How strict?

[DrA]

I'm in the process of booking a surf/dive trip to Indo, and by all accounts the best way to get where I'm going will be via DPS. Sadly the most practical option seems to be on Jetstar due to connections. Before I go ahead with any bookings though, I'm just wondering how strict JQ's 7kg carry-on allowance is? I'll be travelling with certain dive gear in my carry-on as always, and it tends to weigh somewhat more than that...Usually the airlines don't weigh it, but then I don't normally fly LCC's either. Can someone comment on this? Because I absolutely refuse to check certain things in, and need to know whether I should be finding an alternative option.

 

[Hvr]

If in Y you should expect to have your carry on weighed.

 

[phily]

If in Y you should expect to have your carry on weighed.

Can you put some of your items in your clothes, especially any smaller heavier items? Maybe wear some bulkier clothes, jacket, cargo pants? Yea, cargo pants sounds very appropriate.

 

[moa999]

Not weighed 80% of the time I would say, but greater chance if you are checking in other luggage where it is easy to ask to pop your hand luggage on the scale as well.
But every now and then they will do a big crack down and weigh everything.

Not quite sure if you could stuff a regulator down some cargo pants!

 

[DrA]

Hmmm. I will go home tonight and weigh exactly how much that carry-on is when it's packed with my standard trip items. I know it weighs more than 7kg, but should probably find out how far over it really is to see whether there's scope for the cargo pants/bulky jacket option or not. I suspect not given that I have zero chance of hiding a laptop or scuba regs in a jacket pocket or cargo pants, but I should check anyway.

 

[Mattg]

In my experience, JQ will always weigh your hand luggage when flying internationally. Sometimes you can get away with not having it weighed if you check-in online and don't need to approach the counter, but internationally you'll have to go to the Jetstar checkin counter to show your passport and get your BP.

And the 7kg limit is pretty strict.

 

[DrA]

Will QF not interline with JQ? I'm going to have to get a QF domestic flight in order to make the JQ international connection. If QF could issue me the BP and check my bags through, it would negate having to deal with JQ checkin...

 

[JohnK]

Is Virgin not an option? They may not be as strict on carryon.

 

[DrA]

Yes, Virgin is the alternative. The international Jetstar flight just offers better connections with QF domestic flights within Australia, and with Garuda in DPS for where I'm going in Indo. Virgin requires more messing around. The messing around is looking like it may well be the better option, such as it is.

 

[DrA]

So, JQ is a no-go. Going the messy connection with Garuda via Sydney instead.

Thanks for the info and tips though

 

[Austman]

Well, I've done 4 x JQi international flights in the past few months with HLO and it was not weight checked once. That was at MEL (twice), DPS and SIN.

But they might well do it. At the gate even. So they claim.

At MEL, even the JQi check-in staff told me that they thought 7kg (it used to be 10kg) is too light.

An alternative could be JQi business class where you get 2 x 7kg carry-ons?

Paying for an extra carry on? Or even a heavier carry on? They don't do it but it's an interesting concept. Many of the world's airlines allow far more than 7kg as long as the size and number of pieces is correct.

 

[DrA]

That was my initial idea too, except apparently the CNS-DPS flight has no business class. All economy. You also can't pay for extra carry-on, my travel agent asked.

Honestly, I don't get it. My carry-on fits all size limits, I can lift it myself into the overhead bin, or it fits under the seat in front if necessary.

At least Garuda will feed me and give me a 30kg check-in allowance, for ultimately not a whole lot more than what the JQ fare would have cost once I added in all the extra stuff I needed.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Will QF not interline with JQ? I'm going to have to get a QF domestic flight in order to make the JQ international connection. If QF could issue me the BP and check my bags through, it would negate having to deal with JQ checkin...

QF will only interline with JQ if the flights are in the same booking which means you really have to make the reservation via the QF website or possible through a TA using their GDS. They won't through check bags on to the JQi flight when it's been booked separately through the JQ website.

I haven't heard of any examples of people being able to book a domestic QF flight plus a JQ flight via the JQ website.

Honestly, I don't get it. My carry-on fits all size limits, I can lift it myself into the overhead bin, or it fits under the seat in front if necessary.

