QF Weighing Carry On

[BlueAU]

Was at Gate 35 at Int'l SYD yesterday. Watched a few flights board on various gates as I had time to spare. QF Dragons were weighing anyone who had carry on suitcases. On my flight, a few people had to go forward and leave luggage with the desk, where they got tags. Don't know what happened then, I'm assuming it's not like the Dash 8 where you get it back, they must have made people pay "Limited Release". Not sure!

Is this new? Or a sign of tight stinginess to charge PAX more?

 

[tuapekastar]

Was at Gate 35 at Int'l SYD yesterday. Watched a few flights board on various gates as I had time to spare. QF Dragons were weighing anyone who had carry on suitcases. On my flight, a few people had to go forward and leave luggage with the desk, where they got tags. Don't know what happened then, I'm assuming it's not like the Dash 8 where you get it back, they must have made people pay "Limited Release". Not sure!

Is this new? Or a sign of tight stinginess to charge PAX more?

Not sure about SYD, but at MEL there is a chap(s) just airside in international who weighs 'some' cabin luggage. I imagine it's a judgment call - I've never been pulled up for bag weighing but I've seen it happen to others - especially when the bag looks large or the person looks like they're straining carrying it.

Certainly never seen any weighing at the gates.

I've had the QF checkin agent ask me if my hand luggage is over 7kgs "because they'll weigh it" but have never actually had it weighed. I don't know who the person(s) just airside work for and how they allow for (or even remember) different airlines' rules.

 

[djfuzz]

Not sure about SYD, but at MEL there is a chap(s) just airside in international who weighs 'some' cabin luggage. I imagine it's a judgment call - I've never been pulled up for bag weighing but I've seen it happen to others - especially when the bag looks large or the person looks like they're straining carrying it.

The 'dude' at MEL seems to be more lenient when you're carrying J BPs. Once got stopped by him, he saw the BPs and told us not to worry about it.

Not sure how effective it is for him to be standing inside the immigration area rather than the airlines enforcing it at check-in (or at the very least, before you enter the secure area).

 

[russianrob]

Perth Int has a guy at the immigration entrance also, but he's pretty casual.

More than once have seen the dragons at QF gate in LAX taking hand luggage off people as the circled the chairs endlessly before boarding.
Was such a contrast to the VERY lax attitude to carry on with US domestic flights!

 

[Maca44]

Was such a contrast to the VERY lax attitude to carry on with US domestic flights!

The yanks do tend to carry the kitchen sink as carry on, and even in J the most dangerous seat is the aisle as you get knocked out by pax trying to get on with three or four carry on bags. The airline staff, and it doesn't seem to matter which carrier you fly, don't seem to care how much carry on pax take on board. I have only seen one person stopped and that was last August in ORD, but she had heaps and I don't know how (or why) she thought she would get on with that large amount of luggage.

 

[serfty]

In the USA, every so often an airline has a crackdown on carry on. (Maybe more so now that they charge for checked luggage.)

There's few threads on the FT AA forum with posters expressing "holier than thou" thoughts with statements like "I had used that bag though 200,000 miles and never had to check it before".

Here's some sample threads:

• Can the gate agent force me to check an approved carry on? - FlyerTalk Forums
• My carry-on did/didn't get Sized @ airport today (consolidated) - FlyerTalk Forums
• Quick anecdote - carry-on: was I unreasonable? - FlyerTalk Forums

... pounced on me. "Your bag is too big," "Your bag is this," "Your bag is that..." ... I kept cool and said, "with all due respect I know this is an approved carryon as I've flown literally hundreds of times with it just last year!" So Dennis grabbed my bag and put in the fitter. Of course it didn't fit, but that doesn't mean it doesn't fit in the overhead bins.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Perth Int has a guy at the immigration entrance also, but he's pretty casual.

More than once have seen the dragons at QF gate in LAX taking hand luggage off people as the circled the chairs endlessly before boarding.
Was such a contrast to the VERY lax attitude to carry on with US domestic flights!

Perth guy doesnt worry about the pointy end mob. However seen some great blues with the back of the bus people, especially the asian flight where some people want to take the kitchen sink home, so fair enough from that perspective.

 

[BlueAU]

Perth guy doesnt worry about the pointy end mob. However seen some great blues with the back of the bus people, especially the asian flight where some people want to take the kitchen sink home, so fair enough from that perspective.

My flight was def asian! Was going to Manilla ..... !! one PAX had 5 big boxes to carry on, struggled lol

 

[Blackadder]

There is a limit to carry on, but for some people common sense is not to common.
In Aus from my experiences, trying to get a over head bin space can be a scramble, but pretty much ok most of the time (domestically), however from my travelling in the US it seems like it is every man,woman and child for themselves trying to get a space.

