Virgin Blue Weighing Hand Luggage

[alien]

Thought I would share that whilst using Priority checkin at Melbourne DOM the attendant asked to weigh my (normal size carryon) luggage.

Well to my surprise (I didn't expect that to happen as I normally just travel with carry on) when it was weighed it came to 13kg's and was asked to make it 7kg's by transfering into the checkin bag.

So this being done I came in under 8 and was allowed to continue on.

Then whilst having my boarding pass scanned was asked if the bag was 7kg's with which I advised it had been weighed at the checkin counter.

Looks like VB are cramping down on the hand luggage. I hope they clamp down on people with more than their carry on allowance aswell.

Something to be aware of I guess.

 

[wallacej]

Have not had a weigh in ever before, but thanks for the heads up....

 

[stryker]

It's an interesting situation that DJ creates extra work for itself by forcing people to check in bags they otherwise wouldn't and shouldn't. Quite the opposite to how things are going in Europe. No doubt Crazy Dave could offer some words of wisdom on this.

13 Kg is one heavy little bag, though. My own approach where my carry on might be 1 or 2 Kg over the limit is to say "if you want to be pedantic, I'll just put the heavy small stuff in my pockets, and/or wear some of the other things". Never had a problem after that.

And my pet gripe... they are screwing you for a few measly Kg. Nothing whatsoever is said (or charged) if YOU are, say, 100 Kg overweight. Think about that...

 

[N860CR]

The issue is more with the weight in the overhead lockers. They are rated to carry a certain load, and obviously if they are overloaded it could lead to the failure of a lock etc etc etc. I've had carryon bags weighed a few times before on JQ and QF plus a few overseas.

 

[DJ737]

Hi there

Never had any probs with bags on Sun, Mon & Tue whilst shuttling around on the E-Jets, had a laptop bag with a laptop plus other stuff in it (probably about 7kg allup) plus a roller which was probably another 10kg (full of tshirts other clothing and various feebies) which quite happily went in the overheads on the Embraers, no questions asked.

Cheers
DJ737

 

[NM]

The issue is more with the weight in the overhead lockers. They are rated to carry a certain load, and obviously if they are overloaded it could lead to the failure of a lock etc etc etc. I've had carryon bags weighed a few times before on JQ and QF plus a few overseas.

And not just rated to carry the load, but rated to remain in place with their load even if the aircraft impacts the ground at a sink rate of 35 ft/min. The BA 777 that "landed" hard at LHR recently had a decent rate of 30 ft/min when it hit the ground. I would not like to be sitting under an overhead locker that has been stuffed full of overweight carry-on bags in that situation.

 

[serfty]

At least within Australia, Qantas Mainline Domestic permits 2 x 7 Kg bags of carry-on.

Interestingly, AA permit one 40lb(18Kg) and a "personal Item" and BA allow one 23kg (51lbs) and a laptop sized bag, handbag or briefcase.

 

[ANstar]

I've noticed both Sinagpore & Vorgon Atlantic doing the same over in international also

 

[Commuter]

I'm wondering if DJ recently had (or are expecting) a CASA audit of cabin baggage...

Anyway, to add to the hand luggage & bin rating, easyJet has no weight limit on hand luggage. Not sure how that would work!

 

[taswegian77]

flying starclass on JQ from and to BKK-MEL the last 2-3 times I have had my hand luggage weighed. As I have 2 bags it seems as long as it is no more than 14kgs and one piece is no more than 8 they were happy. I also noticed if you are flying star class or J on QF then it never seems to be an issue how much you take on board as the space available in J is lots more than the Y section.
The amount and size of carry on I have seem sometimes makes me want to scream at the person but if they allow it then I should scream at QF.

 

[wallacej]

Just checked in at BNE, hand luggae not even looked at (priority line).. waiting for the delayed 334

 

[ishkaban]

At the end of the day, for passengers, the cabin baggage allowances have not been fully clamped down on by the airlines for whatever reason.

I have seen cabin crew actually pull out a tape measure and check bags as passengers board the aircraft, forcing some people to pit the bags in the hold.


Other issues which havent been mentioned are with the weight of the cabin baggage in regards to fuel loads and consumption. Obviously the more fuel carried, the more cost to the airlines.

Also, i notice alot of the flights carrying business people, early AM, they tend to carry alot of cabin baggage which to my eyes, seems excessive and over limit.
From an airlines point of view, this can slow down boarding the aircraft as people take more time stowing items, therefore limiting the smooth flow of boarding, and having a knock on effect to door closure and pushback

 

[simongr]

Conversely having purely cabin baggage means that there is less requirement for baggage handling at the other end...

