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Free 23kg Baggage Allowance for Children under 23 Months @ Virgin Australia

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Just saw this in the news. Great for parents travelling with young infants.

But other than the 7kg cabin allowance and complimentary carriage of prams, car seats and strollers, these young jetsetters could never check in their own Samsonite and had to share (or hog) Mum and Dad’s baggage allowance. But Zac George in Points From The Pacific says that’s changing as Virgin Australia will now allow 23 kg of checked-in luggage plus 7kg of cabin bags plus prams and car seats for these small children regardless of fare type or class of travel (except Economy Lite fare) Small children aged twenty-three months or younger already travel for free on Virgin’s domestic flights if they do not occupy a seat. Infants jetting off internationally pay 10% of the fare excluding fees, taxes and ancillary charges.

Update Nov 2021:

From Virgin website

Infants and children are entitled to carry special items as checked baggage, free of charge, as listed below. If you're travelling with an infant, you may check in a 23kg bag as part of your special item baggage allowance (except where you are flying on an Economy Lite fare).

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  • Under 2 years of course. "under 23 months" makes no sense.

    • +8

      Makes sense to me. More than 22 months, less than 24 months. Pretty simple to understand.

      • So 23 months and 2 weeks is ok?

        • +5

          No

          • @muncan: So it’s not as simple as potplanty said…

            • -3

              @Slo20: Huh? How some ppl get through life is beyond me. And they're having kids to boot

              • @gimme: Negged by 3 people who can't figure out what <23 months means. I hope no kids for their sake.
                23mths AND 2 weeks is MORE than 23 months. Not a difficult concept.. one would assume

              • @gimme: It's best not to have kids just to boot them.

          • +1

            @muncan: How much does a 23month old infant weigh? If under 23kg then good deal.

      • +2

        So you say "under 23 months" is the same as "less than 24 months"????

        • -4

          Are you actually serious or are you poorly trolling?

          • @Tacooo: Please answer directly: headline says "under 23 months".
            Is that the same as "under 2 years"?
            Or "under 24 months"?

            • @bargaino: Headline is wrong. It's

              baggage allowance for children aged 23 months or younger.

              Are you are asking if 23 months and 5 days is included?

              I'd say yes. For example, you are 20 years old up until the day you turn 21. Just like you'd be 23 months old up until you turn 24 months.

              • +1

                @Name: No doubt that is what was intended yes, but it confuses people e.g. OP who wrote "under 23 Months".

                For example, you are 20 years old up until the day you turn 21.

                Verbal shorthand for 20 and something. Do you think An 18yo is not invited to an "over 18s" event?

    • Incorrect, the rules state 23 months or younger. Children older than 23 months are not considered infants. Read it here:
      https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/plan/specific-needs-as…

      • +1

        I travelled with my daughter just a day before she turned 2, still considered as infant and she travelled for free.

      • +2

        Children older than 23 months are not considered infants

        Yes they are. Right up until 23 months and 30 days, i.e. the day before their 2nd birthday.

        The page quoted is badly written, and confuses a lot of people, especially those not good at maths.

        Clearly by the sloppy language "23 months and under" they intended "under 24 Months, ie 2yo", not "under 1 year and 11 Months" as the post above states.
        The rules change on the kids second birthday, at midnight local time.

        • +1

          Somewhere in the world, at some point, a couple with a baby in their arms trying to check-in for that 12.05am flight:
          “what do you mean we should have bought child fare?? ”

          • @FutureTech: To be fair, they do say "date of birth", not time of birth :-)
            But I reckon you'd get away with it on the day of their second birthday.

  • +17

    So you could borrow a child to take with you, at no additional fare, and get an additional 23kg luggage allowance (plus additional 7kg carry on).
    Not a bad deal.

    • +1

      Kids under 24 months still need to pay like 10% of normal fare.

      They also can have additional allowance for baby stuff like pram,highchair, car seat etc. All on top of luggage allowance.

      • +1

        Not on Virgin domestic flights. I also wasn't charged anything for flights overseas last year with a child under 2.

      • From the deal post

        Small children aged twenty-three months or younger already travel for free on Virgin’s domestic flights if they do not occupy a seat.

    • I'm pretty sure 'borrowing a child to take with you' is kidnapping or child abduction. There's easier way to get an extra free bag on your flight. Have you the considered Velocity Frequent Flyer program?

      • Frequent flyers do not cater as well to kidnappers. This seems more of a targeted deal!

    • +2

      Cost and stress of looking after an under 2, means this is no deal.

      • Still no deal even if I got the whole plane to myself.

    • +2

      As someone who's travelled with my own infants on a plane, you couldn't pay me to beg borrow steal anyone else's. Will never go through that hell again. No deal.

  • +4

    How do they know the kid is under 2? What if my kids just age fast

    • +3

      I identify as a 22 month old child. Do I get free luggage now?

      • +1

        I identify as a 22 month old child. Do I get free luggage now?

        Depends where you live. Some states let you retrospectively change your birth certificate.

      • +1

        You're acting like a baby, I'll allow it.

      • You'll have to sit on someone's lap.

    • I also wonder this. When travelling domestically do you have to provide ID for a baby?

    • Tiger? Jetstar? One of those two airlines wouldn't let my wife board a flight with our baby once, because she couldn't prove it was under 2. From memory, it was 5 months old. No-one could ever mistake a 5 month old baby for a two year old.
      Bastards.

      • +1

        oh, Actually, I remember more details now - it was the return leg of a domestic flight. Melbourne staff let her go to Brisbane, but Brisbane staff wouldn't let her come back.

        • +1

          That's crazy. And A Current Affair bread and butter, I'd have kicked up a huge stink.

