Free extra baggage allowance for migrants (40kg)

[Guest]

I think someone asked recently which airlines offer extra free baggage allowance for those migrating.

I asked the question to Singapore airlines, here is their answer.. Note visas must be permanent resident status:-

"Kindly note, if you hold an unused/unstamped/not validated migrant visa that specifically states that you are permitted to remain in Australia / permanently for flights departing from London/Manchester you will then be entitled to our migrant baggage allowance (i.e. 40 kilos per seat paying passenger)

This baggage allowance will only be granted when you check in at the airport when this visa is sighted and checked that it has also not been travelled on before, this has to be the first time it is being used.

You can have as many items of checked luggage as you wish provided: 

•       The total combined weight of all the items put together does not exceed your total checked allowances 

•       No single item of baggage exceeds 32 kilos in weight, as a health and safety requirement

If you are not holding the correct visa mentioned above at check-in, then you will be entitled to the standard free checked baggage allowance of 30 kilos per seated passenger. 

For reference, for flights between the United Kingdom and Perth the excess baggage charge is USD 85.. Per kilo which is approximately GBP…66… per kilo. Please note excess baggage is charged at check in on your day of departure using the applicable currency exchange rates for that day.

We hope the above information helps .

Thank you for choosing Singapore Airlines."

[evets]

You should also note, as I found out, you may have bought the flight on Singapore Airlines then find out the actual flight is with Virgin. Who do not have the same baggage allowance in place and as such will want to charge you the excess baggage fees.

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, evets said:

You should also note, as I found out, you may have bought the flight on Singapore Airlines then find out the actual flight is with Virgin. Who do not have the same baggage allowance in place and as such will want to charge you the excess baggage fees.

Our flight is definitely Singapore Airlines. We've taken this flight many times.

[Guest]

That's pretty much their stock reply.

As said (for the benefit of others who may be considering this) code sharing flights don't have to honour this agreement. Nor do domestic airlines. It is only flights on Singapore Airlines planes. Singapore airlines have gotten much stricter in recent years with their allowance and reduced it from double to an extra 10kg when they increased their economy allowance. They also seemed to have stopped the goodwill gestures of an extra 5kg if you've already validated that some people used to get. 

FWIW I think you can still get a double allowance (so 60kg per person possibly) using the IOM services. Although routes and airlines will be set. Also it can be used even if visa has been validated so long as you didn't use IOM before to make that first entry trip.

http://australia.iom.int/travel-assistance

 

[Guest]

Just to be clear I didn't say that code sharing airlines offer this. I've never thought this myself and don't really understand why anyone would (each airline has their own set of policies).

It might be a 'stock reply' however thought it would be helpful for someone as it is helpful for us. 

Edited May 30, 2017 by Guest

[Guest]

It is helpful. I recall learning about it on here myself when I was looking to migrate. Its come up many times over the years with various airlines (though some no longer offer the migrant allowance now).

I was just wanting to clarify for others reading who may not be aware about code sharing and the pros and cons or domestic transfers. 

I tacked on about IOM and its migrant fares and extra baggage allowance. It could also be handy for people who have already validated their visas but not yet migrated I seem to recall.

Singapore Airlines its only an unvalidated visa for the extra allowance. IOM its still possible for the allowance so long as you didn't use them for the validation trip according to their website. If the luggage allowance is still as generous as it was, it could mean a lot more baggage which could work out cost effective for a family flying over say. If people want to look into it they can.

If it's a double allowance of baggage with IOM say then 20kg or 30kg per person extra with IOM over the 10kg extra with Singapore airlines (or none if already validated the visa) may work out well depending on the cost of the flights (and airlines charging a fair whack of £££ per kilo for excess over their baggage limit). Shipping an excess bag costs £100 plus too (probably more than this now as it was a few years ago we last used the service).

