Air Asia and Dive Gear

[JonnieB]

I'll be using AA and bringing 3 set Dive gears this Dec. from Bangkok - Phuket. Let see how they will charge us.

Charge per AA website is B 165 per excess kilo (if memory serves). Of course, this applies to each time you check-in for a flight and as AA is a point to point carrier (doesn't check baggage thru to final destination - even if all flights are on AA). For example, if you fly BKK to Tawau, with a connection in KUL, you have 4 check-ins (return) and therefore pay excess baggage charge 4 times.

 

[namabiru]

Yeah, that's right. Nice money maker for them.

 

[Wisnu]

They did not charge at all even overweight 5 kg. I believed they know I bring dive gear. I have heavy big luggage with PADI, Mares, Zeagle and Akona stickers.

 

[namabiru]

Yep, I had the same experience, actually. Going I had 14.8 kilo in my bag. Coming back I was at 16.2, and nothing was said. My temporary travel companion had 19.4 kilos. The lady started to say something, he adopted the 'look really sad' look (kind of like Puss in Boots on Shrek...)at the thought of not being able to check his stuff, and the threat immediately went away. I couldn't help but laugh. He would have paid, of course, but as it turns out the look sad method worked well.

 

[scorpenesub]

I travelled on AA from Kuala Lumpur LCCT to Kota Kinabalu in January 2008. Packed my backpack dive bag to 15.2kg, declared as diving equipment and paid RM30. The other bag was also filled to 15.2kg and carried as normal baggage allowance. On top of that, I had another 8kg carry on. So scuba gear is not a problem on AA.

In fact, I think AA goes to great length to take care of diving equipment because when I asked them to tag the dive bag as fragile equipment, they did so and did handled the bag with care even though I was made to sign a waiver on the carriage. My dive bag was one of the first out of the plane on arrival with the fragile equipment tape clearly seen.

Hope this info helps....

 

[chinadan]

Travel on AA extensively for the sole purpose of diving. Not once faced any problems with my gear (obviously I have no pressurized tank in my kit). As for the over-weight fee, the sad-look approach works and keeping the excess luggage receipt from your flight in (as in when you gear was dry and your wallet's content hadn't yet materialized in souvenirs) and present it to the ground staff. We have gotten away with a lot and it is a good bargaining position...

 

[ronaldsoo]

one thing you can bring on your hand carry mesh bag, dive knife.. if ever you pass thru the xray scanner, there goes your dive knife... those are check in item.

they do not allowed you to bring the tank together in any way. once i was on AA to terengganu, i was being probe, asking does my bcd contain alluminium content, i told them definitely, if not how are they gonna make it that durable, immediately they sounded unhappy. then they even ask me did i put my air tank in the mesh bag, which is around 6kg... logical thinking if they ever dive before they will know except baby tank, normal tank plus your equipment would not fit in one of the mesh bag...

god... hell a lot of experience with those so called youngsters check in staff..

 

[jenniann]

Hi!

I'm flying from Kota Bharu to KL later this month and am also striking a blank with Air Asia "customer services". I've paid for 2 checked baggs - if I pay the RM40 for sports equipment, does this give an additional 15kg baggage allowance on top of the basic i.e. 30kg in total? The web site is less than clear!

All suggestions welcome!


Many thanks,

Jen

 

[Bali Diver]

Jen

Allowance is 15kg per person and if you pay 40RM for sports gear you will have another 15kg and you are also allowed 7kg hand luggage on top.

Most airlines from the UK our allowance is only 20kg remember.

PAUL

 

[OnTheSpot]

Obviously whoever wrote the rules and regulations for AirAsia thought divers travel around with their tanks. If you won't be stopped by Customs when you scan your bags, then AirAsia shouldn't have a worry.

The worst they will do is rub their hands together about charging you for the excess weight and the per-baggage fee for every bag you check in. The excess apparently is commissionable to the check-in agent, so that gives you an idea about how lenient they will be when your weight is over 15kgs.

They give you a "discounted" rate of US$2 / kg if you check-in your baggage more than 4 hours (or online), otherwise if you do it when you check-in it's US$4 / kg over 15kg.

It's all here in black & white: AirAsia Checked Baggage Handling Fee