Air Services: General Information

Information on baggage allowances and seat pitch on airline services to Tobago

Baggage Allowances

Different airlines have different baggage allowances. It is important to check with the airline before departure if you plan to take large, cumbersome or heavy luggage such as surf boards or travel cots.

It is important to remember that new regulations mean that the previous maximum weight per bag has been reduced from 32 kilograms to 23kg.

Policies on cabin luggage vary, but to play safe make sure that no single items is heavier than 5Kg (so it doesn't cause severe injury if it falls from an overhead locker). The following chart shows the luggage allowances on various services to Trinidad and Tobago from Europe. We show the number of pieces of luggage allowed and the total weight of these pieces - so, an entry of '2=64kg' means that you can take two pieces of luggage with a total weight of 64kgs.

Visitors who will be using the airbridge should take particular note of the considerably reduced baggage allowance on the Air-Bridge service.

DVT & Seat Pitch

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has raised awareness of legroom on air travel. Although seat room is an important factor, avoidance of DVT is far more about exercise. Having the seat space does help to stretch and ensure movement of all limbs and joints, but on a long flight it is essential to get up and move around the aircraft regularly. While in your seat, do regular stretching exercises.

Seat pitch is a measurement of distance between rows of seats - the measurement from the same position on two seats, one behind the other - it is NOT the legroom area.

The United Kingdom is the only country with regulations defining the minimum size of passenger seats and the space between seats. These regulations apply to all aircraft registered in the UK. The regulations state that the minimum distance between the front of the back support cushion of a seat and the back of the seat or other fixed structure in front should be 26 inches (660mm).

The following table indicates the seat pitches offered on services to Tobago. Wherever possible, the figures have been established from, or confirmed with, the airline concerned.

 

Air Services: Overnight Accommodation

Recommendations for pre-flight accommodation at London Gatwick and Piarco, Trinidad

London Gatwick

Most UK flights to Tobago depart from London Gatwick airport. All these flights involve early morning check-in times, ranging from 7am for the XL flights, to 9:15am for Virgin Atlantic. Worrying about catching your flight when caught in early morning M25 rush hour is not the best way to start your holiday.

Although Jill and I only live a two-hour 100-mile drive from Gatwick, it is our practise to drive down the evening before our flight and stay at a local hotel. This really takes the hassle out of the early-morning check-in. Over recent years have used the 4* Copthorne Hotel, located just half-a-mile east (left when travelling from the M25) of Junction 10 of the M23. This is one junction south of Gatwick Airport and a 5-minute drive from the terminals. It's a large (227 room) hotel built around a very pleasant 16th-century farmhouse. They have two restaurants and a pub, catering for most tastes.

The Copthorne is not the cheapest accommodation around, but it has one major advantage; you can park your car there safely for the duration of your holiday. Rooms can be booked far more cheaply on the Internet, but be warned that these cheaper packages seldom include the free parking, which can nearly double the apparent cost - so check carefully.

The hotel offers a shuttle service (£1 per person each way, I think) from the hotel to the terminals.

Piarco Airport, Port of Spain, Trinidad

Around half the flights from North America arrive in Trinidad mid-evening - too late to catch the last air-bridge flight to Tobago.

Many visitors will therefore face an overnight stay in Trinidad. One option is to travel into Port of Spain, where the best choice is probably the Trinidad Hilton.

Those just wanting to get to Tobago and start enjoying their holiday will probably want to stay nearer the airport. Sadly, there is little choice in the immediate area. The Bel Air International Hotel  is a total dive (it was bad enough when I last stayed there 40 years ago and it apparently hasn't been touched since long before that) and the Piarco International Hotel, which was just about tolerable for one night, is no longer open as a public hotel.

All is not lost, however. Readers regularly commend Leo's Place Bed & Breakfast. Located just five minutes from the airport, Leo will collect you and take you back to the airport (even for very early morning outbound flights) for US$25 and charges $US55 (cash only) for an air-conditioned double room (singles/triples available). All reports have been excellent, although do not expect over-quick email response (a common problem with a lot of property in T&T).

• Further Information: Telephone (868) 640-0117 or email now
• Reservations for accommodation at Leo's Place can also be placed through Yes Tourism, where you will also be able to book airport transfers in both Trinidad and Tobago.