baggage allowances

[janetla]

Can anyone make any sense of the new checked baggage allowances for travel to the usa. The airlines websites are less than helpful and some are out and out misleading. My understanding is that the rules changed last autumn and if you had booked your ticket before you were covered by the old rules, i.e. two free bags. It looks as though they have now changed the goalposts and now you can only have one, or even no free bags. Is there anyone out there that has flown recently with either klm/northwest or united and actually knows from experience what their actual allowances are

[Mustardmit]

It's best if you phone someone from the airline about this. I did this last year (it was US Airways) they were a bit officious -but I got my answer.

[jno]

my guess would be that you're stuck with the new rules - people on the checkin desk don't care when you bought your ticket - but as Mustardmit says, the best thing is to call the airline and ask.

[janetla]

Thanks for taking the time to answer. I have called the airlines - there is a group of travelling on separate airlines. Problem comes, these code shares now have different rules from each other, we are travelling on a klm code but shares with northwest and operated by delta!!! We have no idea at this stage whose plane and whose staff we will be subjected to - and whose rules. United have been called twice and have given a different answer each time. I think they do it deliberately to confuse, then when you have more bags than allowed they can then take the liberty to charge you.

[sddsddean]

Also, be aware that following the bomb attempts in Dec, you were restricted to ONLY ONE item of hand luggage (eg not bag plus laptop) when flying TO the US. As far as I know this rule has not been changed. Flying FROM the US you can still have bag plus laptop.