Baggage Allowance Quirk

[Deleted member 29185]

On our recent MEL holiday, we bought up a bit which meant close monitoring on our included luggage allowance. Thankfully HSW had digital scales in the room so we manage to get all our luggage packed and within allowable limits. One that I was dubious about was a suitcase that weighed exactly 32kg on the hotel scales.

We arrived at the airport, and to my surprise, the suitcase weighed 32kg on the knocker. My surprise was more that the hotel scales calibrated exactly with the check-in scales but what surprised me more was when the check-in lady asked me to remove something from the suitcase! "Why", I asked. "My included gold allowance is 32 kg, isn't it". "Yes sir, but the conveyor won't move at 32kg, it must be under". :shock: :shock: :shock: So we can have 32kg of luggage but we can't load it onto the plane?

Not a big issue, I had a scarf packed at the top (padding around a wall hanging actually), which I took out and wore home (who travels to the Gold Coast wearing a scarf ), but my metalic wall hanging was dinted as a result.

So beware, pack 31.99999kg rather than 32kg!

 

[pat25d]

On our recent MEL holiday, we bought up a bit which meant close monitoring on our included luggage allowance. Thankfully HSW had digital scales in the room so we manage to get all our luggage packed and within allowable limits. One that I was dubious about was a suitcase that weighed exactly 32kg on the hotel scales.

We arrived at the airport, and to my surprise, the suitcase weighed 32kg on the knocker. My surprise was more that the hotel scales calibrated exactly with the check-in scales but what surprised me more was when the check-in lady asked me to remove something from the suitcase! "Why", I asked. "My included gold allowance is 32 kg, isn't it". "Yes sir, but the conveyor won't move at 32kg, it must be under". :shock: :shock: :shock: So we can have 32kg of luggage but we can't load it onto the plane?

Not a big issue, I had a scarf packed at the top (padding around a wall hanging actually), which I took out and wore home (who travels to the Gold Coast wearing a scarf ), but my metalic wall hanging was dinted as a result.

So beware, pack 31.99999kg rather than 32kg!

I'm surprised the scales were set the same!

I guess it is a limit, just like a speed limit of 100kph doesn't mean you are allowed to drive at 101kph (or 100.00000001 for that matter).

Maybe 32kg is a hard limit for OH&S reasons, so there is no leniency compared to when VA's limit was 23kg.

 

[Jamesl]

Maximum weight for any baggage handler is 32KG. Anything over means the bag must be freight consigned.

 

[serfty]

How accurate were the scales?

i.e. Were they reading 32.0kg or 32.00kg or something else?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm surprised the scales were set the same!

So was I. I made that comment to my wife before leaving the hotel then we were both amazed at an exact same reading (both digital scales).

I guess it is a limit, just like a speed limit of 100kph doesn't mean you are allowed to drive at 101kph (or 100.00000001 for that matter)....
so there is no leniency compared to when VA's limit was 23kg.

Maximum weight for any baggage handler is 32KG. Anything over means the bag must be freight consigned.

I wasn't suggesting leniency was required. 32kg is not greater than 32kg!! 32kg IS 32kg and in this case it was spot on to the digit.

How accurate were the scales?

i.e. Were they reading 32.0kg or 32.00kg or something else?

The VA scales were 32.0 but I can't recall how many zeros displayed but it was certainly not 32.1, nor 32.01 nor even 32.001. It was exactly 32kg in the display. The conveyor was obviously interlocked with the scales so I'm assuming the lockout was set to 32kg not 32.1kg as it theoretically should be. Taking out the scarf was enough to drop it below 32kg and allow the conveyor to move but it was definitely 32.0 (or 32.00) displayed at the counter readout.

As to how accurate they are......I've no idea but one would assume as the conveyor is also the scales in one unit, the conveyor would be set to that reading.

 

[777]

The VA scales were 32.0 but I can't recall how many zeros displayed but it was certainly not 32.1. It was exactly 32kg in the display. The conveyor was obviously interlocked with the scales so I'm assuming the lockout was set to 32kg not 32.1kg as it theoretically should be. Taking out the scarf was enough to drop it below 32kg and allow the conveyor to move but it was definitely 32.0 (or 32.00) displayed at the counter readout.

Theoretically the scales should be set to 32.<infinite number of zeros>1. Although the display may have shown 32.0 (rounded down to the nearest place it could show) the underlying software may have been reading it as something like 32.000000007 in which case it is still greater than 32 despite what the display shows.

Amusing and glad it was easily resolved but given that there is obviously some rounding involved it is quite possible that the display showed 32.0 AND it was greater than 32kgs as strange as that might seem.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

given that there is obviously some rounding involved it is quite possible that the display showed 32.0 AND it was greater than 32kgs as strange as that might seem.

Yes, I agree. That's why I titled the thread "Baggage Allowance QUIRK".