mary.dalton,

You must be travelling with XL or Thomas Cook (My Travel)? 15kg allowance is becomming the norm for charter operators. You can add FCA to the list for summer 2009. £15 for an additional 5kg allowance is the standard price.

Darren

Are they allowed to change your allowance 'after' you have booked?

we were told today you can change your allowance anytime

Hi Mary, How much were you allowed at the time of booking.

As all airlines can basically do what they like, they can and do change the terms no matter how long you have booked in advance. I booked with XL through Travel Republic and asked what the luggage allowance was and they said 20 kg. Went ahead and booked and as many of us have found out they chaged it to 15 and if you wanted 20 you had to pay extra. Thomas cook offer you an extra 5kg for £30 for the whole party at the time of booking if you try after booking they put it up to £25 per 5 kilo pp. This was earlier on in the year,
I don't know how they get away with it but they do because we let them because a clause of booking is that we will accept changes.
Off me soapbox
Marg

Having not read any of the T&Cs for the above airlines I'll offer this suggestion.

If you read your paperwork and it says you have 20kg and there is definately no get out clause that lets them change that, then you have a clear case of breach of contract.

If there is a clause buried in the T&Cs that says they have the right to alter the allowance it isn't the end. Such a standard clause being used to such an effect would fall within the bounds of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations which say that a standard clause that hasn't been specifically negotiated with the customer can't be used to put the customer at a significant imbalance in their rights under the contract. Now I would say that a 25% reduction in what you thought you had paid for constitutes a significant imbalance.

All that said, I haven't booked with them (and nor am I likely to!). The customers affected have to get themselves organised. Read your paperwork, find out whether there is a clause and then contact your local trading standards office (in the phone book possibly within the county/metro/unitary council listing). And if they sound out of their depth call the OfT direct.

Hi, very new to this so don't know if i'm posting from the correct place, but here goes!!!!! I am flying from Newcastle in September and have asked Thomson customer services if they charge for excess baggage due to carrying essential medical appliances. I was told that if it was only a few kilos (i said about 5kg extra) it shouldn't be a problem if I take a doctors note to the check-in desk on departure. Anyone had any experience of this, any advice would be gratefully appreciated.

tracy1212,

If it's medical equipment and you have a doctors note to prove it, you shouldn't have a problem. You can normally get away with about 10%. It's when you turn up well over your allowance they'll ask you to get your credit card out!

Darren

Thanks Darren,
Very much appreciated

hi

i have to take lot of medication and a nebuliser with me when we travel,for me and my husband. i have never had any trouble with these, i usually ring the airline explain the circumstances and they are only too happy to give extra weight allowance, last year i was allowed an extra 10kg with first choice, and thomson and thomas cook have also been very obliging.
one thing i did note, with all the airlines, when i asked about the medication they automatically gave us medical seats on the plane, with the extra leg room included.

regards
marnie