Baggage on LCC's

[codash1099]

How baggage hogs are stuffing up air travel | The New Daily

 

[Intra]

Not limited to LCCs though either; On a recent sector to CNS on VA, had upgraded myself to J; Lady in Row 3 chucked her 2nd and 3rd bag in the J bins, which was only worse when she needed assistance from the crew to help her put the bags up in the bins cause "It was too hard for her to do so". Think both me & crew, even just looking at the bags, knew they were over the 7kg weight limit.... She got a slight rebuking from the crew, and I'm glad the crew truly did block off Y from J when disembarking - I wasn't going to stick around to see what trouble/delay she'd have getting the bags down....

 

[eastwest101]

Yep - they just wont enforce cabin baggage size or weight restrictions, Australia isn't too bad but getting worse and may eventually reach the ridiculous point of the USA and other countries.

It will take a long time but eventually the airlines and aircraft manufacturers may get their act together and maybe co-operate on this problem. Airlines have more or less brought this on themselves with checked baggage fees, lack of automated baggage handling systems, lost luggage, slow luggage and lack of enforcement of their own inconsistent policies.

If some sort of reasonable standard could be agreed on we could also go down the path of modifying security scanners/x-ray machines with a simple physical intake that could result in oversize hand luggage being disallowed at security. But as others have pointed out that it will take some studies into whether its the weight, dimensions or number of pieces of luggage that are the key to stop "overhead bin space rage". Seems to be a case of the earlier you catch it and more cost effective regulation you can do - then the better off the airlines, staff and passengers will be.

Gate checking oversize/excess hand luggage is the last and most inefficient and expensive solution of all the possible solutions.

 

[erkpod]

It's got to start at check-in. If an airline can tell me that I'm a kilo over on my hold luggage, they should do the same for carry-on.

 

[harvyk]

It's got to start at check-in. If an airline can tell me that I'm a kilo over on my hold luggage, they should do the same for carry-on.

What checkin? With OLCI all the rage, and considering some airlines actually charge for using checkin counters, often the first point of contact with an airline employee is during boarding.

 

[erkpod]

What checkin? With OLCI all the rage, and considering some airlines actually charge for using checkin counters, often the first point of contact with an airline employee is during boarding.

And that's part of the problem...

 

[eastwest101]

And that's part of the problem...

Could also be a hint to the solution - not saying it is the only solution but seeing as we are seeing mandatory xraying and screening of all hand luggage at security (which cannot be bypassed by OLCI) then its an option to screen for size/weight at that point. IF the airlines and security can come to a common agreement/standard on what is and isn't acceptable weight/volume for carry on luggage (and thats a big if), a point here is that the majority of airlines use the same B737/A320 single aisle for a lot of domestic and A330/B777/B787/B767 as widebodies so as far as I am concerned its a simple matter of physics, irrespective of whether there is Jetstar/Qantas/Virgin paint on the outside of the aircraft, the aircraft is still made with a certain amount of overhead storage capacity that is pretty much fixed per passenger.

A simple standard entry size at the luggage xray machines means that oversize carry on luggage is not screened - hence pax does not fly or returns to check-in and checks luggage in that should have been checked in origionally. I'm open to suggestions but it may be the actual volume or dimensions that you want to target rather than weight, but others may have different ideas.

Would be very disruptive for the first few days/weeks but people would soon learn and adapt! Especially given the option of "trying it on" and then being rejected at security, returning to check-in (paying extra for check in baggage) and possibly missing their non-refundable flight! Another bonus is that you have security staff enforcing the carry on luggage standards - not the flight attendants on the aircraft - its too late at that stage when people are on the aircraft and planes start being delayed....

I am open to other suggestions - but roving parties of Hand Luggage "enforcers" paid for by the airlines and working at the gates is another option but still a bit late in my opinion.

Maybe even re-engineer or look at overhead storage capacity in airliners back at the manufacturing stage - but that will obviously take years to flow through the system.

 

[suze2000]

I don't know how much weight they allow per pax, but given they've no way of estimating how heavy the actual pax will be, there must be a lot of leeway calculated into that takeoff weight - which would include carryon luggage. Given that it seems to be the size and number of bags that's causing all the issues, they should focus on that IMO.

ETA: and FAs should refuse to lift bags for pax. If they can't lift it, they a) shouldn't have packed that much and b) it weighs too much and should be checked.

 

[Must...Fly!]

The biggest problem as far as I am concerned is that PAX feel as though they can disregard the rules because of two reasons - one that no one will check - and two because they don't actually know the rules, or how to enforce them on themselves. The number of self-testing stations for cabin bags has decreased dramatically. I can think of one (yes, one) which is located out of the way of normal foot traffic in my local terminal. I might go for a walk around and see if there are any others I can spot.

ETA: and FAs should refuse to lift bags for pax. If they can't lift it, they a) shouldn't have packed that much and b) it weighs too much and should be checked.

I agree, and I'd hope they routinely do say no.

