly believe that it costs the airline £36 in fuel to carry an extra load of 3kg. That is what you are expected to believe when you hand your money over and get robbed blind, please I wasn't born yesterday and if this was the legitimate cost to the airline then Ryan Air would be charging fat people a fortune by now (I hope Mike O'Leary is not reading this thread). The fact that as you say this is sold at a substantial markup and commission to the clerk/baggage handler shows that without the correct controls and regualation in place this system is wide open to abuse because people can personally profit from it. The fact that 99.9% of the people there just hand their money over without question does not help.

And as for money going into handling agents pockets could you also explain the reluctance, sorry the outright refusal to accept a credit/debit card payment or provide a reciept. The £80 odd pounds which was handed over by the family in front of us litterally went into the handling agent's pocket and I saw this with my own eyes and so did my wife.

I am well aware of the apparent threat and that a bottle of Tango can apparently blow an aircraft to pieces in mid flight, hence the reason they are taken off us. What I object to and this applies to all airports is the fact that they are using this as an excuse to make money hence the exoborant prices charged after security in all airports, but particularly Dalaman.

control AFTER discarding the water at the second security check At passport control all they are concerned about is looking at and stamping your passport as they assume the liquids have been confiscated by now.

Yes you walk through the x-ray machine and they advised us that our drinks could not go past passport control which is the next desk down nearest the duty free. Because my wife was still gulping her water down by the time we reached the passport control desk they were distracted by confiscating her water that both of us got through without showing our passports or boarding cards, hence the reason that we have no exit visa stamps in either of our passports for this trip.

I must admit.
I've only been to Turkey once before, but I did notice how unfriendly the airport staff were.
We felt like cattle going to the slaughterhouse.
Our passports were snatched off us, and thrown back at us.
We certainly didn't feel welcomed as tourists bringing
much needed money in their Country, that's for sure.
No one enjoys work, but heh... a smile and a bit of consideration
wouldn't go amiss.

I have heard many times that liquids are taken from you after x-ray, and
also of money going straight into airport staff's pockets.
Our youngest Daughter is still fuming over being charged £36-00 for
being just 2 kilo's overweight, and she DID witness the money
going into someone's back pocket!!!!
Yes, it DOES go on!!!!!

I agree the prices at Dalaman are extortionate, but as for the rest of it, I can't say I've ever had a problem - I've even managed to get a smile and a chat from some of the passport control staff! Nor have we ever had a problem with excess baggage - certainly wouldn't put me off returning to Turkey time and time again. To be perfectly honest, I've experienced far worse customer service and surlier, less helpful staff at Spanish airports!

Thank you pandy1956,

I am pleased to see that there is somebody else out there with a bit of common sense who is not so naieve to think that this is not open to abuse.

If no reciept is being issed what is there to stop the check in clerk from putting the money in their back pocket, it's not like the airline or the handling agent is ever going to know that the customers bag is over weight or not as the case may be.

Companies are supposed to make it as easy as possible for customer's to do business with them, if everything was 100% above board the handling agent would bend over backwards to ensure that a customer can pay by whatever means possible and not simply restrict it to cash for which there conveniently is no audit trail.

Somebody tried this scam on with me at Newcastle Airport three years ago when I knew my bag was 5Kg less than what their scales were saying (I had weighed them on a set of recently calibrated trade scales before leaving). I argued the toss and caused such a scene that they just let me through without pressing the matter further, funilly enough when I reported the matter to Trading Standards the scales were indeed overweighing people's bags. You can't tell me that this is not a scam. If everybody caused a scene at the check in desk airlines and handling agents would not get away with this.

