A call to ban carry on

[JohnK]

I am not sure of your intent JohnK, given you haven't actually seen the carryon I travel with so have no idea regarding the size of my luggage.

I should have been clearer with intent. I actually think you are one of the people this type of enforcement would hurt as you would try to follow the rule.

The people I am referring to are the ones that have roll-a-boards that are right on the maximum. The overheads on the 737s can barely just fit 3 of these without anything else fitting in.

Anyway I hope you did not take my post the wrong way and those that take things to the extreme know who they are. Just as an example there was absolutely no room tonight anywhere on my BNE-SYD flight on a 767. I had 24D bulkhead and the FA mentioned that there may have been space down around row 28-29. Yeah right. I don't go that far on holidays. Luckily the bag was light and I managed to get it under my seat without her seeing what I did.

Not good and I should not have to be inconvenienced or have to board first for a simple laptop bag....

 

[Danger]

I was shocked with what I heard on a Qantas transcon wide-body flight earlier this flight. It was full, except for maybe four seats. During the boarding process, the CSM came over the PA saying ". . . For those passengers with two items of hand luggage, and particularly for those with three . . . " What? Three? Totally unacceptable on behalf of the CSM, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[drron]

Or this could happen-
Spirit Airlines raises carry-on baggage fee at gate to $100 | Nation/world Business | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Spirit's rationale? It aims to make customers so wary of the steep fee that all will pay ahead of time. However, Spirit is also raising other bag fees effective Nov. 6. A carry-on bag paid for at booking will be $35, up from $30; a carry-on bag paid for at the airport check-in counter will be $50, up from $40.

 

[mannej]

I was shocked with what I heard on a Qantas transcon wide-body flight earlier this flight. It was full, except for maybe four seats. During the boarding process, the CSM came over the PA saying ". . . For those passengers with two items of hand luggage, and particularly for those with three . . . " What? Three? Totally unacceptable on behalf of the CSM, as far as I'm concerned.

What I find more unacceptable is the size of outer overhead bins on the 380 upper deck.

OT, that is the only draw back I can see to the 380 upper deck economy section is the lack of area for storage for legal size carry on bags.

 

[medhead]

A couple of grand worth of medical equipment is another thing I'll never assign to checked luggage whether I need it onboard or not.


Sent from the Throne

 

[JessicaTam]

There is, but have you ever seen it enforced? rarely.

Enforce it. It will be unpleasant for the gate agents for a while, but the message will get through.

 

[Mal Ware]

I would be happy with carry-on being banned, I never used to do it but eventually had the mentality of if you can't beatem joinem.

Regular travellers are not usually the problem, it is the elderly, women with kids etc and people who bring too much on and they all struggle and take time putting in and taking out carry on.

If they made everyone check in their luggage they could turn those bins into beds and sell them as a sleepers haha.

 

[samh004]

Regarding the Spirit idea, I can see why they did it, as its really out of hand in the US. The high fee is only at the airport, and everyone knows exactly how much cough they plan on taking with em when they book tickets, so anyone can't taking a kitchen sink on and hasn't paid up prior, about time they got charged!

I think carry-on is one of those areas that isn't covered by status, but feel it could be. Speaking from a point of view of most on this forum. An extra item is one thing, but would love to see some leniency to status pax in terms of weight of items not being spot on, as sometimes happens.

But more importantly, as excess baggage fees continue to rise airlines do need to get serious about policing what is too much to carry on. It'll never stop otherwise.




 

[pauly7]

Enforce it. It will be unpleasant for the gate agents for a while, but the message will get through.

Agreed.

DJ and QF need to take a lesson from EY here. EY are all over carry on limits and have senior ground staff on the gate fining and tagging people with no exceptions.

 

[eastwest101]

Agree - exactly like priority boarding - the 3 most important things about reasonable and functioning hand luggage limits:

1. Enforcement
2. Enforcement
3. Enforcement

 

[anat0l]

FR do an excellent job of monitoring hand luggage. There is a scale and bracket at every boarding gate, and the staff frequently pull aside suspiciously sized or fat bags. If it strictly doesn't fit in that rack, repack or check-in for the at-airport rate.

It should be noted that even if everyone exactly carries their hand luggage allowance, and the allowance was cut down to 1 item strictly (including 'personal' items these days which qualify as 'free items' - laptops-only-in-bag, iPads, women's handbags, camera bags), there will still not be enough space in overheads for everyone on a full aircraft to put their hand luggage there. There should easily be enough for people to put something under the seat or in the overhead; that said, if you're on a suits heavy flight where near everyone is carrying a rollerboard, that could complicate things / start scuffles.

Duty free would need to be exempted from the allowance; perhaps it would need to be specially sealed such that no more items could be shoved into the bag (so people can't use the duty free bag to cheat another free bag).

 

[Kef]

I would be happy with carry-on being banned, I never used to do it but eventually had the mentality of if you can't beatem joinem.

Regular travellers are not usually the problem, it is the elderly, women with kids etc and people who bring too much on and they all struggle and take time putting in and taking out carry on.

If they made everyone check in their luggage they could turn those bins into beds and sell them as a sleepers haha.

