Raja ampat sorong flights help

[stepfen]

Did you start from Athens to Jakarta? Did you have the 30kg confirmed on your booking? Thanks a lot for your reply!!

The full route is Chania (the city where I am staying) to Athens (operated by Aegean) to Doha to Jakarta and return all the way back to Chania. All booked in one ticket from Qatar's website.
Here is (part of) the ticket confirmation:

Even children (7 and 9 yo) have 30kg...

I recently took a similar route Frankfurt - Doha- Jakarta - Sorong with Qatar Air and Garuda in the standard Economy and also received 25kg @ Qatar Air. Seems to be standard. Also direct booking.

I also had to retrieve the luggage and check it again at both layovers in Jakarta. Same for the check in itself: I had to do two separate online check ins even though it is on the same booking.

Welcome to SB! I think collecting/retrieving luggage and checking them in again in Jakarta (or actually wherever you enter Indonesia first) before the next domestic leg is standard procedure so you clear customs at the port of entry.

No idea why you guys got 25kg. I've been doing this route with similar airlines (Qatar, Emirates, Etihad) for about 15 years now, and 30kg has been the standard for economy all this time.

 

[Andrea1]

The full route is Chania (the city where I am staying) to Athens (operated by Aegean) to Doha to Jakarta and return all the way back to Chania. All booked in one ticket from Qatar's website.
Here is (part of) the ticket confirmation:
View attachment 755865
Even children (7 and 9 yo) have 30kg...


Welcome to SB! I think collecting/retrieving luggage and checking them in again in Jakarta (or actually wherever you enter Indonesia first) before the next domestic leg is standard procedure so you clear customs at the port of entry.

No idea why you guys got 25kg. I've been doing this route with similar airlines (Qatar, Emirates, Etihad) for about 15 years now, and 30kg has been the standard for economy all this time.

With me it looks like this, no big hope for 30kg. Depends maybe from the starting point or from the aircrafts. Thanks anyway to all of you for the informations!!

 

[Seattle Shaun]

Hi folks - More garuda questions if you don't mind.....

We're flying to raja ampat final leg with Garuda from Jakarta to Sorong.

We understand the additional scuba allowance and that's cool, but we're curious about cabin hand luggage.

Normally we're allowed to bring two pieces of hand luggage aboard - a wheelie for the overhead bin and a backpack that can fit under the seat in front.

Generally we put our regs, cameras, lights, and anything with batteries plus emergency clothes change in the wheelie up to 10kg. The backpack has laptop, personal meds, book, and in flight comfort items like neck pillow - maybe 6 or 7kg.

We're being told that Garuda will only allow one hand carry cabin bag of up to 7kg total.

Is this what others have experienced? If so, how have you best handled it? We'd really prefer to be able to keep our regs and emergency clothes in the cabin with us and not subject to potential loss.

We're expecting our total luggage weight all in to be around 40kg which is under the 20+23 base allowance.

Thanks!

 

[Joneill]

Hi folks - More garuda questions if you don't mind.....

We're flying to raja ampat final leg with Garuda from Jakarta to Sorong.

We understand the additional scuba allowance and that's cool, but we're curious about cabin hand luggage.

Normally we're allowed to bring two pieces of hand luggage aboard - a wheelie for the overhead bin and a backpack that can fit under the seat in front.

Generally we put our regs, cameras, lights, and anything with batteries plus emergency clothes change in the wheelie up to 10kg. The backpack has laptop, personal meds, book, and in flight comfort items like neck pillow - maybe 6 or 7kg.

We're being told that Garuda will only allow one hand carry cabin bag of up to 7kg total.

Is this what others have experienced? If so, how have you best handled it? We'd really prefer to be able to keep our regs and emergency clothes in the cabin with us and not subject to potential loss.

We're expecting our total luggage weight all in to be around 40kg which is under the 20+23 base allowance.

Thanks!

I flew Jakarta to Sorong on Garuda (business class) in December - I checked my dive gear bag (big roller duffel) and carried on a roller suitcase and a backpack - no one weighed or measured either of the carry ons. The suitcase went in the overhead and the backpack under the seat.

 

[Cali_diver]

@Seattle Shaun I have never had them weigh my carryon... But, if you are worried about it, have one person check you both in and have the other person sit with the carryons away from the counter (but within ear shot or a wave) and then proceed to gate. People do group check-ins all the time. If it were to happen you could probably just open your bag and show them all of the equipment and say batteries and they would probably just let your go.

 

[stepfen]

I flew Jakarta to Sorong and back with Garuda last month. They did rise an eyebrow when they saw my checkin suitcase being 28kg, but I told them it is diving stuff and their eyebrow went back to normal.
They didn't weight my carry on, but in Jakarta they wanted to see/tag it.

All these years of traveling my go to strategy is this: whatever gets weighted (checked in) to be absolutely within limits - the rest (carry on) make it look as "small" and within limits as possible and hope for the best. Don't get greedy and overdo it. Usually they will not weight carry ons and you will be fine. IF they want to weight it, it will be either because it is their SOP for the day/week/month/year (in that case you can't escape) or because they suspect you overdid it.
Best chance is to be cool, polite and helpful and hope for the best. If they find out, tell them the truth (explain them it is delicate heavy equipment). If you've been nice to them, they might let you go.

@Seattle Shaun I have never had them weigh my carryon... But, if you are worried about it, have one person check you both in and have the other person sit with the carryons away from the counter (but within ear shot or a wave) and then proceed to gate. People do group check-ins all the time. If it were to happen you could probably just open your bag and show them all of the equipment and say batteries and they would probably just let your go.

I wouldn't try to hide carry ons. These people are professionals. Trying to hide from them will only make things worst if they bother to check.

 

[Cali_diver]

@stepfen I have traveled with groups so many times that I can't count. We do group check in where one person checks the group in. Often they will group the check in luggage together for the weight which is great if you have people in your group who aren't over weight and people who are. We never go over when we do this. They never look at the other people or their carryons just their passports. We don't hide we just don't crowd an already crowded counter with porters and other people who are also trying to check in. If they ask to see the people or the carry-ons (which they haven't) you just wave them over. Easy and nothing nefarious!

Side note... my husband has a bad back and will always go sit somewhere instead of stand in line. He has never been required to be present for check-in on domestic flights.

 

[Seattle Shaun]

Thank you all!
I've never had a problem traveling throughout the world, but the language on Garuda's site was unusual in my experience and I would really rather not check my reg - and can't check most of the battery gear.

We will hope for the best but have a reasonable plan in case that falls through.

Can't wait to hit the water next week!

 

[stepfen]

We do group check in where one person checks the group in.

It has never worked with my family (2 adults 2 kids) - You can't imagine how disturbing it is to queue with young kids. Maybe they do group check ins for adults and/or bigger groups - I don't know.
In any way if 2 people are traveling (as @Seattle Shaun seem to be doing) having one of them doing the check in and the other one stay further back holding the (heavy) check in bags doesn't seem to be a good tactic.

and can't check most of the battery gear.

You shouldn't.
BTW I just noticed it is your first post in ScubaBoard. Welcome!

 

[Cali_diver]

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