Virgin priority boarding fail

[Stealthflyer]

I do agree with you there. Which makes it a little annoying when there's only one lane and they announce general boarding 10 seconds after announcing priority boarding.

Update: They did as you said - announced general boarding just after priority boarding, which meant that all the randoms who had joined the priority queue were ushered on rather than turned back. It’s a bit annoying, but at least they’re speedy.

 

[pgsdiver]

I flew SYD-BNE-SYD last week and there was no bag weighing, but the usual nonsense with oversized and multiple cabin bags went on. I carry a small backpack style briefcase with no wheels and an even smaller backpack for anything that doesn't fit (usually only for multi-night stays. I never check bags unless I'm away for a week, and to be frank it really irritates me seeing so many taking the p*ss.
We recently did a personality study at work, and, you guessed it, apparently I like rules and try to find ways of making the world (read, workplace) better by introducing systems and the following them.
Sadly, I weigh my carry-on before leaving home. Any more than 6kg and something stays home.
Now....line on the left, one cross each please............

 

[PERLHR]

Why does it need to have the magic number of 7kg? Let's face it that is pretty light. I carry shopping home from the grocery store heavier. Also I think FF and pax with status should have more weight allowance for carry on. I really don't see safety being a major issue. UKs Easy jet has hundreds of aircraft, did have numerous daily flights and only a few incidents with hand baggage (except ofcourse running out of room if all pax have hand baggage but their CC are pretty apt in finding space. There remains no weight with EasyJet.

 

[cirdan52]

So pleased with this as I'm sick of getting on-board within the weight limit of my hand luggage only to find half the plane carrying far in excess of the weight requirements and I can find no where to put my luggage in the O/H lockers. I see other people struggling to find space as well. Some people clearly and blatantly flout the weight restriction and have been getting away with it for too long with the stuff everyone else attitude.

 

[PERLHR]

I'm sick of getting on-board within the weight limit of my hand luggage

I get your point. You could ofcourse smuggly board earlier and then snigger as others struggle....

 

[SeaWolf]

Why does it need to have the magic number of 7kg?

I seem to remember that last time enforcement occurred (for several weeks before being forgotten again) QF decided to up their limit to 10kg, which seems reasonable to me. Especially given that most carry on luggage will weigh 2-3kg before you even put anything in it!
I do understand there being some limit, to ensure it's liftable into the overhead but I agree that 7kg seems a bit on the low side.

 

[suze2000]

Isn't it 7kg, because that's 15 pounds in US-language? I always assumed so.

 

[PERLHR]

Isn't it 7kg, because that's 15 pounds in US-language? I always assumed so.

Does that matter? It still seems low. 10kg is at least something most pax could possibly work with.

 

[suze2000]

Oh I agree it's too low to be workable, especially if you have a laptop and toiletries to carry. Just trying to tease out the historicals.

 

[AIRwin]

Oh I agree it's too low to be workable, especially if you have a laptop and toiletries to carry.

In addition to the carry-on baggage allowance, one of the following personal items may be carried in the cabin:

• A laptop computer*, handbag, pocketbook or purse (of reasonable size)
• A wrap, a blanket, or an overcoat
• An umbrella or a walking stick
• A small camera or pair of binoculars
• A reasonable amount of reading matter
• A pair of crutches or prosthetic devices – for use, provided that the guest is dependent on them for mobility

*A laptop in thin satchel-style laptop bag is considered to be a personal item. A laptop in a larger laptop bag will be counted as part of a guest’s carry-on allowance.

Carry-on baggage allowance | Virgin Australia

All guests travelling on Virgin Australia operated flights are permitted a carry-on baggage allowance based on cabin class and Velocity Tier.

www.virginaustralia.com

 

[henrus]

On airlines like Jetstar where checked baggage is charged this makes sense but when everyone on board gets a checked bag then it doesn't make sense why people don't check bags especially if it's clearly overweight/oversize, to fix this they just need to make it easier! This starts with automatic bag drop at all busy airports plus faster-checked baggage reclaim.

