Air Niugini warning

sailordiver@msn.com · 21st January 2010, 02:30

Was just in PNG. Going in from LA on Qantas my excess baggage charge was $417 USD. Leaving on Air Niugini, which is a partner of Qantas, I was charged 9,000 Kina, which is $3,400 USD. No amount of cajoling, pleading, or stating my case that no other airline in the world would charge even 1/3 that much had any effect. The woman behind the counter was figuring out the charges on a piece of paper and kept crossing out numbers and writing higher ones for the total excess amount. Then security came over and demanded to look in my rebreather case. It had already been thoroughly gone through at the security checkpoint 20’ away. This added time pressure as he demanded I pull every single meticulously packed part out of the case and show it to him… while it was already on the conveyer belt. Then the manager was called in and she was obstinate, rude, and totally disinterested in making any sort of compromise. It was like talking to a water buffalo. The flight was to start boarding in 5 min. and I ended up paying the $3500 vowing never to set foot in PNG again. If you are diving with Craig Dewitt on Golden Dawn, he can get you a reduction but I don’t know how much of one. I would check with him in advance before going…
Just wanted to let you all know.

RebreatherNut · 21st January 2010, 02:59

WOW!!!!

That sucks!
Sorry to hear about your experience with that airline.
I don´t know if writing a letter might help, probably a hopeless cause.

How much weight in excess baggage did you have?

RBN

sailordiver@msn.com · 21st January 2010, 06:19

I was 87 kilos over. Their max for divers is 35 and I had 122. I did write an email which they answered promptly so we'll see if anything comes of it.

jkaterenchuk · 21st January 2010, 12:01

Quote: (Originally Posted by sailordiver@msn.com)

I was 87 kilos over. Their max for divers is 35 and I had 122. I did write an email which they answered promptly so we'll see if anything comes of it.

Thanks for the warning.

The website says 2 bags at max 32kg each.

Joining the Executive club gives you more allowance but it does not say how much. Also could not find what they charge for excess baggage weight.

Since you knew you would be over weight did you check the charges and rules in advance?

So how was the trip and the diving?

John

**wookie** · 21st January 2010, 13:01

Holy crap, I've been to New Guinea more than once and never had a problem like that. I hope you put it on a credit card. I'd be getting those charges reversed right away, and let AMEX fight it out with Air Niugini. AMEX will fight for you for what is reasonable and customary, especially if Air Niugini doesn't have the overweight charges posted.

silent running · 21st January 2010, 13:02

Hi Steve, very sorry to hear about your getting fleeced. Air Nuigini is the reason I have not been to PNG in several years and why I have spent so much time in in Indonesia. Their monopoly on the international air route and their accompanying high fares is the main obstacle to having more PNG dive tourism.

How is Craig? Did he dive CCR with you? How was the diving? -Andy

bambang · 22nd January 2010, 00:53

Crap, sorry to hear that. I had received below information in October, thinking about posting but I did not think anybody would need it.

If you wanna go to Port Moresby, the cheapest (not the easiest) is by Manokwari (Indonesia) with Ferry.

So from LA you can do : LAX-SIN-DPS-Manokwari or LAX-HKG-DPS-Manokwari or NRT,ICN. Most big airlines go to Denpasar, and from there you take Lion airline to Manokwari ( Dont worry, it is Boeing 737-900) From Manokwari you take the Pelni ferry to Port Moresby ( two days or something) the biggest advantage of doing this is there will be no limit in cargo. The ferry is ro ro vessel (roll in roll out) so it can carry trucks, vehicles etc... surely no problem for them carrying CCR gear.

Drmike · 22nd January 2010, 02:44

Quote: (Originally Posted by sailordiver@msn.com)

Was just in PNG. Going in from LA on Qantas my excess baggage charge was $417 USD. Leaving on Air Niugini, which is a partner of Qantas, I was charged 9,000 Kina, which is $3,400 USD. .

I was charged more than that in excess to fly my dive gear singapore to uk on singapore airlines......5000USD iirc return flight I chose to send it back unaccompanied (that only cost me around 900usd IIRC)

sailordiver@msn.com · 22nd January 2010, 03:20

Quote: (Originally Posted by Drmike)

I was charged more than that in excess to fly my dive gear singapore to uk on singapore airlines......5000USD iirc return flight I chose to send it back unaccompanied (that only cost me around 900usd IIRC)

Where did you find such a cheap price? From the airline that wanted to charge $5000 or elsewhere? Thanks...

Drmike · 23rd January 2010, 03:46

Quote: (Originally Posted by sailordiver@msn.com)

Where did you find such a cheap price? From the airline that wanted to charge $5000 or elsewhere? Thanks...

elsewhere. theres often an unaccompanied luggage shipping company at airports - i often use them on return flight as it has taken up to a week for stuff to arrive

