No status? Check your carry on bag being enforced.

[Flashback]

I have a data point of several flights to different destinations in the past week, and on those flights Group 4 + 5 pax have been made to gatecheck their carry on bags (rollerboard only), which is setting a worrying trend.

Any other data points? Insights as to why?

Winter is often worse for cabin space due to roller + backpack + jacket (potentially) for each pax, but it's interesting that it's essentially the non-status groups they're making do it. Sounds a lot like AA, UA, DL....

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have a data point of several flights to different destinations in the past week, and on those flights Group 4 + 5 pax have been made to gatecheck their carry on bags (rollerboard only), which is setting a worrying trend.

Any other data points? Insights as to why?

Winter is often worse for cabin space due to roller + backpack + jacket (potentially) for each pax, but it's interesting that it's essentially the non-status groups they're making do it. Sounds a lot like AA, UA, DL....

I’ve been mainly flying out of LCY for the last few years and that’s been pretty common. They are smaller E190s, so perhaps understandable. Luckily QF silver gets group 3 so haven’t ‘had’ to gate check (but have taken up the option a couple times just for convenience).

 

[LDN via BNE]

I have a data point of several flights to different destinations in the past week, and on those flights Group 4 + 5 pax have been made to gatecheck their carry on bags (rollerboard only), which is setting a worrying trend.

Any other data points? Insights as to why?

Winter is often worse for cabin space due to roller + backpack + jacket (potentially) for each pax, but it's interesting that it's essentially the non-status groups they're making do it. Sounds a lot like AA, UA, DL....

Not unusual at all for BA at LHR, LGW or LCY over the last 24 months (though much rarer at outstations).

Some LHR flights have so many in groups 1 & 2, we've seen instances where everyone below group 2 has had to gate check their carry on (such as Athens during the summer cruise season when many AA elites connect at LHR).

When it was first introduced, BA incentivised people by allowing them to board during pre-boarding, but it seems this approach was dropped sometime in 2024, and people must now board in their allocated group.

 

[elanshin]

I have a data point of several flights to different destinations in the past week, and on those flights Group 4 + 5 pax have been made to gatecheck their carry on bags (rollerboard only), which is setting a worrying trend.

Any other data points? Insights as to why?

Winter is often worse for cabin space due to roller + backpack + jacket (potentially) for each pax, but it's interesting that it's essentially the non-status groups they're making do it. Sounds a lot like AA, UA, DL....

I think it's to do also with the fact BA basic economy does not provide a bag even for status holders. Theres also mentions that some gate agents aren't aware of the different planes and which one's are retrofitted (or new) with the bigger overhead bins so by default they just assume the smaller overhead bins.