EVA Air is the most impressive airline with this regard, priority baggage from true business class or top tier frequent flyers is tagged with a F1 priority tag, this means that these bags must be made available within 15 minutes of arrival (and the airline penalises handling companies if they don't meet this). I'm not suggesting they meet these targets but setting a goal would be a good start and perhaps provide confidence to the customer by offering bonus points or something similar if the target is not reached (can't remember who but an airline in the US does this).

 

[jakeseven7]

So pleased with this as I'm sick of getting on-board within the weight limit of my hand luggage only to find half the plane carrying far in excess of the weight requirements and I can find no where to put my luggage in the O/H lockers. I see other people struggling to find space as well. Some people clearly and blatantly flout the weight restriction and have been getting away with it for too long with the stuff everyone else attitude.

I agree I have no issue with any airline weighing / counting / measuring carry on bags.

Jetstar are all over it and fine you happily.

VA2 seem to not be fining (yet) based on my limited observations, but forcing people to gate check.

 

[milehighclub]

Why does it need to have the magic number of 7kg?

Over head lockers are placarded with a max weight so it would have been to do with that (max weight divided by the potential number of bags). I can't find the weight for older 737 lockers (I think it was around 38kg), but believe the newer 737 with BSI have a placarded weight of 58KG. The A320 is also 38kg.

 

[PERLHR]

I agree that overhead lockers must have a pre determined weight. That makes sense yet as mentioned previously we can all see a massive airline like EasyJet with no weight restrictions on 189 seater A319, and ofcourse even more seats on 320s. Does not all compute to me. BA also Have a massive 23kg carry on and again they are flying 319,320 and 321s along with ofcourse wide bodies. So the 7kg is just ridiculous ...

 

[milehighclub]

Does not all compute to me.

Yes, I find it strange that airlines allow the weights to be ignored (and some quite excessively).

I recall the other argument around this weight was that 7kg was not as likely to cause as much injury as a heavier bag. I can't find the graphic we had for it, but passenger baggage was a major source of injuries onboard.

 

[mel-world]

MEL-OOL yesterday; no weighing at all and two boarding lines working perfectly for a full flight. Mind you, mostly non-business pax on a Sunday so a more sensible approach to carry-on. As mentioned above, I thought the limit was not so much space but Australian health and safety if an overhead bin opens during turbulence and a bag falls out. There were a couple of announcements during boarding requesting heavy items to go under the seat.

 

[JohnPhelan]

So pleased with this as I'm sick of getting on-board within the weight limit of my hand luggage only to find half the plane carrying far in excess of the weight requirements and I can find no where to put my luggage in the O/H lockers. I see other people struggling to find space as well. Some people clearly and blatantly flout the weight restriction and have been getting away with it for too long with the stuff everyone else attitude.

It's not the weight that's the issue for you - it's the size of the bags and the number of them. And unfortunately, the 7kg limit means people are forced to use 2 bags (and the space that requires) rather than one heavier bag.

I'm a good example of that - I used to always have just one carry-on, usually coming in at around 10kg. But now, I take 2 bags because of the weight limit. That means I'm taking up close to double the space that I used to.

The exception is when I fly BA - there I have just one bag. That's because BA's weight limit per carry-on bag is 23kg!

 

[openseat]

Yes, I find it strange that airlines allow the weights to be ignored (and some quite excessively).

I recall the other argument around this weight was that 7kg was not as likely to cause as much injury as a heavier bag. I can't find the graphic we had for it, but passenger baggage was a major source of injuries onboard.

There used to be a page on CASA's website outlining the dangers of overweight bags falling on passengers heads. I have witnessed this happen a number of times when people rushing at the end of the flight simply don't care about others and pull their bags out causing a cascade of other bags falling. There was another page about dressing for flight in case of emergency: enclosed shoes, long trousers/slacks, long sleeve shirts - and natural fibres - so you can dash through the flames on the way out.

 

[jakeseven7]

In a related topic to PB failing, VA2 currently doing market research on passengers being able to buy priority boarding (as well as getting it via status).

How do people feel about this?

 

[milehighclub]

There used to be a page on CASA's website outlining the dangers of overweight bags falling on passengers heads

This is the video from CASA about it. Perhaps this was on that page.