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PEEVED passengers are speaking out against a new decision by Tiger Airways to charge for checked luggage.
Some travellers are calling the new ruling, which came into effect on May 29, unreasonable and wondering how they will be able to keep to the budget carrier's limit of 7kg for hand baggage.
'If it is called a budget airline, it (Tiger) should stick to being budget,' said housewife Kim Chea, 47, before boarding a flight from Changi Airport to Perth, Australia, on Thursday. 'Otherwise, there is no point in us picking it over the major airlines.'
Tiger used to give its customers a 15kg complimentary baggage allowance, but has cut back to reduce fuel and ground handling costs, the airline said.
Now, it costs between $5 and $40 to check in luggage if you notify the airline at least 72 hours before take-off.
If not, the charges are higher - $20 for the first 15kg and $12 per kg after that.
One man, who was flying from Changi, said those provisions will result in some guesswork for passengers.
'It is not fair to penalise us if we predict wrongly the weight of our supposed luggage,' said Mr Shiong, who wanted to be known only by his family name.
'It will be very restrictive. On holidays, I will not be able to buy more souvenirs for friends.'
Others also said that keeping to the 7kg hand luggage limit is going to be a tall order.
Mrs Chea said: 'If you go to Perth during this time, when it is colder, your luggage will definitely be heavier than 7kg as you have to pack winter clothes as well.'
Mr Zhang Gao Shi, 69, a businessman who was travelling to Darwin, Australia, said he had mixed feelings about the charge.
'This is an open market so if we do not agree with this policy, we can always choose other airlines.'
Then again, he said, what's to stop the airlines from tacking on more fees and surcharges? 'If prices keep going up, budget will not be budget any more.'
When contacted by The Straits Times, a Tiger Airways spokesman said excess baggage raises fuel and handling costs.
She said: 'By separating the cost components of air travel, passengers pay for only what they use, instead of having to subsidise other travellers.'
Encouraging passengers to carry only what they need lowers operating costs 'which in turn translates to cost savings for customers', she added.
Airlines around the world are grappling with rising jet fuel prices which have doubled in the last one year. They are pulling out all the stops to cushion the impact - cutting routes and capacity, grounding aircraft, holding off on new planes and, in some cases, axing jobs.
Apart from Tiger, some other carriers in the United States and Europe have also revised their baggage policies.
Other airlines that serve Singapore said they have no immediate plans to follow suit. The list includes Singapore Airlines, Qantas, British Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways.
karam@sph.com.sg
leepq@sph.com.sg
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