VA cracking down on carry on 7kg limit

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Ribbo83

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Flying out of SYD last week, At the Primium entry, VA had someone at the scales weighing every single persons luggage. Anything over the 7kg limit was turned around and requested to check their bag in.

The gentleman in front of me with 9.8kg was blowing up delux. The agent remained calm and said that too many people were taking advantage of the 7kg and exceeding it so they were ”cracking down” on it.

At 8.1kg I was also asked to turn around and check my bags in, now before averyone goes, rules are rules whats the issue. I walked into the main terminal, straight through normal security and into the lounge. It was apparent that the same “cracking down” wasn’t happening at the normal check in counters or at the gates, walking through VAs terminal there were plenty of people with oversized and overweight bags.

For VA to be positioning themselves as a premium airline against Qantas (who has a 10kg cabin bag limit) I just couldn’t believe VA were turning around their elite passages who in a lot of cases would spend thousands or oven tens of thousands traveling with them. To not even give a verbal warning before the crackdown puzzles me.

Has anyone else had this experience?
 
The irony of course is the fact that some are probably HLO and as such not a massive burden to the overall weight allowance anyway.
My issue is that many people will take advantage regardless of the weight limits, and are often the overhead locker bullies too. It will be interesting to see how it plays out

.
 
Ribbo83 said:
For VA to be positioning themselves as a premium airline against Qantas (who has a 10kg cabin bag limit) I just couldn’t believe VA were turning around their elite passages who in a lot of cases would spend thousands or oven tens of thousands traveling with them.
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QF's domestic jet carry-on allowance is 2 x 7kg + a "personal" item.

That 1.1 Kg extra weighs "nothing" if it is in your pockets.
 
Ribbo83 said:
...... I just couldn’t believe VA were turning around their elite passages who in a lot of cases would spend thousands or oven tens of thousands traveling with them. To not even give a verbal warning before the crackdown puzzles me.
Has anyone else had this experience?
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Well both my husband and I are "elite passages" and both of our passages do the bare min to be WPs, we're not that special to gain the status.

If VA or QF had 10kgs, people will push it to 12kgs, its in our nature to think our reasons are extraordinary and everyone else should abide by the rules. (edit: Will admit hubby is guilty of over weighted carry on but he can move stuff to my bag if an issue).
 
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As someone who regularly checks a small ~9kg bag that I would prefer to carry-on, I am glad they are cracking down because I play by the rules.

However I agree surprising people at the gate isn't the best method for this. If they put a scale in the lounge for example, with a sign saying that the limit is 7kg, that may have been a better option especially from a CS perspective.

I do wish VA would just change the rule to 10kg though, 7kg seems really tiny especially with so many compact electronic devices now that are dense, batteries that can't be in checked luggage, etc. I don't really understand why there is a weight limit at all, why not just size?
 
Pleb Status said:
The overhead bins are only rated for a certain weight (in total) and some pax would find a way to pack 20kg+ into a bag within the current dimensions.
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That, and the fact that carryon has the potential to become projectile so limiting the weight makes sense (well unless you are BA ofcourse)
 
Pleb Status said:
The overhead bins are only rated for a certain weight (in total) and some pax would find a way to pack 20kg+ into a bag within the current dimensions.
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Yes the bins have a weight limit but it is above what would realistically be placed there. I don't buy that argument at all. US airlines have no weight limit. If it was a safety issue they would.

I used to carry a 30kg piece of work equipment on-board in the US and put it in the overhead (too fragile and expensive to check). I specifically checked with the FAs and airlines at the time and they never had any concerns about the overhead bin weight limit. They basically just said I had to lift it into the bin myself. And I probably flew 5 different aircraft types at least with that equipment.

I seem to recall seeing a decal for an overhead bin in the USA that was 100 lb, but this was only on that particular bin, so I assume it didn't apply to all bins. Even if this was an exceptionally light-duty bin, it still doesn't justify a paltry 7kg limit.
 
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I must admit that although otherwise saintly:rolleyes:, I do regularly exceed 7kg in a single carry on in business ( usually by quite a bit in international J), but that usually includes a laptop, which I think I could carry separately as a personal item. In domestic economy I stick more to the rules.

The bin limit is a furphy IMHO, as there is always the option to put a bag under the seat in front.

I agree there had to be some stated limit, and the occasional crackdown helps remind people, but to spring it on lounge pax with no warning I think is a bit ordinary.
 
serfty said:
QF's domestic jet carry-on allowance is 2 x 7kg + a "personal" item.

That 1.1 Kg extra weighs "nothing" if it is in your pockets.
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And with my Rex jacket ~ 5Kg weighs nothing.:eek:
 
drron said:
And with my Rex jacket ~ 5Kg weighs nothing.:eek:
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Reminds me of the german tourist many years ago, just after Sept 11, who proceeded to put on his scuba wetsuit and various other apparel to avoid luggage limits and was removed from the gate to a please explain room with the AFP.
 
Gotta admit that it get's a little annoying seeing the amount of passengers abusing the carry on limit. The amount of times I have seen this happen is staggering. So where is the line drawn?
 
Well most carry on bags weigh between 2-3 kgs! I think I saw one once that they claimed weigh 1.9kgs. So I think 10kg (strictly enforced) would be more sensible than 7kgs. Which airline (s) says as long as you can carry it and put it the overhead bins yourself, there is no limit to carry on weight?
 
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kpc said:
Well most carry on bags weigh between 2-3 kgs! I think I saw one once that they claimed weigh 1.9kgs. So I think 10kg (strictly enforced) would be more sensible than 7kgs. Which airline (s) says as long as you can carry it and put it the overhead bins yourself, there is no limit to carry on weight?
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I'm pretty sure my roll-aboard bag is 1.5kg while being at the maximum dimensions.
 
kpc said:
Which airline (s) says as long as you can carry it and put it the overhead bins yourself, there is no limit to carry on weight?
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UA, DL, AA, & WN to name a few. They happen to be the four largest airlines in the world (by passengers carried). 600M+ passengers a year. 4000+ aircraft between them. Never heard of an overweight overhead bin problem. I'm sure there are other US airlines that don't have a carry-on weight limit. I've never even heard of a US airline that has a limit. It's no wonder Americans get caught out by this policy overseas pretty often.

BA has a 23kg weight limit.
 
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