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baggage allowance on Air Canada for new immigrants

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iamifun View Drop Down
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    Posted: 30 Apr 2010 at 9:43am
Is it true that new immigrants have a larger baggage allowance? All I could gather from the Air Canada website was the regular amount of 2 bags 23kg each. However, my wife told me that someone informed her she could bring 2 bags of 30kg each... ughhh so confusing... if only she was gold member like me =(

IT
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chipsfan7mary4 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chipsfan7mary4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2010 at 10:03am
Here is a link.  There is not a extra baggage allowance for new immigrants according to the Air Canada link.

http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/airport/baggage/checked.html


Edited by chipsfan7mary4 - 30 Apr 2010 at 10:04am
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Harmonia View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Harmonia Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2010 at 11:39am
AirCanada charges an arm and a leg for overweight baggage.
It's much cheaper to mail things overseas, of you have excess.
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rbenoit View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rbenoit Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2010 at 1:06pm
There is not a extra baggage allowance for new immigrants with any airline that I am aware.
If you need to bring extra it is best to ship it as a package in the postal freight mail system.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EgyCan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 May 2010 at 3:52am
Nothing saying this but a post here

http://www.immigration.ca/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2601&title=landed-notes-on-process


Edited by EgyCan - 22 May 2010 at 3:53am
At CPC-M:Dec 17,2009
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boundary47 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote boundary47 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 May 2010 at 10:35am
Air Canada check-in staff in Shanghai told my wife she is allowed two checked bags, each 32 kg.  This differs from AC's website, which makes no mention of a special allowance for immigrants. They carefully checked her carry-on bag and made her remove things from it to make if fit into the "testing frame".  The annoying thing about this is that I had previously checked her carry-on bag with a tape measure and found it to be within the allowable 9" x 16" x 23" limit. But they had no problem allowing her to put the "extras" into her checked bag, bringing it above what I thought was the allowable limit of 23 kg.   
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote redeagle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 May 2010 at 3:47pm
Depending on different bookings, baggage allowances differ. As for immigrants, why would air Canada or any other airline for that matter care? New immigrants are nothing more than passengers.
"Will this matter a year from now?"
Probably, this is gonna be a one hell of a long journey.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote boundary47 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 2010 at 12:45am
That was my reasoning, too.  But obviously, I was wrong.  On Chinese language immigration websites, it's apparently common knowledge that AC allows economy-class passengers who are immigrants to carry bags as heavy as those allowed for their "Elite" passengers. These Elite passengers (you qualify if you flew enough miles in the previous year) are allowed three 32-kg bags, even when flying economy, as opposed to two 23 kg bags for non elite passengers flying economy.  According to Air China's website, Air China immigrant passengers to Canada (in some cases Air China's flights are just seats sold on regular Air Canada flights by Air China) ARE allowed to carry two 32 Kg bags. Air Canada's site makes no mention of this, but the check-in staff obviously know about it.  I can't understand why they would allow this unless they think it will encourage these passengers to fly AC when they return to China to visit.  But I doubt there's any loyalty to AC generated by this.
B47
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EgyCan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 2010 at 1:23pm
I called aircanda today. They have no clue!
At CPC-M:Dec 17,2009
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote boundary47 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 May 2010 at 9:38am
Part of the confusion could be that Air Canada does NOT actually have an immigrant baggage allowance, but that other carriers who sell seats on Air Canada's flights DO have such a policy.  In our case, we know that Air China sells seats on AC flights between a few Canadian and Chinese cities.  And Air China does allow economy class passengers to check two pieces of luggage each weighing 32 Kg.  

So how can this difference exist, and why the confusion? Here's my theory.  AC's website says that the baggage allowance for "code share carriers" is whatever each code share carrier allows. A code share carrier is an airline that buys a block of seats on on Air Canada flights, then resells them as "Air China flight XXX" or whatever.   The check-in staff at Shanghai International Airport handle both Air Canada and Air China passengers checking in for flights on the same planes to Vancouver and Toronto.  So they are accustomed to allowing 32 Kg bags for Air China passengers, and for "Elite" Air Canada passengers flying either first class or economy class.  That leaves Air Canada passengers flying economy class as the only ones who are limited to 23 Kg bags, and maybe the check-in staff just ignore the 23 Kg weight limit? After all, it seems discriminatory to allow it for some passengers, including economy passengers who may be sitting beside Air Canada economy passengers and paying almost the same price for their tickets. There's no doubt that Air Canada charges a hefty "overweight fee" for those whose checked baggage exceeds the weight limit -- I think it's $175 per bag.

If anyone is travelling from China to Canada, or from some other country which is serviced by code share flights for another airline that buys blocks of seats on Air Canada flights, they should check the baggage allowance for the code share carrier, and perhaps buy their ticket from the code share carrier. That way, they can be certain they'll get the heavier baggage allowance.
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