Cargo freight details

[hakkaboy]

Dear all, I arrived in Kunming on the 19th December with the 29 kg that I brought with me. The other 136 kg arrived a day later. I thought some other people might be interested in details of cargo freight to China. I contacted Air China in London and had to hand in the freight luggage in advance. They charge only £1.50 per kg, but there are a number of standard charges, such as "War Risk Insurance". The charges account for about £100 and then it is £1.50 per kg thereafter, all the way to Kunming. The 136 kg cost £301.70. You need a contact address in China - I gave a hotel address and let the reception know that I was expecting a phone call about my luggage from the airport.

My luggage arrived safely. I had to pay an additional charge of 41.70 元, but there was no attempt to charge import tax on my personal effects, although they did open the luggage to make sure it was just personal effects. I had a problem as my forwarding address in the UK, included on the ticket, was in my mother's name, as she will be handling my UK post for me while I am in China. I managed to convince them the luggage was mine, and had to sweet-talk 2 taxi drivers into driving the large cases in convoy back to my hotel.

So that was a result. No one asked why someone who entered China on a tourist visa needs 165 kg of luggage in total. (I am going to start at YNU on February 20th, so will change my visa to a student visa then).

[vengaya]

165 kg!!! Dude, what did you bring?

I moved here to work and live at the beginning of the year and only brought 25 kilograms in total!