I know the downside to IOM is routes/flights are limited, iirc its Emirates and one or two other airlines that work with them but things could have changed since I last really got to grips with it. I looked into IOM when we moved over but as I was the only one with a visa I didn't see the point as I had double allowance with Singapore airlines at the time anyways and liked that route. 

[Guest The Pom Queen]

14 hours ago, evets said:

You should also note, as I found out, you may have bought the flight on Singapore Airlines then find out the actual flight is with Virgin. Who do not have the same baggage allowance in place and as such will want to charge you the excess baggage fees.

We had this recently but the other way around we were Virgin platinum members and travelling business using our points. Therefore we should have been entitled to 3 x 32kg each, when we checked in even though the flight code is VA it was using Singapore Airlines who wanted to charge us excess because we had 9 bags at 32kg and they said we were only entitled to 6 x 23kg. We did argue it and eventually the staff were lovely and let us through but that was after the manager got involved and I don't know if we would get away with it again. 

I always thought if you booked through that airline and your code flight was VA then their rules applied. Unfortunately it doesn't seem the case.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

6 hours ago, Ozzie said:

Just to be clear I didn't say that code sharing airlines offer this. I've never thought this myself and don't really understand why anyone would (each airline has their own set of policies).

It might be a 'stock reply' however thought it would be helpful for someone as it is helpful for us. 

It is helpful @Ozzie 

We were ones caught out because we booked direct with the airline on a VA flight, it use to be if you booked with the airline but it was a different flight code then those rules applied. 

We did use Singapore when we migrated years ago, back then they wouldn't put it in writing so the information will be good for people to have printed out

[Guest The Pom Queen]

@snifter I totally forgot about domestic routes because that was something else we got stung with when we lived in Cairns because you had to fly in to the international airport and collect bags at Brissy and then fly on domestic flights which had a strict 23kg limit.

[Jellica]

Just wanted to update this to add that we got the same response today from Singapore Airlines regarding the 40kg migrant baggage allowance.

They also confirmed for me that both of our flights are operated by Singapore Airlines and not codeshares.

now we just have to haul it all to the airport :)

[JetBlast]

On 18/05/2019 at 06:37, Jellica said:

Just wanted to update this to add that we got the same response today from Singapore Airlines regarding the 40kg migrant baggage allowance.

They also confirmed for me that both of our flights are operated by Singapore Airlines and not codeshares.

now we just have to haul it all to the airport

Just a slight correction. You get 10KG in addition to your existing allowance. So if you get a basic economy ticket you get 30+10 = 40KG. It's not a flat 40KG allowance.

Some economy and premium economy tickets have 35KG. So you will get 45KG total.

Business class you get 40KG plus your addition 10KG totalling 50KG.

First class you get 50KG plus 10KG totalling 60KG.

https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/au/travel-info/baggage/checked-baggage/

 

Don't forget your cabin baggage allowance. Depending on your ticket you can get between 7 - 14KG in the cabin as well.

https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/au/travel-info/baggage/cabin-baggage/

[Judy]

On 18/05/2019 at 06:37, Jellica said:

Just wanted to update this to add that we got the same response today from Singapore Airlines regarding the 40kg migrant baggage allowance.

They also confirmed for me that both of our flights are operated by Singapore Airlines and not codeshares.

now we just have to haul it all to the airport

Don't forget the weight restrictions of 32 kg on individual items due to health and safety 

[TBahaduri]

I am not sure if these baggage allowances have had any changes now in 2021?Does anyone know? 

Say I have 30Kg allowance current but migrating to Aust with a valid visa. what is the extra baggage allowance for migrating travellers now in 2021? 

and hand carry too - any changes? does anyone know? 

[Nemesis]

2 hours ago, TBahaduri said:

I am not sure if these baggage allowances have had any changes now in 2021?Does anyone know? 

Say I have 30Kg allowance current but migrating to Aust with a valid visa. what is the extra baggage allowance for migrating travellers now in 2021? 

and hand carry too - any changes? does anyone know? 

Depends on the airline.