When we returned from Dalaman in July there were scales just before check in that you could use to check your luggage, I also had my own luggage scale with me. These scales were weighing exactly the same as mine. If people are getting charged at the check in they should ask to check the weight at these scales or ask other people around if they have scales with them. If there is a discrepancy it would soon be discovered. These luggage scales are available to buy in lots of places and well worth having these days when airlines are so strict on weight.

ladarian....... When my Daughter visited Dalaman airport in June, she HAD SCALES WITH HER!!!!
she bought scales as we'd heard Dalaman was strict on weight.
she didn't just buy Asda's specials, she bought good quality ones.
By rights, her case actually weighed lighter, as she'd left stuff behind in Turkey
which had been calculated into her weight allowance in England, before she left
but she was told at check-in that she was over 2 kilo's over the allowance.
She dug her travel scales out of the case, and weighed her case in front of them.
It weighed 3 kilo's UNDER the allowance, but they argued that their scales were accurate,
and her scales were not. She wasn't the only 'victim', many of the other
passengers in the queue fell victim to this scam!!!
Many people coughed up £36-00 each, and were told "cash only",
and many people witnessed the cash disappear into a back pocket, and many people were told,
"pay up, or we call airport police, and you miss your flight home"!!
These people know we just want to get home, and therefore won't cause a scene.
It put me off going back to Turkey, but we had already booked our holiday,
and fly in 3 weeks. However, I don't go down without a fight, and I am prepared for the same thing happening to me.
I've checked, double checked, and triple checked those scales, and they are 100% accurate,
and I won't be scammed, or ripped off by anybody. If they threaten me with airport police, I will
tell them "bring them on". I work hard for my holiday, and I don't like being ripped off!!!!

Go on Pandy,

I'm sure airport police have better things to be doing than dealing with passengers who refuse to be robbed.

I am starting to notice a pattern emerging here with the £36! I am prepared to accept that the luggage scales I took with me may be weighing out but when I got different weights for my case from two empty check in desks it just goes to show that these scales are not accurate.

This is a scam plain and simple, I am in the process of writing to Thomas Cook to get their opinions on this so watch this space. Also Dazbo how do you know that the scales at Dalaman Airport are accurate are you a Turkish Weights and Measures inspector?

bigkacker,

Scales at airports are regularly calibrated and certifieed as such. I've checked weights of suitcases using accurate (calibrated) scales and checked them at desks at Dalaman. All scales were showed weights expected and as such, I've never been charged anything when transitting DLM as I've never been over limits. That includes the transit of scuba equipment and submersible cameras. Your experience is nothing new, but it's more often than not nothing to do with innacurate airport scales. If you feel you've been hard done by, I suggest you make a complaint, in writing, to your airline stating the problems you encountered. Airlines employ handling agents to handle their flights in resort. Unless they know about issues, they can't look in to them. Bear in mind excess baggage charges are set by the airline, not local handling agents who are simply there to impliment airline policy.

Dalaman airport is known as one of the most expensive airports in europe as mentioned previously. This was the case well before the liquid security restristions came in to effect (actually only 1st January this year in Turkey). Dalaman is a public-private partnership airport, hence the high costs.

Darren

In light of previous posts, I guess I was lucky then because I had no problems with being overweight. In fact my cases weighed less on their scales than I thought they would- lucky me

Lucky you Dazbo!!!
I suppose it's luck of the draw.
if their kids need new shoes, or they're a bit strapped for cash that particular day!!!
The Turks believe we're all rolling in money, so are easy targets.

The trouble is, where do you complain when you see this sort of thing happening?
I've been trawling the web to find someone to listen since our Daughter came home
and told us what had happened to her and fellow passengers.
Sorry, I've had to remove part of your post due to potentially libellous content

pandy1956 wrote:

Lucky you Dazbo!!!

Not lucky at all, just being within my allocated weight limits.

pandy1956 wrote:

The trouble is, where do you complain when you see this sort of thing happening?

Refer to my post to bigkacker above.

Darren

Dazbo................... My Daughter WAS within allocated weight limits,
as were a dozen other passengers they 'picked on' that particular day!!!!

We have been fortunate at Turkish airports as we make the most of our hand luggage and literally stuff our pockets full!
I was told at Sharm airport I was over weight when I knew this was impossible as I had left toiletries etc and noticed the check in clerk had his foot on the scale.
We removed our cases and put them on the scale one at a time and they were under the 20kgs allowance,but lots of other people had the same problem and there was nearly a riot.Some people were phoning the tourist police at the airport.
With regards to the water situation I bought a pack of four100ml bottles meant for decanting toiletries and used them for water.
On going through security at Bodrum airport in May the officer came to the end of the belt and said water is not allowed.
When I took them out of my bag and told him they were in 100ml bottles he said that was OK and I replied next time I would have 10 bottles.
Most of the flights we are on are night flights so dont need anything to eat or drink but I cant wait until we depart from Dalaman in October and see what they make of my ten 100ml bottles filled with water.