      • -1

        it was 5 months old

        Maybe identifying age is just as hard as identifying gender

  • +12

    Don’t forget to put holes in luggage for child to breath and an iPad to keep them
    Occupied

    • +2

      This is how I read it, "children are now stored in luggage compartment? perfect, no more kids kicking my seat mid-flight"

      • I prefer kids kicking my seat to screaming.

        • They stop after 20 minutes.

        • +1

          Decent headphones can block out the screaming, there's not much you can do to block out the kicking.

          • @gilbarc:

            there's not much you can do to block out the kicking

            Decent parenting?

  • right, let’s stuff bags of nappies per kid weighed just 22.9Kg in total and so darn bulky to take up all the space needed lol

  • I’d prefer not to check my infant as luggage … happy to carry-on and store overhead

    • +1

      Infants won't suddenly increase because they're allowed extra baggage. Doubt people will switch to virgin specifically because of this extra allowance.

      • +3

        Well if the reason for this promotion/deal/info is not to get more bums on seats/switch across to Virgin, what's it designed to do?

        • -1

          That may be the intent but doubt the majority flying on full service carriers will suddenly decide to switch because they get extra allowance for their infants. Infants already get tons of additional allowance on all carriers - high chairs, car seats, strollers - each can be placed in their own bags and other stuff included in there. You may see 1 out of 50 families consider this option. Perhaps if they're moving interstate or when going on extended trips. Just MHO.

          Edit: in addition, Qantas offers 3 extra checked infant items (car seat, stroller, bassinet), whereas Virgin provides only 2.

    • Eventhrough parent get extra kgs only if they have extra hand to carry to and from the airport

    • -2

      Wow so many negs coz I don't want to sit next to crying babies. Well you guys have fun on baby filled planes, I'll vote with my feet.

      • -1

        But you didn’t say “next to”. You referenced the plane.

        Even still, I think the negs are coming from the fact that your comment comes off as entitled. As if parents shouldn’t be able to take their infants on holidays because you require your sleep.

        Even before I had kids I felt sympathy for the parents dealing with crying kids on a plane before anyone else who might miss out on sleep.

      • -1

        Don't be a twat, you're entitled to your opinion but you 'negged' a deal when it should have been a 'no vote'.

      • -1

        I +ed your comments because it's the first thing I thought of instinctively. No point in pretending that people like sitting next to or in the vicinity of a crying baby - other parents included. Maybe it's a ploy to get people without babies to pay for the premium cabins.

  • +1

    It's good info but how is this a deal?

  • I thought Virgin flights included checked luggage these days.

    • Infants have never had checked baggage on any carrier as they don't pay for or occupy a seat. They will get the usual 7kg allowance.

      Some overseas carriers allowed 10kg but never any checked baggage.

      • +1

        Qantas gives you 10kg international.

        But normally you don't need checked luggage since you're going to need at least some of your kit in the cabin and you can sequester other items within checked capsule or pram.

      • Car seats, high chairs, strollers - can all be checked in for free for infants on most carriers.

      • I flew Singapore last December with my 6 month old and they gave us extra 30kg bag + pram.

  • First I need to have a baby

  • I'm flying Virgin but flying Qantas back home, so what's in it for me

    • Pay for the baggage on the Qantas flight?

      • The mrs is already paid for

  • +2

    fineprint child must be able to lift 23kg by themselves

  • +1

    buy 10kg of child transportation, get 23kg free.

  • Whats the deal? This is just the 'every day' price…….

  • +1

    I still remember the first time flying with our first child. Instead of two carry on bags, it was too full suitcases, stroller, port-a-cot, nappy bag and more. :-(

  • +1

    How can a baby under 23 Months can carry 23kg Baggage? What a useless change

  • Perfect if you have 2 kids, you can just stick one of them in the check-in luggage.

  • +1

    I'm worried about any kid that age who travels with that much luggage. Unless it's the Paris Hilton type.

  • Don't really understand why you would want it. You are already getting a pram and 7kg etc. Their clothes doesn't weigh much! An extra checked in bag is just a hassle, it's hard enough traveling with a baby.

    The only benefit I see is for people that simply want to bring extra luggage. Not related to baby, they just happened to get another free bag for other stuff. Just don't book any continuing flight (or return) with different airline, because no other airline allows this.

    Bizarre change.

    • Your practical outlook has no place on the internet

    • +1

      Nappies, wipes, formula, bottles, toys, body washes & mosturisers (as babies can't use adult ones), blankets, portable steriliser….
      Should i continue?

      I am flying with jetstar in November with a baby who will be 6 months old and litterally added a 20kg luggage just for her

      • +1

        You're crazy. But each to their own. I can't imagine if you had two kid and was bringing 4x20kg + 4x7kg + pram + potentially car seat(s) etc. What a nightmare.

        • +1

          I actually have 4 children but 3 are are over 2 and they are fine with carry on luggage for their things.

          I really don't see the point of rebuying all of this when I'm only interstate for 5 days so it's easier and cheaper to bring with me.

          Unfortunately babies aren't cheap to travel with.

          Also, with jetstar, i only get 2 baby items (pram and car seat) no 7kg luggage or anything so imagine me trying to pack my stuff as well as all my baby stuff in a 7kg bag…. it's not possible

          • @princess_nik_nak: That's a slightly different scenario then, but sure :)

            This is assuming you already have checked in luggage for the adults and hand luggage for everyone etc, before this bonus bag comes into play.

    • +2

      That's the whole idea - they get some nice publicity for something most people couldn't use. Two suitcases, pram and car seat is already hard enough to slug around the airport - how could anyone deal with another 23kg suitcase, while holding a baby?

  • What about girlfriends under 60kg - What do they get?

  • Wow great deal! Now I need to get a baby under 23 months to claim the free gifts !!

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