Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cherbear]

Did anyone else get hit with crazy luggage fees when returning or going to Korea? Or anywhere else?

I recently returned to Canada about a month ago and was hit with $500 in excess luggage fees. The airlines have reduced their luggage allowance so many of them now only allow 20kg per person. That's about only one suitcase. I had 41kg and I thought I was doing pretty good since that was less than when I came over. Oh, an only had to pay $50 for being 10lbs over. And my boss didn't even bother telling me that it was only 20kg, otherwise I would have tried to reduce way more. I was so pissed! The worst part was that I wasn't even going straight home, but took a two week stop in England. So going home from there I had to pay excess luggage again! Although I had managed to reduce enough to get it down to only $250.

I'm planning on going to Korea again soon and I'm scared about what the hell I'm going to do it this luggage situation is true for most airlines. How can you bring a years worth of stuff when you only get around 20kg? I think I'm going to be paying again.

[justaguy]

It's 22.8-23kg or 50 lbs per checked bag among most major airlines. You are usually allowed 2 checked bags. One carry on.

[blackjack]

depends where you are from.

Everyone else from non NA countries get ~20 kg total (thats everything but carry on).

The reason the op got hit was because he flew into england first

[Scouse Mouse]

It is probably a combination of going to the UK (always a 20kg limit there) and flying from Korea (they love to stick to their rules here). Flying out of the UK I was 12Kg over, wearing 4 layers of clothes and carrying around 12kg of hand luggage. I arrived early and was extra nice to the check-in woman at Manchester, and she charged me nothing (though did tell me to go easy on the duty frees if I wanted to get the hand luggage through Frankfurt).

Flying back to the UK last year I had almost empty suitcases, so no problems there... I then went nuts packing even more of my clothes and was way overweight again (especially as I was bringing one of my guitars over this time). Same thing happened... be nice, be early, no problems.

[Cherbear]

Actually, it has more to do with the whether or not you fly overseas. If I were to fly somewhere in North America you would have gotten a bigger luggage allowance. My parents flew to Mexico--from Canada--on the same airline and got twice as much luggage allowance.

[Joe666]

Got nailed for about 120 USD departing for the hermit kingdom. 50lbs maximum. One of my bags was 54lbs. Even if you are 1lb over, they nail you.

[Robot_Teacher]

If it's just 4 pounds, can you drop it or stuff some into your carry on and then retry at checking in? $120 US is too much for 4 pounds over.

Better post any extras home.

[Joe666]

Robot_Teacher - I thought of that, but all I had for carry on was a laptop case (bag). I don't think I would have made it. You're right, it's just 4 lbs, so by that thinking, just let it slide at the check in counter. No! Milk the public for every dime. My ass is still killing me!

I do plan to send some weight home prior to departing the Hermit Kingdom.

[harlowethrombey]

Next time arrive early and if you have no other choice run to the post office and just mail a box of the heavier items home by sea. Much cheaper.

yesterday I had the whole bag-switching thing going on with my g/f at the airport. her bag was 5K over and it took a half hour to reorgnize it. Now I'm mailing some shoes and assorted souveniers to Japan

[the ireland]

it's always 20-23kg depending on the airling when flying from u.k or ireland. i'd imagine it's why you got screwed, b.a allow 23kilos i believe but most others (airfrance, aerlingus etc) only allow 20kg.

you can haggle it though, two of us going over were 15kg over and they wanted �30 a kilo, we paid them �50 altogether, at the end of the day, if the flight is not full they can afford more luggage weight and �50 is a bonus they weren't expecting before we checked in.

oh and i agree with the other comment about checking in early, but also be very smiley, happy, and well dressed (it's amazing what that will do for you)

[Jane]

Rugaji Pee!

I have a friend who used to do checkin at Incheon Airport. He said he was instructed to always charge foreigners for overweight luggage, as Koreans will only complain and refuse to pay. In fact, my friend has let Koreans get away with sometimes 50 extra kgs!
Koreans will pull out excuses left and right why they can't pay:

"I'm a student!"
"I don't have any money!"
"I don't have a credit card!"
"Come on! We are both Korean!"

He's seen everything too...fake tickets..fake documents...no documents.

Funny story:
He was checking in this Korean family; two parents and a son. The parents had Korean passports and the kid had a US passport (must be a maternity vacation baby!). My friend looked at the kids passport: He had overstayed his sojourn in Korea by 12 YEARS! When my friend pointed this out to his parents all the said was: "But he's Korean! Look at him!" My friend tried his best to explain that the kid was not Korean, and held a US passport, and then sent them on their way to immigration.

The family came back a little later to checkin again. Apparently the penalty for a 12 year overstay is 200,000won.

[DeLaRed]

it's always been 20kg for Brits.....how come the Americans always get double? What do you need 40kg for? Of course it's quite useful when you're moving overseas but 40kg is quite a lot for normal travel nevertheless I often saw American tourists carrying a couple heavy suitcases for a short holiday.

[Robot_Teacher]