FlyBe Checked Luggage.

[AFFF]

Recently took a Flybe flight MAN-SOU to join a cruise to Barbados, unfortunately my case was 5Kg overweight as I had packed to the limit of my return flight to Manchester on another carrier. No problem, paid my £50 excess and cursed my stupidity for not being more observant. On boarding the flight my mood was not improved to find a load factor of a little over 30% and people boarding who couldn't carry their hand luggage due to it's weight, two pieces being stored between seat rows at the back of the aircraft. Not a word of challenge by the gate staff or cabin crew. On reaching the baggage reclaim at SOU, there appeared to be less than 10 pieces of checked bags.

Whilst fully appreciating the need to charge for excess weight, I really was a little naffed off at FlyBe and their apparent double standards, espeacially with an aircraft was less than a third full, and well below it's MTOW.

Flew with FlyBe MAN-EDI three weeks ago, had two enforced flight changes, and at check-in was charged for the carriage of bags that had been paid for at the time of booking. FlyBe staff stating they had no record of the bags being paid for even though we had evidence to the fact. After 40 minutes and the check in supervisor stating that it was pay or don't fly, we paid up, and are now in the process of claiming the money back through the booking agent. The guy at check-in summed it up when he stated "I'm ashamed to work for these a********!!". His words not mine!! To cap it all, the guy in front of me at check in was charged £10 for a bag that was 1Kg over, How petty!!

Come on FlyBe, get it together, if your going to charge for excess, fine, but challenge the people who take excess cabin bags too! Espeacially if they struggle to carry them on the aircraft.

Any comments?

[TightSlot]

Just playing Devils' Advocate here, so take it easy, but...

Could a case be made as follows?: What other people do or don't do might be called irrelevant. The fact is that all the pain could be avoided by simply packing within the permitted weight?

(I appreciate that you did in fact do so on the second occasion, and that there was an airline error involved)

[AMEandPPL]

Sounds like some crazy logic going on there (or lack of it ! ). Thanks for the advance warning - I'm flying with FlyBe in two weeks' time to visit my daughter, so I'll be prepared !

On the subject of
but challenge the people who take excess cabin bags too! Especially if they struggle to carry them on the aircraft
I strongly agree, and would ask should the general principle not be :
"take on board as hand luggage anything that you might reasonably anticipate wanting to have available DURING the flight".
In which case, the amounts would vary widely according to the distance being travelled. Long-haul you'd need more; London to Paris there is barely cruise time even to open your hand luggage !

[Moira]

I strongly agree, and would ask should the general principle not be :
"take on board as hand luggage anything that you might reasonably anticipate wanting to have available DURING the flight"

Sounds to me like you never lost your luggage ... :ok:
In addition to what I want to have available during the flight (not much really), I also keep medication etc. in my hand luggage, as well as some small stuff I might need on the first day/night at my destination in case my suitcase went missing!

[PAXboy]

The first trip experience is certainly unfair AFFF and I have seen it happen on more carriers than I can write down. I've certainly seen it with FR on a trip last August as well as with mainlines. The 'problem' rests with the check-in agent who is usually on sub-contract and may, for example, have just been given a ticking off for being too lenient.

FR have been known to do 'mystery shopper' trips with overweight bags to see if their charges are correctly applied because they got fed up with agents being too generous and they (FR) losing out on money. Perhaps a supervisor was looking over their shoulder when you checked in? It might be as silly as that.

With regards to the a/c being comfortably under occupied - this makes no change to what luggage is allowed as inclusive or charged. With mainline carriers - it can do but not with LCCs. They publish their limits and you must fit within them. The fact that others got away with heavy bags is the bit you for you to challenge them on. But you need evidence and photographic is the only one possible and you would have to show them having difficulty in loading the bag into the locker.

[AMEandPPL]

some small stuff I might need on the first day/night at my destination in case my suitcase went missing!
Fair comment ! But all the more reason for the INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE (ie airlines / airports) to improve systems so that luggage losses are continually being reduced. Then stupid sized bags would not be needed in the cabin itself.

[paulc]

I would also include anything that would not benefit from the 'loving care' that hold luggage receives regardless of the airline. I usually carry a laptop and photographic equipment when flying and there is no way I would let that in the hold.

[Moira]

Put the camera around your neck! :E Saves some weight in your cabin bag and most airliners allow you to, in addition to the normal hand luggage. But I agree: no way I'd put that in hold luggage either!