Virgin Australia changes to carry on baggage allowance effective 2 Feb 2026

[Happy Dude]

Still, having new limits or rules may not discourage this until enforcement happens, e.g. at the gate, not on board.

It's that simple. And at check in too (for those trying to game Lite fares and luggage allowances).

 

[twinaisle]

How does it take 40 mins to gate check bags? US airlines do it in a couple of minutes. Qantas gate checks in advance of boarding, and if you don’t, the bag doesn’t fly on that flight.

QF have chutes that they can send it down.

These captured bags would have been around when the flight is closed so it takes time to collect bag and boarding pass of pax, bring bag up to the front.

Each bag will have to be manually bag tagged and correctly tagged with the boarding pass, re deliver boarding pass back to pax.

Then pit crew will have to come up(depending on what they are doing as they can't just drop what they're doing to go) collect the bags, reopen the cargo if it is closed, load the bags, weight recalculated, pilots will need new paperwork, close the cargo, wait for the manual loading sheet if the aircraft didn't have a printer.

Get clearance to push back as well.

And that's how it takes 40 minutes.

I need a drink after writing all that

 

[ben95]

Oh gosh. So let's see, they increase the economy cabin seating considerably, they remove a row of X, and then penalise the pax. Bet the feedback was really from cabin crew moaning. The race to the bottom is almost complete for this LCC.

Wait really?

So an increase of 6 seat on a flight - a 3.5% increase in pax number is “considerable”?

I also don’t think it’s a big deal with the economy X reduction. Even when I do fly ahead at the airport last minute, I usually have no issue getting myself an economy X seat on the exit row.

 

[twinaisle]

That's pretty crazy.

Still, having new limits or rules may not discourage this until enforcement happens, e.g. at the gate, not on board.

I guess that once people are forced to check in bags once on board the aircraft, they are not charged for those, even if it goes over their limit (viz. had they been caught at check-in or at boarding, they would pay the relevant fees there). So they may continue to do this as it seems they can easily "check in" bags for free (seems a sweet deal for those on Lite fares).

They have been weighing bags and checking them in before boarding. It will get stricter soon.

 

[PERLHR]

Wait really?

So an increase of 6 seat on a flight - a 3.5% increase in pax number is “considerable”?

I also don’t think it’s a big deal with the economy X reduction. Even when I do fly ahead at the airport last minute, I usually have no issue getting myself an economy X seat on the exit row.

Try flying from Perth! Yes it's considerable.

 

[PERLHR]

QF have chutes that they can send it down.

These captured bags would have been around when the flight is closed so it takes time to collect bag and boarding pass of pax, bring bag up to the front.

Each bag will have to be manually bag tagged and correctly tagged with the boarding pass, re deliver boarding pass back to pax.

Then pit crew will have to come up(depending on what they are doing as they can't just drop what they're doing to go) collect the bags, reopen the cargo if it is closed, load the bags, weight recalculated, pilots will need new paperwork, close the cargo, wait for the manual loading sheet if the aircraft didn't have a printer.

Get clearance to push back as well.

And that's how it takes 40 minutes.

I need a drink after writing all that

Well that's a good start to reduce the "delays"....irony not lost...ha.