Global Times reports on a story that took place in Kunming, which is in China’s Southwest Yunnan Province. This is apparently true, bizarre as it may sound.
Four travelers were on a business trip, and had purchased 30 kilograms (or about 66 pounds) worth of oranges for 50 CNY (~7.75 USD). That’s a great price, and they figured they might as well take some home with them.
Unfortunately they failed to consider checked bag fees. When they checked in for their flight, they were informed that they’d have to pay a 300 CNY (~46.50 USD) fee to take the oranges with them, which comes out to 10 CNY per kilogram. This was apparently “more than they could afford,” so they decided not to pay that.
Instead they allegedly spent 20-30 minutes just eating all of the oranges. We’re talking about 66 pounds of oranges:
- Split between four people, that’s like nearly 17 pounds of oranges per person
- Based on some quick research, it looks like on average there are about five oranges in a kilogram
- That means the four passengers ate somewhere around 150 oranges, or just under 40 oranges per person
The passengers reported that they suffered from ulcers following this, and that they never want to eat oranges again. I can’t blame them.
Bottom line
Four travelers in China allegedly ate 30 kilograms worth of oranges in order to avoid checked bag fees. Yow. One has to wonder if there wasn’t some other creative option here, like throwing away some of the oranges and carrying on the rest.
Furthermore, at the point that they decided they weren’t going to pay the checked bag fees the oranges were a sunk cost. I could see consuming one or two oranges before throwing out the rest, but consuming all of them? That’s on a different level…
Sounds like the guy in the UK who put on all the clothes in his bag to avoid checking it in with Ryanair and finally passed out from heat exhaustion.
So in a way, the airline ended up waiving the baggage fees...
It’s a big f u to the airlines and wish more people do this.
if this was a TPG story, he'd have a link to the credit card to avoid bag fees!
Sure they weren't Mandarins?
Black woman receives “African American service charge” after American Airlines flight
has this been addressed anywhere? especially now that we in BHM. = black history month
Funny story. I'd rather not ever meet or know the people that have the gall to not appreciate it and feel compelled to troll/attack Ben for publishing it. Whimsical and bizarre. Onward!
Mmmm vitamin C lol.
@david. I must look for that. Loved that show
what a stupid story
Reminds me of this story, also in China:
https://onemileatatime.com/lady-denied-boarding-after-chugging-bottle-of-cognac-at-beijing-airport/
Were they wearing masks?
CA gives 20 kg free bags per person...so they already had 80kg check in luggage? Surely they could've put on some clothes or something to reduce the weight of their suitcases? And in my experience if you're a few kgs over most agents will look the other way.
I've eaten A LOT of fresh Hawaiian fruits at HNL knowing I couldn't bring them back...
No. Amex Platinum would not work since it is tied to an airline and mostly only American carriers are on the list. The reason that this doesn't make sense is because of how cheap express mail is in China. You can send documents across cities for as low as 12 RMB (~$1.68) or between other cities for around 20. Even things that weigh a lot often only cost 50 or less. So it doesn't make sense why they did not send it instead. Poor planning.
Big box of oranges: $7.75
Doctor's bill: $100.00
Taxi to/from doctor's office: $10.00
Burning a hole in the lining of your stomach: Priceless
Some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's Mastercard.
Well at least it was oranges and not tiger wine, shark fin soup, rhino horn, and all the other wacky "traditional" medicine.
Based on a cursory google search, the average male in China weighs 66.5kg. That means, assuming they were all male, on average, each of those 4 people's bodies were almost 9% orange during the flight.
@David: Ricky saying “I’m not sitting next to that thing” when Lucy’s nosy neighbor asks him if he wants to sit next to his baby lol.
I'd say these people are not credit card people.
COVIDORANGE-21 spreading worldwide in 3...2...1...
@Steffl, *woosh* That's the sound of a joke going right over your head...
@ Luke
@ Jeffrey Chang
... China does NOT offer such crazy things as airline fee credits on A N Y AmEx Card, it's only on certain US airlines!
Maybe you'll read up about that, once you get your 2021 review on that PLATINUM AmEx Card!?
... also the GOLD Card does NOT refund any fees from Chinese Airlines!
Just had to note that as it seems some people still don;t understand the rules yet or just think locally, even if China will never be in the US. ;-)
There is also a great offer for Chase Sapphire right now. They could have insured the ticket because of the great travel insurance that Chase offers. Click here to learn more
@Jeffrey, Or they can apply for the Gold card for the $100 airline fee credit which is still enough to cover this oranges fee. This would be a little more affordable since they couldn't "afford" the airline fee to begin with.
But they to hurry up to apply for Amex Gold as after midnight the benefit for airline credit will be gone!
@ Ben -- These people are morons.
Are we ever going to talk about HNA going thru bankruptcy protection or did I miss it?
That’s some major heartburn and it’s hard to imagine the acid reflux that followed.
I recall having to forfeit nearly all my makeup (mascara, lip gloss and foundation) to a security agent at LHR back in the early days of the liquid ban. That particular agent had a liberal view of what constituted liquids. The pain wasn’t complete until I personally dropped my expensive cosmetics in the garbage can but I never thought of using them up prior to that!
@santastico
What is this rubbish ? Slow day in the news room ? Bullocks :)))
To think they could have avoid these fees with an American Express Platinum Card that offers a $200 Annual Airline Fee Credit. Please see below to apply for the American Express Platinum Card. Do YOU want to know MORE about the American Express Platinum Card?
Please see the 2021 review of the American Express Platinum Card.
All that vitamin C may fend off Covid on the flight. Any strain of Covid.
But think of the money they saved!!!!!
1. This sounds like a maths problem
2. I’m surprised they could stomach all that
Slow news day
Wasn't there a episode in I Love Lucy where flying back form Europe to the US Lucy had a 25lb block of cheese. Trying to avoid the bag fee pretended it was a baby, only then to discover she'd have to pay the fare for the baby, then decided her and Ethel would eat the cheese. On returning to the US the customs officer wasn't convinced the two of them could have eaten a huge cheese. Fred reassured him with his wife, it's possible.
That sounds very much like the scene in a Chinese comedy movie around ten years ago, where a guy drinks a gallon of milk at airport security after figuring out he cannot bring this much liquid on plane