subject: International drive to clarify excess baggage rules [print this page] International drive to clarify excess baggage rules
One of the most confusing aspects of travelling abroad no matter where the destination is the myriad of often conflicting baggage rules which passengers, and air freight and international shipping companies alike all have to navigate.
It often means these days that planning a route for an international shipping consignment is the easy part. The more difficult work comes in ensuring that shipped items conform with the appropriate rules on every leg of their journey.
The airline industry itself has admitted that the growing complexity of various companies' rules for transporting freight could ultimately represent a barrier to companies and individuals engaging in worldwide shipping and so ultimately inhibit the growth of their business. Services are different depending on the country so if you are sending to countries such as China and the US you need to seek advice from professionals.
But now IATA, the International Air Transport Association, has implemented the latest phase of its program which it calls Simplifying the Business', which aims to demystify many of the processes involved in shipping worldwide freight. Its CEO and Director General, Giovanni Bisignani, says the situation has become so confused that travellers often turn up for a journey simply not knowing what limitations they are going to face on the amount and types of goods which they will be allowed to carry.
So IATA has devised its Automated Carrier Baggage Rules (ACBR), a unified and complete list of the varying rules and fees which passengers and freight forwarders alike can simply consult, and determine what, if any, excess baggage fees they will be liable to, before buying a ticket. And the rules can be ascertained for even the most complicated journey. The central database containing all the relevant information has been compiled by the Airline Tariff Publishing Company (ATPCO). Airlines are being asked to submit their excess baggage guidelines to ATPCO for inclusion on the database, which will go live in early 2011.
It is expected that airlines and travel agents will update their reservations and booking systems to link directly to the database, and this will allow them to enhance their service to passengers through them being able to instantly advise them of appropriate fees and allowances at the time they make a booking.
This clarification of the various rules is expected to bring cost savings for the international shipping industry which will add to those already achieved through other Simplifying the Business' initiatives, including the introduction of standardised, bar coded boarding passes, and improvements in the procedures for baggage handling.
Whenever you need services such as luggage shipping to USA and want to choose from the most trustworthy shipping companies, be sure to use a company which will offer a choice of services including shipping to China services to meet your needs.
