way around the weight restrictions on domestic airways?

Travellerette

I'm looking at the flights (Mumbai - Aurangabad and Mumbai - Goa) Deccan has some flights that are super cheap - but I read somewhere on here that there is a weight restriction of something like 15kg. I'll be in India for almost a month before and will likely be laden down with gifts....
Is there any way around the weight restriction?

edwardseco

Ship it out or store it someplace.?

shashank.aggarwal

5 KG in Hand baggage and 15 in check in luggage...you have to Pay around Rs.70 per KG for every extra kg that you carry..

They generally do not weight the hand baggage..so might escape with couple of extra kilos but thats it..

No way around that...

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mairangi_vice

Yeah, they dont weigh hand luggage, at least Ive never seen them doing that, but they might if it is obviously too big.

Some airlines are pretty lenient with the check in weight, but Deccan, unfortunately, is not one of them. Ive been stung by them with extra charges for being only 2kg over!

atala

Plan buying gifts only on your last stop on your way out. It is going to be a hassle for you to carry all that extra weight. There will be times when you look for things to discard from your luggage just to make it lighter. And from other posts I understand you will go by train too. (strongly advised ). You get everything in major cities.

Travellerette

I am packing light... but from people I know here... (that like to shop) there's great shopping all over Rajasthan. I think I was mentioned Pashmina in Varanasi, and Jaipur was just about swooned over. As much as I'm trying to pack light for my trip - I'm sure there other things that I'm gonna want to get before ending in Mumbai.

hmm - Is there a longterm baggage check in the airport at mumbai? if so is it safe? - That way I could leave a bag of goodies there while flying out of mumbai, and pick it up on my way back home.

aadil

The International Airport has a left luggage counter just outside the arrival hall at terminal 2A that charges about Rs75 for a day per bag but the train stations at CST or Mumbai Central have a similar setup called the cloak room which will charge only Rs10 per bag for each day. So it is worth keeping it at the train station. Just let them know in advance about the number of days you will be storing your luggage there and don't keep any eatables inside the bags at either of the storage places as there could be rats that can bite into your soft luggage to get at food items.

Cheers,
Aadil.

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jyotirmoy

Don't you need a railway ticket for using the cloak room facility? Or I am wrong?

machadinha

I think so, yes. I seem to remember they may not be so strict about it esp. at smaller places (Mumbai obviously isn't), but you'd be taking a gamble, worth a try though. Being a clueless tourist can work to your advantage sometimes, assuming OP is female, so much the better.

Also not sure if they like doing it longer-term, maybe Aadil knows.

On another note, your packs need to be locked, presumably to stop you from claiming anything was taken from them afterwards.

Generally at least at the budget end many guesthouses will provide luggage storage, also for non-guests, but not sure about Mumbai (there's not a lot of budgeting going on there anyway )

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MangoKulfi

Since you're flying out of Mumbai, storing a few bags at the airport storage facilities may be a good idea.

You can also choose another airline. Jet Airways allows 25kgs checked in luggage. So you have to find out which is cheaper:

Paying more and using another airline or...
Paying for extra kgs on Deccan or...
Paying the storage cost at Mumbai airport (depending on how many days you'll be gone).

Travellerette

Those are great ideas... storing an extra bag at the airport would be a perfect since that would mean one less thing to lug around with me .
I'll only need the check for about a week maximum ... I'll see how much my stuff weighs when I get there... I don't know if I'd be able to carry much more than 25kg (check+carryon) anyways .

machadinha

Travellerette, bottom line really is many people travel around there acquiring trinkets and stuff (and doing plenty of cursing in the process, no doubt). Friends of mine will either ship it home at regular intervals, or stash at some left luggage place indeed. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out when you're there, fellow travelers of whom you'll meet plenty will also be able to advise.

ps For carrying longer than any simple walk (to bus station/hotel etc.), 20 kg's is well enough yes.

(btw If you intend to acquire a lot, you'll have to deal with luggagge restrictions on your flight home as well, of course.)

aadil

At the airport it is more expensive than the train station and you can always say that you want to buy the train ticket after you store the luggage with the cloak room, I have never been asked to produce the ticket as long as I am keeping the luggage with them and you don't even have to pay for it in advance but please do inform them about how many days you want to store the bags with them or else they may think that you have disappeared and your bags may also disappear after a few days as unclaimed baggage.

Cheers,
Aadil.

Brisso

I have left luggage at Victoria Station - I was not asked to produce a ticket

Aishah

When I first came to India, I bought quite a lot of stuff but parcelled it up and sent it back as i went along - all arrived safely and I wasn't burdened with heavy bags carting around as i travelled nor overweight on planes.

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