Little Cayman Baggage Limit Question

[AggieDiver]

OK, I need a quick sanity check on something I just read on the Cayman Airways website. When we went to LC last year, the baggage limit was 1x15lb carryon and 1x55lb bag. But if I am reading it correctly, they are now saying you can bring 2 check bags as long as the total weight isn't over 55 lbs.

My question is am I reading that right? Has Cayman Airways increased the allowance to two bags? If so, any recent experience with how often one of the bags gets left behind if you split stuff into two bags and go slightly over the combined weight limit? Continental has a 50lb limit per bag ($200 per piece exceeding 50#), and I know I can't get all our dive gear, photo gear, etc for two people into 2 bags under 50 lbs (we were at 56 and 59 for our 2 bags last year and have a new WAL and dome port for the camera). If Cayman is now allowing 2 bags, I can easily get under the 50# limit on Continental by splitting into two bags and just paying the few bucks to Cayman for being over the 55# total. I will pay a fee for the 2nd bag on Continental, but the $40 fee is way less than the chance of going over $50 and having to pay $200.

 

[ronski101]

We had weight to spare going to Brac this suly now that I use a backpack with our regs, masks, computers, swim suits. I also carry part of my camera gear on my other carryon/purse?

 

[AggieDiver]

If you were riding the 737, that is not an issue. The twin otter service to LC has a strict limit of 55 lbs per person and a 15 lb carryon. So putting it all in your carryon doesn't do any good. I am not worried about paying the overage on Cayman Air, my main question is whether they have gone from 1 to 2 in the checked baggage allowance. If I go over the Cayman Air allowance, I just pay $0.50 per pound. If I go over the 50lb continental allowance on any bag, it is a $200 flat fee. The only hitch was that Cayman Air used to only allow one bag amd it was tough to keep that single bag under the 50 lb limit on continental.

 

[carriemak]

I have known divers to take 2 bags with a combined weight of 55#. The diver also had a 15# carryon. The trip was to LC and all luggage arrived and we were on the last flight of the day. This was several years ago. Don't know if that helps or not.

 

[Mike]

1-800-422-9626 Cayman Airlines Customer Service number, you might want to get your answers from them directly.

 

[-hh]

If you were riding the 737, that is not an issue. The twin otter service to LC has a strict limit of 55 lbs per person and a 15 lb carryon...

This is basically the way I see it too: the 737 flights allow two checked @ 55lbs each, but when you get onto the Twin Otter (only way to get to Little Cayman), the weight allowance drops to 55lbs total - - it doesn't seem to say either way if this must be one bag or if it can be 2 bags.

Personally, I don't see any particular reason why it can't be two, as I've had to check an extra bag/box to the Brac on occasion and haven't ever been charged specifically for it being an "extra" container.

I have known divers to take 2 bags with a combined weight of 55#. The diver also had a 15# carryon. The trip was to LC and all luggage arrived and we were on the last flight of the day. This was several years ago. Don't know if that helps or not.

I'd like to say that that level of service is as expected, but I've seen too many horror stories from other fellow travelers. I do think that they're giving Little preferential treatment vs the Brac: this past spring, we were on an early afternoon Otter that jumped Grand-Little-Brac and while the checked bags were indeed onboard for the 2-3 pax that got off at Little, utterly none of the Brac checks were onboard ... and they hadn't bothered to tell us.

When all of the passengers went into the terminal to find out where our checked bags were, the staff didn't know that there were any checked bags even missing: it turns out that CAL's baggage tracking system couldn't even tell anyone where our checked bags (last seen on Grand) even were. It became one of those "well, just check back at the airport after every flight" advisories. It turns out that what happened was that the Grand Cayman ground crew decided to just hold all Brac-bound checked bags until the night 737 Jet flight was to fly over...the same flight that they had been regularly cancelling during that slow season due to lack of passengers.

"Those Who Fly Us, Have To"
- Chris MacLaughlin (1990s Diveshop Manager, Dive Tiara)

-hh

 

[jdcpa]

You can take two bags to LC, you just have to deal with the weight issue. 70 pounds total, 55 in the plane and 15 carry on, assuming the carryon fits under the seat of the twin Otter. If not they check it for you at the door of the plane and return it to you on arrival. With all the gear we carry, we are always overweight and I have experienced the rule often.

On GC they sometimes, in fact most times, they charge you for the over weight. Sometimes not. Sometimes they weigh your carry on, sometimes not. I have never seen them not weigh your luggage on the way out of LC.

As far as when the luggage gets there, it is hit and miss. I think the priority to get luggage to LC is correct, particularly on the last flight of the day to LC. The jet service to the Brac can handle all of the excess luggage headed there, assuming it runs that day.

Most times the late luggage gets to LC on the first flight the next day, but I have had some come later.

I have even had luggage not get over to GC from LC on time. So expect to expect nothing in regard to your luggage. Yes, far more often there are not any issues, but don't expect it. Reef Divers has been good in the past holding a boat for those with late luggage.

And yes, tracking it is a futile effort. You might as well track uncorns.

And don't ask me about their frequent flyer program. We have four members that have all flown exactly the same legs, yet all four have different mileage in the program, none of which are correct. Trying to correct their errors is far harder than tracking luggage.

I enjoy Cayman Airways, they are fun to watch, just don't take them too seriously, it will make your head explode.

 

[carriemak]

@jdcpa - more times than not we have our luggage weighed going from LC to GC. People in our group have paid for overweight leaving LC but none that I can remember have paid leaving GC to LC. Must be the luck of the draw for agents! Part of the Cayman adventure is the Otter & whether or not your stuff will arrive when you do!

When are you returning to LC?

 

[Patthefish]

Yes you can take two bags. The weight thing depends on how full the flight is. I would MAKE SURE the stuff you absolutely need the first day is in your carry on. They do try hard to get things to you later the same day, but... as for fitting under the seat in the Twin Otter, be real. Almost NOTHING fits under those seats. Don't worry. Caymanians are nice & try hard & everything will work out in the end. Just get into island mode before you go.

 

[AggieDiver]

Oh everything went fine. We took 3 bags between the 2 of us and all 3 were under 50 lbs, but our total was over the 55#s per person and they never charged us anything, coming or going. Unfortunately we left our extra c5050 body at home and flooded the camera on day 1. So we got to try out a Canon G12 rental system they had. Ended up getting some really nice photos, but missed the 4 flamingo tongues lined up on one stalk of coral on the dive before we rented the camera. Guess we will just have to go back and try again next time...