In short some people need to show consideration for there fellow flyers when trying to cram on the carry on bags, good luck to QF for trying to enforce this.

 

[MelUser]

The man at melbourne international really annoys me.

Last month he tried to stop me (put his arms out) and I challenged him and said that he had no authority over me.

As soon as he saw the J boarding passes he backed off.

I am still not sure he has any legal authority to stop anybody.

 

[Katie]

At QF check in for BNE-LAX last Friday (in Y+), the checkin lady weighed my wheelie bag. I suggested my laptop bag was probably heavier, but she didn't want to weigh it. It was also weighed by a dude pre-security and customs downstairs. That was it. No questions or issues with carry-on for my UA domestic flights.
At LAX check in for LAX-SYD on Weds night (in J, points upgrade, at the Y+ counter), wasn't asked a thing about my carry-on. The family checking in at the counter next to me was re-packing one too-heavy bag, and the checkin lady asked them about the weight of their carry-on. She didn't ask to weigh anything, just said "but nothing's over 7 kilos, is it?".

No idea what it's all about - most rational thing would be some kind of calculation of overall aircraft weight, but I'm typically the heaviest thing I take with me on the plane. Maybe we'll see passengers being weighed soon??

 

[Archphoto]

Melbourne Intl is *the* worst for carry on being weighed. And these guys act like they own the place as well - never a polite word or instruction, always treated like I'm a second class citizen.

I've had my hand luggage weighed just about every time I've had to fly through - stupid thing is, I have been ordered to take gear out, told not to put it back into the bag and then been waved through.

Once I get to the 1st class lounge, I put it all back into the bag, so what is the point of all that aggravation once I go through the Intnl doors?

I know they state 7kg, and was readily informed that the overheads can't take anything heavier in case of turbulence and the luggage breaking through/breaking the latches on the bins. If that's the case, how do BA get away with the "if you can lift it into the overhead, it is acceptable"?

 

[Mr Ed]

It should all come down to a simple rule.
If you need to travel with more than 7kg carry on and more than 32kg checked luggage?????????????

Go by boat.

 

[straitman]

It should all come down to a simple rule.
If you need to travel with more than 7kg carry on and more than 32kg checked luggage?????????????

Go by boat.

My wife doesn't concur with that opinion.

 

[harvyk]

Yes they weigh carry on at Mel T2, and one of the times they weighed my carrry on it came to about 11kg. (This was on QF with a 7kg limit). The guy handed me back my bag, I was about to explain that there is a big heavy coat in the bag (which would weigh 3 to 4 kg easy) but the guy waved me through. He didn't care at all that it was over the limit.

 

[serfty]

It should all come down to a simple rule.
If you need to travel with more than 7kg carry on and more than 32kg checked luggage?????????????

Go by boat.

With my Wife, we'd fly out ok - just need the boat on the return.

 

[straitman]

Yes they weigh carry on at Mel T2, and one of the times they weighed my carrry on it came to about 11kg. (This was on QF with a 7kg limit). The guy handed me back my bag, I was about to explain that there is a big heavy coat in the bag (which would weigh 3 to 4 kg easy) but the guy waved me through. He didn't care at all that it was over the limit.

The obvious questions that come to my mind is who does he work for and what authority does he have :?:

 

[harvyk]

The obvious questions that come to my mind is who does he work for and what authority does he have :?:

Well I don't think he worked for QF, as he was picking out pax from both QF, UA and the few pax who where getting in early for some other OW \ *A flights - could tell by boarding pass, as this was just before the emmigration line, but after the pax only doors.

 

[greenfrog86]

I can't recall being asked to weigh my carry-on, however often wondered what makes the guy near the Intl doors stop people for a 'spot check'.
Especially when (as others have noted) I've been on some planes with people packing the kitchen sink - and here's me worried if I've complied with every rule :shock:

I do have one question though re number of bags - my USA trip this week will be my first with a small wheelie carry-on and now I'm going to be conscious of only packing lighter things to fit the 7kgs, however I'm really not clear on the number of items you can have...

Can I take the wheelie case (and make sure its weight is ok in case I get asked to weigh) and a small shoulder bag for a book/magazine/ipod etc?

Wheelie case goes in overhead, bag under the seat...

On my way back I'll have the case plus a laptop I'm planning to buy in the states which I'd rather not have in the overhead bins...

Although I've travelled a bit, you'll notice I'm a fair newbie compared to most here!

 

[straitman]

greenfrog86,

Who are you flying with :?: