Cabin bagage confusion.

[wawkrk]

I cannot undertstand general cabin bagage allowances.
On Friday I flew from Paris to Warsaw with Air France.
I was completely astonished with the huge amount carried on board.
I even saw one passenger with three almost full size cases.
The overhead lockers were jammed solid.
Many had the luggage underneath their feet blocking the aisle because it would not go under the seat.
The cabin crew did nothing about it.
I was told by the purser that it was the fault of security.
If security let it go through,then the airline must find space in the cabin.
The safety aspect did not seem to matter.

[EC-ILS]

Im quite surprised to hear that! On the DUB-CDG flights operated by a smaller 146 AF/WX are very strict with cabin baggage! They will allow you to take the bag to the gate and take it off you there.

Cabin baggage these days is just ridicolous.

[dumdumbrain]

I actually get very mad with some pax, who do this, its is not fair for most people to follow my companies rule 55x40x20cm, if i see them at the gate i take their booking ref and put the bag in the hold. It just isn't fair on those pax who follow the rules and pay for hold baggage. It's also a safety issue aswell.

Lee

[MUFC_fan]

Different companies act differently on size, weight and number of bags.

In the UK, it is only possible to fly with one piece of hand baggage each due to security reasons. As long as it fit within the rack often at check-in and is within airline weight limits Ryanair & Jet2 (10kg) and easyJet have an unlimited weight limit on hand luggage.

Obviously it depends on airline rules but, as I said if the flight transits from the UK, only one piece of hand luggage is permitted per person. Don't know what it is like in Europe or America etc.

[JulietNovemberPapa]

easyJet have an unlimited weight limit on hand luggage.


Technically unlimited, but in practice it is within reason and as long as it fits within the height, length, and width limitations.

[skydriller]

I cannot undertstand general cabin bagage allowances.


You are not the only one....To me this is entirely the airline industries fault - and in the UK its not helped by stupid security rules either. On the one hand you have really silly UK security rules, insisting that as much as possible is checked in, and on the other hand you have the Lo-Co's saying they dont want you to check in luggage as it slows their turn-arounds down. The industry sends mixed messages about what they want.

I travel for work, and I have a laptop/breifcase that has to go where I do, period. If I am going somewhere for longer than a 1-3 day course, ie to work -then I check-in luggage, and stuff a shirt & spare smalls in my laptop/briefcase just in case. The problems come if you are one day or two somewhere and then in others overnight etc. Checking stuff in is a pain in the arse, and if anything goes wrong you are screwed, so I need my small rollie case as hand luggage too....If the airlines actually could get their luggage systems to work then I would be happier checking in stuff. And another thing, my Laptop briefcase is 6/7 years old now and still going strong, despite constant use. On the other hand, I dont think I have had hold bags last longer than 2 years, and their only "use", by definition is for the travelling !! The system seems to literally eat bags.

Just this last trip I was forced to check-in a new legal rollie bag and it arrived well and truly crunched/twisted, another 100 Euros down the drain, but as it was new and the damage was so great, and it happened on the return leg I had time to go through the claims process, and now have a replacement from the airline. Most of the time I either dont notice until its too late, or I dont have time to do anything and just eat the cost myself.

To me, you should be allowed a laptop bag/briefcase/ladies handbag equivilent, plus one other bag. If duty free was set up to collect at the other end it would be safer and also free up space too.

Just my 2c, SD..

[speeddial]

Recently flew with BA LHR-SFO-LHR and not once did I see anyone's hand luggage being tested in the sizing rack and there were some bags and cases on-board which were well over the size limitations, let alone those in first class who walked off carrying more than one bag at LHR. It seemed that as long as you didn't make it obvious you were over the limits no one really cared.

[skydriller]

On the US Airlines the hand baggage allowances for pax are higher/bigger, this explains the differences on transatlantic flights, and in order to compete, the European carriers allow similar sizes.

If I recall, BA was going to totally change its policy to Hand Baggage to make it more user friendly for business pax and bring it in line with the USA - ie allow bigger/more. However, less than amonth before it was to be put in place, there was the whole liquids scare and it had to be shelved...

[speeddial]

At SFO there were notices giving the maximum size of hand luggage, the same dimensions as posted in LHR, as well as signs saying that passengers to LHR were only allowed one piece. Unless you are stopped by security for a "secondary" I don't think anyone really worries what you take on board was my theory.

[Skintman]

Carry on luggage.

I've seen Emirates staff taking hand luggage off pax at the gate before boarding when they had too much. Well done them.

[10secondsurvey]

Of course, very few people would worry about heaving heavy handluggage through the security merry-go-round, if airlines and airports actually got the proverbial finger out, and ensured checked in luggage only rarely got lost, and was delivered to the carousel in a timely fashion.

As rightly pointed out above, though, some airlines are giving out mixed messages.

If I remember correctly, on concorde flights to JFK, BA guaranteed their suiter case service, to deliver to the carousel within a few minutes. Of course nowadays, BA have made losing baggage completely into a new artform all of itself. (and killed off concorde for which they shall never be forgiven).

I think rather than finding genuine luggage taken on board irritating, what really annoys me most is the amount of shopping. Recently flying out of Copenhagen, passenger after passenger came on board with just one 'carry on bag', but multiple big shopping bags. the end result of which was that the final passengers were having their modest single hand luggage taken from them to be put in the hold.

It is no surprise this is happening. As you clear security in LHR, BAA have helpfully placed signs, stating that 'anything you buy after security can be taken on board'.

Good old BAA (britain's largest retail chain).

[arem]

<<and killed off concorde for which they shall never be forgiven)>>

Sorry - but I don't think BA are to blame - the opposite in fact - blame the b....y frogles

[flyblue]

The problem of excess cabin baggage is often caused by pax connecting from other airports, less strict about the cabin baggage rules. At the gate there is not much you can do, except send the bigger ones to the hold, considering it is something that takes time from very busy ramp agents.


Many had the luggage underneath their feet blocking the aisle

Never ever seen such a thing in years of flying with AF.

[Snoopy]

I flew throught LHR last week. Went through the Fast Track at the FCC and there were about 1 in 3 passengers that had two bags. Nobody batted an eyelid.

[ladyflyby]

I have seen some gross violations of the 1 bag policy of late and the roller bags people bring on belong in the hold. If we deem a bag too big it goes straight in the hold. :=

[SXB]

Many had the luggage underneath their feet blocking the aisle because it would not go under the seat

Cabin crew never allow luggage to block the aisles, it just doesn't happen.

[seacue]

The US domestic carryon rule is one personal item such as briefcase or laptop and one bag that meets the size limits. Of course a large portion of the pax carry on bags that exceed the size limits. Somehow they manage to get them into the overhead compartments. I follow the size limit and have one of the smaller bags.

I've flown Southwest and American in recent years and the above practice seems to be followed. They are strict about keeping the foot-space clear.

[HandyAndy]

I wonder really, all the time whilst traveling, how much of a problem this checking in of bags is for passengers and how much really does go missing or gets damaged.

I don’t wish to get flamed or upset anyone but is this really such a problem. In the last ten years which has meant me doing hundreds and hundreds of sectors all over the world (every continent), I have never had one piece of luggage go missing or get damaged. I check in one bag every time without fail and find it neither a hassle (I am at the check in counter anyway) or have a worry about it going astray.

I am a European living in Asia and although most of my travel is on CX, I have and do use other carriers too, SQ, MI, MH, KA, other Chinese carriers and yes, BA to Brazil earlier this year, a long trip with 2 transits (one in LHR). I really can’t believe it is just luck (given the amount of sectors) or I am the only one who doesn’t get any problems. I also have used airports that have primitive systems, i.e. no automated baggage handling systems without problems.

I take on board, one laptop bag and a small clutch bag containing my docs/passport etc. and that’s it. Personally, I don’t like dragging a suitcase around the terminal with me when I can relieve myself of it at check-in – I take the opportunity to have someone else put it on the aircraft for me. The thing that grates is the passengers who board with suitcases they have difficulty with placing in the overhead bins either because of their physical size or the weight. I honestly cannot bring myself to assist them (and as much as I love them, ladies often appear to be the worst offenders) as there is absolutely no need to bring such inappropriate bags into the cabin. They often ask the crew to assist them and more than once, they don’t manage to get it right and the bag lands on the seat or floor and they have to try again.

If the bag is within the limits OK, I am talking oversize/weight here.