21st January 2010, 02:30	#1 (permalink)
sailordiver@msn.com RBW Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Marina del Rey, CA USA Posts: 92	Air Niugini warning Was just in PNG. Going in from LA on Qantas my excess baggage charge was $417 USD. Leaving on Air Niugini, which is a partner of Qantas, I was charged 9,000 Kina, which is $3,400 USD. No amount of cajoling, pleading, or stating my case that no other airline in the world would charge even 1/3 that much had any effect. The woman behind the counter was figuring out the charges on a piece of paper and kept crossing out numbers and writing higher ones for the total excess amount. Then security came over and demanded to look in my rebreather case. It had already been thoroughly gone through at the security checkpoint 20’ away. This added time pressure as he demanded I pull every single meticulously packed part out of the case and show it to him… while it was already on the conveyer belt. Then the manager was called in and she was obstinate, rude, and totally disinterested in making any sort of compromise. It was like talking to a water buffalo. The flight was to start boarding in 5 min. and I ended up paying the $3500 vowing never to set foot in PNG again. If you are diving with Craig Dewitt on Golden Dawn, he can get you a reduction but I don’t know how much of one. I would check with him in advance before going… Just wanted to let you all know.
(Online)

21st January 2010, 02:59	#2 (permalink)
RebreatherNut Casual Sport Kiss Pilot Sport Kiss Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 991	Re: Air Niugini warning WOW!!!! That sucks! Sorry to hear about your experience with that airline. I don´t know if writing a letter might help, probably a hopeless cause. How much weight in excess baggage did you have? RBN
(Offline)

21st January 2010, 06:19	#3 (permalink)
sailordiver@msn.com RBW Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Marina del Rey, CA USA Posts: 92	Re: Air Niugini warning I was 87 kilos over. Their max for divers is 35 and I had 122. I did write an email which they answered promptly so we'll see if anything comes of it.
(Online)

21st January 2010, 12:01	#4 (permalink)
jkaterenchuk RBW Member HammerMeg Kiss Classic, Inspiration Join Date: May 2006 Location: PA Posts: 2,189	Re: Air Niugini warning Quote: (Originally Posted by sailordiver@msn.com) I was 87 kilos over. Their max for divers is 35 and I had 122. I did write an email which they answered promptly so we'll see if anything comes of it. Thanks for the warning. The website says 2 bags at max 32kg each. Joining the Executive club gives you more allowance but it does not say how much. Also could not find what they charge for excess baggage weight. Since you knew you would be over weight did you check the charges and rules in advance? So how was the trip and the diving? John Last edited by jkaterenchuk : 21st January 2010 at 12:07.
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21st January 2010, 13:01	#5 (permalink)
wookie Supporting Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Houston Posts: 84	Re: Air Niugini warning Holy crap, I've been to New Guinea more than once and never had a problem like that. I hope you put it on a credit card. I'd be getting those charges reversed right away, and let AMEX fight it out with Air Niugini. AMEX will fight for you for what is reasonable and customary, especially if Air Niugini doesn't have the overweight charges posted.
(Offline)

21st January 2010, 13:02	#6 (permalink)
silent running Mature mouth breather Prism Dolphin Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: U.S.A. Brooklyn, New York Posts: 2,050	Re: Air Niugini warning Hi Steve, very sorry to hear about your getting fleeced. Air Nuigini is the reason I have not been to PNG in several years and why I have spent so much time in in Indonesia. Their monopoly on the international air route and their accompanying high fares is the main obstacle to having more PNG dive tourism. How is Craig? Did he dive CCR with you? How was the diving? -Andy
(Offline)

22nd January 2010, 00:53	#7 (permalink)
bambang RBW Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Jakarta Posts: 78	Re: Air Niugini warning Crap, sorry to hear that. I had received below information in October, thinking about posting but I did not think anybody would need it. If you wanna go to Port Moresby, the cheapest (not the easiest) is by Manokwari (Indonesia) with Ferry. So from LA you can do : LAX-SIN-DPS-Manokwari or LAX-HKG-DPS-Manokwari or NRT,ICN. Most big airlines go to Denpasar, and from there you take Lion airline to Manokwari ( Dont worry, it is Boeing 737-900) From Manokwari you take the Pelni ferry to Port Moresby ( two days or something) the biggest advantage of doing this is there will be no limit in cargo. The ferry is ro ro vessel (roll in roll out) so it can carry trucks, vehicles etc... surely no problem for them carrying CCR gear.
(Offline)

22nd January 2010, 02:44	#8 (permalink)
Drmike Anne Marie Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: tokyo Posts: 3,716	Re: Air Niugini warning Quote: (Originally Posted by sailordiver@msn.com) Was just in PNG. Going in from LA on Qantas my excess baggage charge was $417 USD. Leaving on Air Niugini, which is a partner of Qantas, I was charged 9,000 Kina, which is $3,400 USD. . I was charged more than that in excess to fly my dive gear singapore to uk on singapore airlines......5000USD iirc return flight I chose to send it back unaccompanied (that only cost me around 900usd IIRC)
(Offline)

22nd January 2010, 03:20	#9 (permalink)
sailordiver@msn.com RBW Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Marina del Rey, CA USA Posts: 92	Re: Air Niugini warning Quote: (Originally Posted by Drmike) I was charged more than that in excess to fly my dive gear singapore to uk on singapore airlines......5000USD iirc return flight I chose to send it back unaccompanied (that only cost me around 900usd IIRC) Where did you find such a cheap price? From the airline that wanted to charge $5000 or elsewhere? Thanks...
(Online)

23rd January 2010, 03:46	#10 (permalink)
Drmike Anne Marie Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: tokyo Posts: 3,716	Re: Air Niugini warning Quote: (Originally Posted by sailordiver@msn.com) Where did you find such a cheap price? From the airline that wanted to charge $5000 or elsewhere? Thanks... elsewhere. theres often an unaccompanied luggage shipping company at airports - i often use them on return flight as it has taken up to a week for stuff to arrive
(Offline)

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