Hi everyone, I am a medical student from Austria doing a placement at the Princess Margaret Hospital and I have to send my Kite equipment home to Austria after my placement is finished (28.12). Unfortunately my airline asks for 40 EUR for each Kg and so the next idea was the post parcel, but the take just parcel which are not longer than one meter. I will not need my whole stuff immediately in Austria so shipping would be possible; unfortunately I have no Idea who would provide that? Please help me how I can get my Kite with me to Europe and as cheap as possible, because I am just a student. Cheers Philipp
Nah, too expensive - best just to give it away to some sad looking aussie kiter. This will do wonders for international relations and kiters will gladly welcome you back next time
since kite gear is so friggin expensive here you might be better off just selling it before your departure and buy new stuff in germany. how much excess baggage would you have if you took your kite gear with you?
I kinda had the same problem when I came here, China Airlines just allowed 20kg + hand luggage. My kite gear had 22kg, so I put all my clothing + laptop in the hand luggage. Worked pretty well without having to pay any extra fees.
I travelled heaps OS with my kites and board. What a bastard - lucky I had my wife with me and we carried both kites on as hand luggage. Works well - they squash down pretty small. It was about $40 a kilo to ship stuff to the UK last time I looked.
Theres heaps of excess baggage companies that will pick up from your home before you leave or you drop it at their depot, they then either hold it at the airport depot at your destination for you or deliver at your new home. Heres a few that people I know have used in order of most recent:www.jetta.com.au www.luggageline.com.au www.excessbaggage.com.au www.worldbaggage.com.au
don't forget to join frequent flyer programs, usually means your baggage allowance gets bumped from 20kg to 32kg
my cousin sent some kites (and lots of other stuff) home last time he was here, cost him maybe 60-100 via australia post via boat/ground
how may years did it take them to ship those? if you send kites with Aus Post, make sure you are in no hurry for them, and make sure you insure them which obviously costs more.
I sent a 17 and a 13 and a 9 via Aussie post. I made sure each package was shorter than a meter. I didn't box or wrap them, but just closed the zips and tied a knot on the drawstring. It all arrived. The only hassle was that the post office lady said someone might put drugs or something in the bags and I would get bust for it, but I thought she was paranoic and sent them anyway. Cost about $300 for the whole lot and took about a week.
Thanks for your answer; I bought a brand new Kite, board and Harness, and I really want to take it with me. Home, thanks for you for your offer Davebruce, but I need my equipment until the and of December and want to use the time with my Kite
Some airlines are pretty relaxed about people travelling with skis or snowboards - often only counting as 5kg of your baggage allowance regardless of the actual weight. Do you know who you are travelling with? Tell them you want to take a 'snowboard' back with you and see if they allow it. I doubt they'd ever check what sort of board it is...... Pacific blue allowed kite gear at 5kg of total allowance (NZ-OZ), looks like vigin atlantic allow surfboards and windsurfers free of charge- i'd ask them about kite gear.
I looked at freighting my gear over from NZ to the UK, think it was going to be about $350 NZD + ~£35 at the UK airport. Air freight was much the same price as sea. I'll be bringing my gear over with me next time.
There's always ways you can wing it and get anything you want as your checked luggage. I fly all over the world and have never paid a penny in excess luggage. Look on your airlines website at their T&C's and phone them and see what their policy is on carrying snowboards and / or golf clubs.
When I last travelled from Sydney to Cyprus I had 90kg's of luggage all up and I got the whole lot on for nought (that was a personal best I have to admit)!
Thanks for your answers, But cathay pacific ask for 40 Euros for each kg which is to much. If I have a golf bag than I would just buy 6 Kg (just if the golf bag is under 15) but they wrote me in an email back, that there a controls if it is really a golf bag. Never the less 6kg are still 240 Euro or over 400 AUD and if the get me with my Kite I would pay over 600 Euro and this is to much for a just a poor student like me *lol*.
let me know what it came down to in the end. Gonna be in WA as well, bringing my stuff with me on the plane. They just charge me 70 euro for 15 kgs sports equ. with lufthansa. which should do combined with the 20kg free. But as the flight back is with cathay pacific and they have different regulations i will have to send my stuff back as well. :( Well, that is if i don't find any poor australian local who wants to buy a set of Torchs and a nice custom shape :) What's the prices like end of the season anyways?? Is it worth a shot? what can i expect to get for 07 torches without bar end of april? would want something around 250/300 euro....(480 aus$, damn the aus$ is cheap at the moment, that could be the problem i guess...) Well anyways, let me know what u found out is the best way of doing it!!
Have fun in WA and don't work too much in that hospital!
here comes the pimp...