There may be other reasons people are reluctant to check in bags – something of value that can’t go in hand luggage, having to pay for hold space etc., traveling with a baby, OK, but I think a lot of people think of the wait for the bag at the other end. I (and again I must be lucky) find the bag on the belt when I get there, particularly in Asia. Europe entails a wait usually but for me within acceptable limits and worth it, not having to drag it around with me. Time to switch on the phone, check texts, e-mails etc. whilst waiting.

Is it the security/airlines fault that so many people take inappropriate bags on board?
Perhaps they should be more rigorous in enforcing the rules, but passengers should also take responsibility for managing themselves and not inconveniencing others (this problem does slow down boarding).

For what it’s worth, I travel in all classes from first to the lowest economy but the class I travel never changes my check-in habits.

The OP stated some confusion about what’s what and I would suggest it comes down to common sense and what the individual can manage. The bag is either too big/heavy or its not, the passenger must know :ugh:

[Final 3 Greens]

I wonder really, all the time whilst traveling, how much of a problem this checking in of bags is for passengers and how much really does go missing or gets damaged.

I travel about 110 sectors per year.

The average per annum over the past three years is

2 pcs of luggage destroyed or damaged sufficiently to require repair

2 pcs of luggage mislaid (didn't arrive until next day or beyond)

All instances are very inconvenient, as I am travelling on business.

Are you lucky or am I unlucky?

[10secondsurvey]

F3G, you are not unlucky.

I go to great lengths to avoid checking in bags for this very reason. It has happened to me many times, but I don't keep stats on the matter. Anyway, I tend to travel 'ultra-light' whenever possible.

As regards this point, from my perspective, what is most important is time to carousel on arrival. Do not be surprised if on a European flight to LHR, your baggage takes longer to get from plane to carousel, than it took for the actual flight. That is down to staffing and poor management by airport and airline.



HandyAndy, you sound like a very lucky person

[HandyAndy]

Maybe lucky or fortunate, and I feel for those whose luggage is not there to greet them at the carousel.. I am sure this missing/damaged luggage issue boils down to region/airports used. Of course on occasions, it can happen anywhere however I wonder if it is an airline or airport problem. I suspect the latter.

My principal gripe is that folks continue to bring on board inappropriately sized luggage and whilst airport staff should enforce the rules, it is the individual who knowingly does it and has no consideration for others. It is a safety issue as well as a moral one.

[Final 3 Greens]

MJ

The locations where my bags go missing are pretty consistent - London and Paris feature on the list, often when connecting via.

Never had a problem in the Med ;)

[Pax Vobiscum]

In my experience, luggage is much more likely to go missing on trips that involve connecting flights. If you're flying point-to-point, my feeling is that there's a <1% chance that your luggage won't be there at your destination. Not so if there's one or more connections involved.

[EastMids]

I have a rolling bag that JUST meets the UK carry on size requirements. I have had many arguments with checkin desk staff, gate staff and even cabin crew who try to tell me its too big and has to go in the hold. I can ALWAYS prove it meets the regulations and thus I have a right to take on board. It always has in it at least £10k's worth of camera gear - often up to double that amount. Now go tell me to check it in and trust baggage handlers with it. Not a chance - I've had stuff stolen from checked bags before! Its not just the loss or the damage though - its the consequence of not having it when I get to where I'm going. And I do always make sure I'm inside the rules, even if only just. I've even had to threaten not to travel and insist the airline offloads my other [checked] back with clothes etc in it before staff have seen sense. The day airlines and handling agents take irrevokable responsibility for loss, consequential loss and damage to checked baggage, I might consider checking the camera gear in, but until then I will continue to argue with ground staff and ignore the glares of other passengers who think I'm carting something far too big around.

A

[RevMan2]

Leaving aside the merits or otherwise of the current carry-on restrictions, the screening process at LHR T2 last week was exemplary.

Suspect bags are popped in the frame.
Too big? Check-in's downstairs.

Did anyone have a problem with that?
Not as far as I could see.

Problems crop up when a pax gets to the aircraft after having been through n sloppy/don't care checks and the crew are lumbered with sorting the problem.

As in BOS one time.
The crew was forced to refuse to let the last 10 passengers on an MD80 take ANY carry-ons, because the bins were all full to overflowing.

Guess why.....