Thanks for pointing out that this sort of thing DOES go on Jay Trip.

The trouble is with us Brits is that we are too trusting, too gullible, and therefore easy targets for
those wishing to rip us off. I won't mention the '????' word, as I'm obviously not allowed to do that
on here,(If it happened to anyone else, from a different Country, it would be shouted from the rooftops, and there would be uproar, but we're not even allowed to call it for what it really is)
but what else would you call it when you KNOW your luggage isn't overweight, and you're charged
£36-00, not allowed to pay by credit or debit card, then you witness the money being slipped into a back pocket??
And then you discover it's happened to others too!!
(no corruption going on though)!!!!!

I'm sorry to 'harp on' but this is, (at the end of the day) HOLIDAY TRUTHS, and what the forum is all about.
I feel it is my duty to warn others about this ????
I happen to believe bigkacker, and myself have been practically accused of telling lies! (for what gain, I don't know)
And if anyone wishes to banish me from the site for speaking up, then feel free to do so.

My Daughter wasn't on holiday, she was attending a wedding for just 2 days. She didn't leave the hotel venue,
and didn't purchase anything in Turkey,
and actually discarded things she didn't need, before she entered the airport. Therefore,
how could it be possible that her case weighed under in Bristol, but over in Dalaman?
Surely, either British scales are wrong, or Dalaman scales are wrong,
but airport scales are never wrong............ Or are they??

pandy1956,

If you KNOW it is going on and have experience of it, can I ask what action you have taken? Have you taken it up with your airline? As I've mentioned many times on here, unless airlines know about passenger problems, they can't do anything about it and look in to rectifying problems. I'm not saying these issues don't go on, they do in airports all over the world, not just in Dalaman, but I have the oposite experience. In my experience, and I spend a lot of time in and round airports including Dalaman, more often than not, it's not an issue with staff or equipment. Airport staff are security cleared and carry out their roles in a professional mannor. Of course everyone has their off day, and there's a rouge element, but you can't always blame someone else for excess baggage charges! Even though you may think you don't have as much in your suitcase, it can still weigh more than you expect. You'll find many now take a set of luggage scales. They cost as little as £6.99 and can save you a fortune in excess charges by simply weighing suitcases before leaving for the airport so you know you are within weight allowancance rather than assuming because you don't have toiletries in. If, when you get to the airport the scales read more than you were expecting, you can then question it and have something to refer to rather than just guesswork. I think part of the problem is we've all been used to 'getting away with it' for the last 20 years but with airlines struggling to make ends meet and having stricter environmental controls, particualarly these last 2 or 3 years, they've been clamping down on weights to the nearest gram and hence the problems we're now seeing.

Darren

Yes Darren.
My Daughter DID do something about it!
On arrival to Bristol airport, herself, and 8 of the other travellers who felt they had been unfairly treated
managed to collar an airport official in Bristol,(1-30 am by then) and explained to him what had happened to them in Dalaman.
His first reaction was "oh no, not this again"!
All 8 passengers begged him to weigh their cases on the scales in Bristol airport.
NONE were overweight, and one guy's case was almost 5 kilo's under the 20k allowance!!!!
Their baggage weights WERE recorded and logged!!!!

He had had experiences of this sort of thing happening before, and promised my Daughter he would look into it,
and report it, but made no promises that he could get anyone to listen,"difficult airport to deal with Dalaman" he told them,
but would try his best.
He took the names and telephone numbers of all of them, but we've heard nothing since.

However, it was late June when the incident happened, so I suppose these things do take time.
I'm no shrinking violet, and I don't suffer fools. I don't like this sort of thing, and I WILL
get someone to listen if I have to write to the Prime Minister!!

pandy1956 wrote:

airport official in Bristol

I would relay everything to your airline rather than an airport official as it's the airline that appoint handling agents. It's nothing to do with Bristol airport realy. If you have documented evidence of overcharging, you should seek a refund from the airline.

Darren