 

[acampbel]

Conversely having purely cabin baggage means that there is less requirement for baggage handling at the other end...

I do my best to help .... haven't checked luggage for 2 years. In places like Singapore this usually saves no time at all, but in Sydney .....

But I am peeved when I find the overhead locker above my seat to be chocked full of someone's stuff, especially if the other seats in my row are still empty. Usually if you look around you can see someone observing you closely, and I get some vicarious pleasure out of watching them wince when I start "repacking" for them. Half the time they jump up to try to minimise the damage so I can then ask "were the lockers above your seat full?"

As for the bankers who don't even bother to look above their seat and shove their bags in the first space they see as they walk up the aisle ..... well let's say that a few of them have been unable to find their bags upon departure.


Cheers,


Andrew

.

 

[dajop]

Hand luggage seems to be hit and miss. On a recent flight from PER to MEL a friend was denied boarding by the cabin manager because he had three items of hand luggage - a small backpack (with only a single shirt and some toiletries in it), a suit pack with a single suit in it (the suit pack was the sort you get buying a suit from DJ's or Myer, not a proper Samsonite type pack) and a very small laptop in laptop case. Of course it was easily resolved as the laptop case managed to fit inside the backpack (albeit without zipping up properly) . Naturally once on board out came the laptop as it is much easier to fit two small items into an overhead locker than one bigger item. Maybe QF are employing US airport security personnel as cabin managers?

 

[NM]

As for the bankers who don't even bother to look above their seat and shove their bags in the first space they see as they walk up the aisle ..... well let's say that a few of them have been unable to find their bags upon departure.

I once observed an interesting going-on when I was seated in F on an AA MD80 flight. I had boarded early and taken my seat. Then I watched someone place two large roll-aboards into the locker above seats 3D/F (front row of the MD80) and then walk down the back of the bus to take their seat.

So when Mr 3F boarded and there was no space, he asked around the F cabin if those bags belonged to anyone. Lots of shaking heads. So he took them down and placed his in the locker. Then signalled to the FA that he could not fit these bags into the locker so could she place gate-check them for him, which she did.

I was long gone by the time the owner came looking for them. But I did see Mr 3F leave the gate-check receipt on the seat as he left.

 

[acampbel]

I once observed an interesting going-on when I was seated in F on an AA MD80 flight. I had boarded early and taken my seat. Then I watched someone place two large roll-aboards into the locker above seats 3D/F (front row of the MD80) and then walk down the back of the bus to take their seat.

So when Mr 3F boarded and there was no space, he asked around the F cabin if those bags belonged to anyone. Lots of shaking heads. So he took them down and laced his in the locker. Then signalled to the FA that he could not fit these bags into the locker so could she place gate-check them for him, which she did.

I was long gone by the time the owner came looking for them. But I did see Mr 3F leave the gate-check receipt on the seat as he left.

Brilliant!!!

I just used to move them to a "better location" across to the aisle or further down the back. By the time they realised that their bags were no longer above 24F they had to wait until everyone else had departed before being able to retrieve their bags. Or at least that's what I hoped would happen, as I was long gone by then.

But getting them put in the hold is sheer genius!


Cheers,

Andrew

.

 

[Yada Yada]

I get some vicarious pleasure out of watching them wince when I start "repacking" for them. Half the time they jump up to try to minimise the damage so I can then ask "were the lockers above your seat full?"

As for the bankers who don't even bother to look above their seat and shove their bags in the first space they see as they walk up the aisle ..... well let's say that a few of them have been unable to find their bags upon departure.

I like your style, Andrew.

Last year while boarding a VB flight in MEL the person in front of me put his large carry-on bag in the o/h locker above 2D-E-F with a really loud thud and proceeded to walk towards the back of the plane as if he owned the place.

I was about to sit down in 2D so was not very impressed and as I considered saying something, one of the crew members said "Excuse me sir... if you are not sitting there you cannot put your bag there..." with a big beautiful VB smile. So the wanker had to turn around and take his bag up the back. Made my day.

 

[wallacej]

Some excellent examples there guys.... if we all participate in the relocation of undesired cabin baggage above our seats it should sort the problem...

I would like to see if anyone has had their bags relocated, or think they might be able to justify taking overhead space that is not near their seat.

 

[drron]

Well on DJ476 on 14/2 and DJ477 on 16/2 there was no measuring of cabin baggage.However no one had large carryons and although both flights full they went out with lots of unused overhead space.Pretty pathetic lot of flyers.