Gee, ease up on the women and elderely bashing here. Men and regular travllers arent any better, if not worse, my experience is that the guys travelling cant be bothered checking luggage as they want to make a quick exit once they land so they carry everything with them on board. you know the type, the ones who carry on their suit bags laptops and the work bag all slung over the shoulders, think their important and walk right past you in your J seat and keep walking to the back of the plane.
I've had a bloke stop in front of my 2J seat and rearrange the overhead locker to put his carry on and keep walking to the back of the plane.
Ease up on the women bashing.
Regular travellers are the problem because they think they can get away with it and in their heads they think that they are more important and privileged than the next passenger.

 

[Mal Ware]

Gee, ease up on the women and elderely bashing here. Men and regular travllers arent any better, if not worse, my experience is that the guys travelling cant be bothered checking luggage as they want to make a quick exit once they land so they carry everything with them on board. you know the type, the ones who carry on their suit bags laptops and the work bag all slung over the shoulders, think their important and walk right past you in your J seat and keep walking to the back of the plane.
I've had a bloke stop in front of my 2J seat and rearrange the overhead locker to put his carry on and keep walking to the back of the plane.
Ease up on the women bashing.
Regular travellers are the problem because they think they can get away with it and in their heads they think that they are more important and privileged than the next passenger.

How about you ease up on the over reacting by using the term "Bashing".LOL

I agree some guys can also take their time and also carry way to many items on board, of course it happens but the majority of the time it is woman and elderly.

Sorry if you don't like the truth, but just calling it as I see it.

p.s. My Mother, Girlfriend, and sisters are all women, so "ease up" on the I hate women theme please.

 

[drron]

How about you ease up on the over reacting by using the term "Bashing".LOL

I agree some guys can also take their time and also carry way to many items on board, of course it happens but the majority of the time it is woman and elderly.

Sorry if you don't like the truth, but just calling it as I see it.

p.s. My Mother, Girlfriend, and sisters are all women, so "ease up" on the I hate women theme please.

My experience is opposite to you.My worst flight was on AA MCO-DFW.90 suits from a major accounting firm going home from a conference.All EXP,all groaning re lack of upgrades and even priority boarding(they called first class only) and all with at least 2 large carryons.There were only about 5 women in the group.
More problems flying BNE-SYD/MEL than flying whatever to or from MCY where most of the pax fit your description-never had a problem with my carryon on those flights.

 

[tuapekastar]

Are there any DIY scales at Australian airports?

I've noticed some at AKL, and presumably some other airports have them bit I cannot recall seeing them at an Oz airport.

It would surely assist people in ensuring their baggage (checkin and carry on) is 'balanced' correctly, so there are fewer holdups or surprises at check in (though maybe this would have a detrimental effect on some airline ancillary fees :shock

At home if I'm in any doubt I just jump on the scales with and without holding the carry on bag (the check in bag goes on by itself) to get an idea (though I've got a reasonable idea just by holding it) but many (most?) hotels do not have bathroom scales available.

 

[anat0l]

Are there any DIY scales at Australian airports?

I've noticed some at AKL, and presumably some other airports have them bit I cannot recall seeing them at an Oz airport.

It would surely assist people in ensuring their baggage (checkin and carry on) is 'balanced' correctly, so there are fewer holdups or surprises at check in (though maybe this would have a detrimental effect on some airline ancillary fees :shock

At home if I'm in any doubt I just jump on the scales with and without holding the carry on bag (the check in bag goes on by itself) to get an idea (though I've got a reasonable idea just by holding it) but many (most?) hotels do not have bathroom scales available.

I usually carry a travel luggage scale with me so I can test the weight before going to the airport (yes, there may be differences between the luggage scale and the airport scale - hopefully not significant).

I'm fairly sure QF NGCI includes weighing machines, mainly for the benefit of those to check their checked baggage weight before going to the injectors (but surely can be used for cabin baggage, too).

 

[simongr]

I still don't get the obsession with weighing hand luggage given that it seems space is the thing at a premium...

 

[k_sheep]

Off topic, but I've called reception many times at hotels if there isn't a scale and I would like to weigh luggage. One has always appeared.

On topic, I've not flown in the US, but cringe at the thought of all that carry-on.

 

[The Rok]

On a 737-800 each over head compartment is rated to 49kg and needs to accommodate 6 people!

 

[anat0l]

I still don't get the obsession with weighing hand luggage given that it seems space is the thing at a premium...

You heard of the people who are forced to repack their bags at check-in say, "What's the difference between 5 extra kilos in my hand baggage compared to 5 extra kilos in my checked bag? It's on the same aircraft, it's the same weight..."

One reason I heard of before is that a heavier bag will, if it falls, be a much greater hazard compared to a regulation bag. Perhaps dubious, but that's what I've heard. Having all said that, in America you can frequently take on a cabin bag which is substantially heavier than that allowed compared to most other carriers around the world (I think the limit is 18 kg or something...). 18 kg of bag falling out of an overhead onto someone would definitely hurt pretty bad.


Apart from that, some airlines will really take you to the cleaners if your hand luggage exceeds the allowance. LCCs are notorious, though that said I've flown ZL and they really clamp down on the weights of cabin and checked baggage - each must comply with the policy (perhaps 1 kg leeway).