Korean Job Discussion Forums

[McQwaid]

I'm coming to Korea in a month. I live in Canada. I'm wondering how much luggage am I allowed to bring with me? I'm thinking that I'm gonna have at least two large suitcases. Any advice?

[ratslash]

as far as i am aware, and presuming you are coming trans-pacific, your allotted weight is two bags, each weighing up to 32kilograms. if you are taking any internal flights within canada then i am not sure of the rules. the rule above is just for your international flight.

[Guest]

Those numbers are correct, but vary by airline

You CAN bring more but will have to pay excess baggage fees

[kangnamdragon]

Just call the airline and ask the information for international flights...

[VanIslander]

I returned recently from Vancouver on Air Canada and learned how inflexible the rules are, the hard way.

Yes, the limit is two bags, 32 kg (70 lbs.) each. I knew from past experience, and observation at the airport, that if you are a kilogram or two over the limit, then some - but not all - of the ticket counter clerks will let it go through, with a verbal warning.

On this last trip I decided to pay a bit extra and go waayy overweight on the luggage. I phoned Air Canada's 1-800 number and spoke with a company representative about the details. He said I could pack my bags up to the maximum limit of 45 kg (100 lbs.) and pay a fee for the weight that's in excess of 32 kg. He quoted me a reasonable figure of a hundred-odd dollars per.

Then the airline rep offered me some advice. He informed me that at the airport, for ease of transport, the extra weight is often REMOVED from your baggage and placed in an extra cardboard box. So, he suggested, I could bring a third piece of luggage to carry the extra weight. I'm glad I didn't do so because the airport clerk acted like she had no idea what I was talking about. Yes, they have cardboard boxes there, but they are small. And, she said, if I bring a third piece of luggage it is NOT counted as extra weight from the first two pieces, but as a third piece, to be shipped by cargo, and cargo would cost over five hundred dollars.

At the airport I brought two pieces of luggage to check in, one about the maximum limit of 45 kg and one about 40 kg. I had weighed the luggage at the Greyhound depot and filled it until it was exactly 45 kg on their scale. Well, at the airport it weighed 47 kg. I was told it would have to be sent by cargo, for the five hundred-odd dollars, unless I put the extra two kgs in the other luggage. The only problem was there's absolutely no room to put it, thanks to my efficiently extreme stuffing.

The clerk made a big deal about having to do it before going to get a cardboard box. That's probably why she eyed my carry-ons and asked me to put them on the scale. I should have left them in a lounge or somewhere because, as usual, my carry-ons were each over 20 kg, filled with the heaviest small things I wanted to bring, like books. I had to remove enough weight to reach the 10 kg maximum for carry-ons. By the time I'd done that, the cardboard box was stuffed full and weighed... 34 kg. The clerk finally offered me a break and allowed the box to count as under the 32 kg maximum, and charged me only a couple hundred dollars. She said I was lucky and that I should expect to pay over $500 next time I do it.

I think it was nice of her to allow the 34 kg box (two kg over)through without charging me more and without asking that I shove it in the already overstuffed cardboard box. But if only she'd let pass the extra two kg in the weighiest luggage to begin with, there wouldn't have been a need for the whole shuffling around, and she wouldn't have noticed my carry-ons. (Or, I guess, if only I hadn't tried to reach the 45 kg limit.)

So, after all was said and done, I brought 45+40+34+10+10= 139 kg to Korea. How the heck I, by myself, got 139 kg from Incheon to this southeastern island by bus, by taxi and on foot is another story. Let's just say my shoulders still hurt two weeks later.

I've been told the maximum limits are in place to conform with rules made by the provincial worker compensation board. So, I'm not sure if Air Canada clerks in other parts of the country might be more flexible.

Next time I won't go over the limit on my check-in luggage and will keep my small but hefty carry-ons away from the check-in clerks.

[peppergirl]

Wow, you NA guys/girls are lucky! Two 32 kg bags! When travelling from Europe you only get to take 20kg! You can get away with 25 easily, once I even got away with 35, but there's no way they'll let you take more than that! Hand luggage is max 10kg, which they never check, but recently they have been pretty strict on the size restrictions for hand luggage.

Wish I could bring two 32 kg bags with me from Europe!

[waterbaby]

[camel96]

I have a buddy who works for an airline who said if you're a few kg over the limit to check in early. Especially on full flights. Apparently as more and more people check in and the plane starts to get weighed down the check in computers start putting up a message saying that baggage limits must be enforced. Korean Air from Oz lets you take 24kg. That 4kg extra makes a difference sometimes.

[desultude]

When I returned from the States this time I knew that I would be overweight (my luggage- even in the States its hard to get fat in a few weeks).

I found out that if one of my two bags was over by even a lb., it would cost me an extra $130. If I had a third piece of luggage, at a full 70 lbs, it also would cost me $130. I opted for a third piece that weighed in at over 60 lbs, and paid the $130. It was really worth it for that much stuff.

If you really want to bring more stuff, find out if this is an option. I don't regret it all all- think of what it will cost in postage and shipping to have all of the little things you need but left out sent to you, or the additional price you will pay to buy that stuff, if available, here. I left out so much stuff the first time I came over, and I know it would have been best to have brought it.

[desultude]

Oh, one more thing. The beauty of paying attention to who you fly with and accumulating frequent flyer miles is that one of the first perks you get is extra baggage. I get a full extra 10 kg. on Thai with my Silver Orchid card.

[crazylemongirl]

I lost my silver status with qantas and am back to 20kg. But my recuiter had a deal with singapore air for extra luggage.

clg

[t bear]

I was told that you can ring the airline and say that you are teaching english in korea and they will let you take more luggage. When my boyf and I can our flight was only half full and we had about 30kg of luggage each and didnt have to pay extra. That was on korean air.

[kangnamdragon]

It depends on the airline. United Air to Europe and Australia is still 70lbs/32kg per bag.

[dogbert]

There are different baggage rules for international flights to/from North America and international flights elsewhere in the world.

[kangnamdragon]

True, the US to Australia may be different from Korea to Australia. Good point.