 

[Deleted member]

The biggest problem as far as I am concerned is that PAX feel as though they can disregard the rules because of two reasons - one that no one will check - and two because they don't actually know the rules, or how to enforce them on themselves. The number of self-testing stations for cabin bags has decreased dramatically. I can think of one (yes, one) which is located out of the way of normal foot traffic in my local terminal. I might go for a walk around and see if there are any others I can spot.


I agree, and I'd hope they routinely do say no.

I know as you enter the customs hall in BNE Before screening ( yes it's not the same in DOM) your bag is checked and weighed.

 

[TomVexille]

I know as you enter the customs hall in BNE Before screening ( yes it's not the same in DOM) your bag is checked and weighed.

MEL occasionally does that too. The person weighing the bags had a list of airlines and their allowances. I nearly got turned around until I pointed out what airline I was flying on. I talked to a couple people on my flight that day, and one did have to go lighten her bag because it was over 7kg, even though the particular airline's carry-on weight limit is significantly higher.

 

[Fruitcake]

A simple standard entry size at the luggage xray machines means that oversize carry on luggage is not screened - hence pax does not fly or returns to a check-in and checks luggage in that should have been checked in origionally.

What about people not travelling who wish to access the secure area? There's no law against me heading out to the airport for a day of spotting and taking 30kg of bricks with me in a suitcase if I want to.

 

[eastwest101]

What about people not travelling who wish to access the secure area? There's no law against me heading out to the airport for a day of spotting and taking 30kg of bricks with me in a suitcase if I want to.

Not yet.

But good point - the spotters have essentially been driven out of the airports by airport design, parking costs, lack of proper viewing areas and numerous other things. People whom feel like they need to take the kitchen sink with them to see off their freinds/family whom are flying out of the airport won't be missed too much I suspect, they too, have almost been driven out of existence by steep parking fees anyway.

 

[quick_dry]

I'd rather they didn't check the weight of hand luggage - I'd have to either take the stuff out of my backpack and stuff it in my pockets, or take a 'handbag for men' that I could split the weight between - one way or another, the weight is going on the aircraft. I've never seen hand luggage that was over-weight but compact and easily handled cause any problems.

I'd be more than happy for them to be enforcing size and handling limits - if you can't personally lift your bag overhead due to weight/dimensions then it's either at your feet or it's up for consideration to go in the hold.

 

[moa999]

I think a simple alteration to the security scanners - a cutout that just fits a dom standard 55cm bag should suffice.
Would be relatively cheap.

While obviously not a case if you are carrying bricks (or photo equipment) for most luggage size corresponds with weight.

 

[quick_dry]

I think a simple alteration to the security scanners - a cutout that just fits a dom standard 55cm bag should suffice.
Would be relatively cheap.

I've seen that done in Frankfurt (I think) a few years ago - it caught a few people out.

 

[whatmeworry]

Just make it so everybody gets a free bag for check in. 20kg should suffice.

 

[eastwest101]

Just make it so everybody gets a free bag for check in. 20kg should suffice.

That is another approach - banning baggage fees (or at least banning baggage fees in Australia). The obvious response from the airlines would be to attempt to raise ticket prices accross the board to account for the fact that they have to provide a "free" 20kg baggage allowance. But in the current competative environment I think that competative pressures would over-ride any attempt to raise ticket prices significantly. Some airlines could of course invent new ways to "reward" people whom turn up with hand luggage only though, rather than punish people whom check baggage in, so its possible that we could end up with the same economic drivers filling up overhead bins that we currently have.

As some others have pointed out - some of the other motivators driving HLO travel is business day trips or overnight trips, plus the convenience factor of HLO and getting out of the airport quicker, and the potential of lost checked luggage (not a huge issue in Australia but it must be a factor for some people) as well as the practice of JQ, VA and TT(?) charging for checked luggage. You only have to see what happens on a full QF domestic flight to see that even with a free baggae allowance, some people, or indeed a lot of people are prepared to travel HLO, this is not necessarily the worst thing, its just the volume/dimensions and possibly weight and then subsequent delays that become the issue that the article makes reference to.

One other factor to consider is that for market purists, natural competative pressures should eventually lead to several competing and possibly different market based solutions to excessive carry-on baggage, but the interesting thing about this is that in the US the most common solution seems to be roll out checked baggage fees for the short term revenue hit, encourage a free-for-all with overhead hand luggage, sell priority boarding, and then still end up with too much carry-on for the aircraft, then gate check latecomers carry-on, argue about this with the pax, and then delay the aircraft with all of those subsequent costs. So its not really a long term sustainable solution at the moment.

 

[JohnK]

Just make it so everybody gets a free bag for check in. 20kg should suffice.

I think this is done with LCCs in Thailand up to 15kgs checked baggage and 5kg cabin baggage. I had to pay extra for the golf clubs.

Also most of the time the issue is with number of cabin bags people take on board not the weight.

 

[moa999]

As previously posted while there is a small fuel (cost) penalty for weight and some aircraft with mtow issues, the more important thing for airlines is space (volume)

If they could charge on a volumetric basis they would but generally use weight as a proxy (most luggage is fairly consistent).

Also why a 40kg person with 2x25kg suitcases and a handbag, should pay more than a 120kg person with no checked bags.