Airlines usually apply either a weight concept or a piece concept to their baggage allowance policies. The former allows passengers to check in bags up to a total weight stipulated by the airline, and this weight can be spread across as many bags as passengers like. The latter means that passengers may check in only a limited number of bags, and each bag has a maximum weight limit stipulated by the carrier.
For example, fellow Southeast Asian flag carrier Singapore Airlines applies a weight concept on flights to and from all destinations, except to and from the United States where a piece concept applies.
Applying a piece concept helps airlines reduce costs, David Yu, adjunct professor of finance and New York University Shanghai who specialises in aviation, told Business Traveller Asia-Pacific.
“Not only does this avoid very heavy individual pieces, making it easier for logistics, but also this should mean overall less cost in terms of weight for the airline,” he said.
“More airlines are moving towards baggage by piece versus by weight concept. In general with the by weight policy, rarely does the full capacity of the weight allowance for each piece get utilised by the passenger.”
Checked baggage
With Vietnam Airlines’ new policy, business class passengers will get a free allowance of one piece of checked baggage (32kg) on domestic Vietnam routes and the carrier’s Vietnam-Southeast Asia services, and two pieces (32kg each) on routes from Vietnam to Northeast Asia, Europe, Australia and the US.
Premium economy travellers will be entitled to check one piece (32kg) of baggage on the domestic Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route, and two pieces (23kg each) on flights departing from Vietnam to Northeast Asia, Europe, Australia and the US.
Passengers travelling in economy class will get free allowance of one piece (23kg) on domestic Vietnam routes and on those from Vietnam to Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Europe and Australia, whilst they will be able to carry two pieces (23kg each) on the airline’s Japan and US services.
From August 1 to December 31 this year, economy class passengers travelling to and from Europe and Australia will get an extra piece of baggage allowance (up to 23kg). Vietnam Airlines will also offer discounts of up to 50 per cent on pre-purchase and additional baggage charges.