At least Garuda will feed me and give me a 30kg check-in allowance, for ultimately not a whole lot more than what the JQ fare would have cost once I added in all the extra stuff I needed.

It's more about safety should an item fall out of the overhead locker. I've seen a item fall out on a 767 and hit a lady on the head who was sitting directly underneath in the aisle seat. She appeared to be okay but when she disembarked the aircraft she collapsed in the aerobridge.

If your GA flight is booked separately from the QF flight you won't be able to get your bags checked through so make sure you allow min 3 hours in between flights as you'll need to collect them after the domestic flight and take them around to the international terminal and checkin with GA.

 

[DrA]

The Garuda flight to DPS ex-SYD leaves in the morning, so necessitates flying down the evening before anyway - my bags won't be checked through to international.

That's odd regarding QF and JQ interlining though. I've had QF check me and my bags in at domestic for connecting international flights that were on separate tickets. I figured it'd be the same with JQ - check in at QF dom in TSV, get my bp's for the TSV-CNS flight on QF and the CNS-DPS flight on JQ (even though both sectors booked separately), and they'd check my bags through to DPS straight from TSV. Done similar in the past, albeit not with JQ...

 

[Austman]

It's more about safety should an item fall out of the overhead locker. I've seen a item fall out on a 767 and hit a lady on the head who was sitting directly underneath in the aisle seat.

In all the studies I've read this is incorrect. Smaller objects (well below 7kg) are far more likely to move and fall and cause more injuries than larger ones. The size of the bag is important - that it fits well in the bin.

Does anyone seriously think that JQ's reduction from 10kg to 7kg was done with safety in mind?

 

[DrA]

If the weight IS genuinely a safety issue, could they not simply say "if your carryon weighs over 7kg, it must be able to fit under the seat in front of you"? Therefore, no falling heavy bags?

 

[Wannabee]

If weight is such a safety issue then BA must be pretty unsafe. One cabin bag and one personal bag at 23 kg maximum each? Cabin bag in overhead locker and personal bag under seat. Must be able to lift your own bags.

http://www.britishairways.com/en-us/information/baggage-essentials/hand-baggage-allowances

I suspect the weight reduction is nothing to do with safety. Purely to do with revenue

 

[serfty]

Of course ....

... Anything you can wear onto the aircraft ...

Has no weight ...

 

[ozbeachbabe]

That's odd regarding QF and JQ interlining though. I've had QF check me and my bags in at domestic for connecting international flights that were on separate tickets.

What was the airline? If on separate bookings the other airline must be a One World member or EK but not JQ.

I figured it'd be the same with JQ - check in at QF dom in TSV, get my bp's for the TSV-CNS flight on QF and the CNS-DPS flight on JQ (even though both sectors booked separately), and they'd check my bags through to DPS straight from TSV. Done similar in the past, albeit not with JQ...

They used to do it but the rules changed a while back - not sure of the exact date so it's possible that you travelled when it was still okay to do or the new rules take a while to filter up north to FNQ.

In all the studies I've read this is incorrect. Smaller objects (well below 7kg) are far more likely to move and fall and cause more injuries than larger ones. The size of the bag is important - that it fits well in the bin.

I've seen heaps of idiots drag a heavy bag out of the locker one handed so the item drops down - much safer to use two hands to steady the item when it's removed from the overhead.

If the weight IS genuinely a safety issue, could they not simply say "if your carryon weighs over 7kg, it must be able to fit under the seat in front of you"? Therefore, no falling heavy bags?

That would be impossible to enforce as it relies on the honour system. There's no way people are going to comply with the rules - if they can get away with it they will. Even if they did weigh the bag at the gate and tell people a 10kg bag must go under the seat in front there's no baggage police to ensure they will.

 

[kevrosmith]

I have noticed in CNS quite often lately that two staff members hang around the boarding gates, and are actively approaching people to ask them to have their carry-on bags weighed (they have scales nearby). How they determine whether the pax is JQ or not, I don't really know (do they look for people wearing thongs...? ), but I guess they must ask. My advice would be not to try your luck with JQ.