Hand Baggage-can this be true ?

[Flapping_Madly]

The other day boarding a flight I noticed in the shuffle before me a bloke with a rucksac.
A monster round the world traveller rucksac, From the top of his backside to level with the top of his head and way wider than he was.

It did not have a bedroll perched on top or saucepans swinging from the bottom but it could have had.

How the hell did that get though as hand baggage . The cabin crew re packed four lockers to get the damn thing in.

A friend tells me they cannot refuse it because he was wearing it so it was part of his clothing ???!!!

Is this right?

[strake]

I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and guess this wasn't on Ryanair or EasyJet...? :)

[PAXboy]

Which carrier? Which route? What class? How much had he paid for his ticket?

[Flapping_Madly]

My interest in this is shown by the question. If you wear your luggage as part of your clothing do the hand baggage size and weight rules not apply. As I have been informed by a neighbour who is pretty knowledgeable about aircraft and can distinguish them from seagulls when they fly over.

It was not Ryanair or Easyjet. It was a scheduled flight Gatwick Alicante. Only one class but you pay one of three levels of fare. Even the most expensive fare does not mention walking on with a wardrobe strapped to your back !!!

So is this the way to go--wear your luggage. It will stop me being anguished about how big my bag is and has the lousy airline reduced the size down to that of a fag packet.
Thanks for responses.

[Anansis]

I doubt it would have been allowed simply because he was wearing it so it became part of his clothing. I suspect that the chances are he checked in online and it wasn't questioned by security or gate staff. Or it could be something a little more bizzarre...

In the mid noughties I was flying with an airline which issued handwritten paper tickets. The agent (employed by the airline) wrote a departure time that was an hour later than it should have been. Through no fault of my own I turned up after check in had closed and was eventually escorted through security with my 'checked' luggage which I was forced to carry onto the plane (an ex PIA 747 classic) as hand-luggage. Needless to say, the cabin crew were horrified, especially as the flight was full and I was the last to board!

(p.s. this happened at HKG; the airline was Orient Thai. Not sure on the exact year but I think I had shampoo so it must have been pre 2006...).

[PAXboy]

Since a back pack IS cabin baggage and has to be weighed and measured 9if the agen requests, it could well be one of the suggestions from Flapping_Madly or, in no order:


something like Anansis suggests
he has some special pass as he was carrying human tissue for transplant in a cooler bag in his back pack
he slipped passed all of the agents!

[easyflyer83]

It was not Ryanair or Easyjet. It was a scheduled flight Gatwick Alicante. Only one class but you pay one of three levels of fare. Even the most expensive fare does not mention walking on with a wardrobe strapped to your back !!!

Any particular reason why we're being a little cryptic as to which carrier this was?

[A2QFI]

There are many multi-pocket jackets on the market which count as personal clothing when considering hand baggage regulations. Two are Scottvest and Rufus Roo.

[Tableview]

Any particular reason why we're being a little cryptic as to which carrier this was?

Monarch is the only carrier apart from EZY who operate the route.

[givemewings]

Another possibility- could be a military kit or avalanche rescue backpack which had operator approval? Don't have the regs to hand so can't remember if these backpacks are permitted as carry on or not. I *think* the avalanche one is meant to go in the hold but as they have pyrotechnics I'm not sure.

[davidjohnson6]

I would have great difficulty believing that on a Gatwick-Alicante flight as per Flapping_Madly's comment, someone would be carrying in a large backpack either military or avalanche rescue equipment. Seems far more likely to have been someone on holiday who managed to slip past the gate agent(s)

On a flight from Jerez on Ryanair 2 days ago, I saw a large number of people carrying outsize baggage, including someone "wearing" a large rucksack. The flight was a little late, and I can only assume that the gate agents either just didn't care or were under pressure to dispatch the flight as quickly as possible.

[RevMan2]

I experienced the same LAXFRA on LH last month - passenger walks through business, body almost insignificant compared with his rucksack. and disappears down the back, followed by the unbelieving gazes of the crew at the door.
There were 5 points of contact/control before he got to his seat and lumbered the crew in that compartment with the almost impossible task of stowing his carry/wear-on

1. Check-in
2. TSA pre-check
3. TSA security check
4. Gate agents
5. Door crew

But of course it's easier just to let it slide and let other passengers be inconvenienced, all the while incanting "We have a full flight today, so please stow your carry-on under the seat in front of you.

At least he didn't stow it in a business class overhead on the way through which happens more often than you'd want to believe....

[PAXboy]

Some of these travellers have pre-planned their outburst and rant if stopped. Some might practice 'the look' to not be stopped.

I have also seen a queue being checked for over sized hand luggage and yet - some were called out and told to pay and check it in - others were not. That's one queue for one flight from a small regional field that had plenty of time to check everyone and gain the approval of FR for doing so. But they didn't.

[DaveReidUK]

I have also seen a queue being checked for over sized hand luggage and yet - some were called out and told to pay and check it in - others were not. That's one queue for one flight from a small regional field that had plenty of time to check everyone and gain the approval of FR for doing so. But they didn't.

A cynic might suggest that the criterion used was to assess who looked like they were a soft touch and would put up/pay up without protest.

[PAXboy]

Yes, DaveReidUK, highly plausible.

Bear in mind that the original easyJet boarding plan of loading pax - in three main groups of the order in which they checked in - failed because gate agents were not prepared to stand up to the bullies that gate crashed.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Paxboy. Your statement that EJ's boarding policy has 'failed" is a nonsense that apparently no one but you is aware of. How do you come up with garbage like that? Oh, I know...

You speak through your fundament.


Hand baggage is hand baggage whether it is worn on the back, balanced on the head or gripped by the teeth. Whoever came up with that daft notion of it being "clothing" is also a fundamental orator. Its not April 1st, is it?

[Flapping_Madly]

Just look here you rotting toadstool my neighbour is not a fundamental orator at all and he doesn't talk through his a.rse either. :) He just told me what he had heard or read.

Very interesting thread. But annoying and depressing,

Annoying because my wife and I struggle with the different sizes and weights allowed and comply very carefully. And depressing that if luggage regulations can be so slap-dash what else is?

I won't tell you what happened to my 50 quid hat when the scanner conveyor overseer insisted, over my objections, that my hat should sit on the top of my bag coat belt and laptop in the tray and obviously got knocked off and mangled in the conveyor rollers. Stupid ignorant ***.

Thank you all.

[PAXboy]

Agaricus bisporus The reason that I have made the statement was due to my observation as a pax on EZY for some 16 years. At one stage I commuted LTN-EDI every week for six and a half months. Further, I have followed the observations and statements in these forums for over 11 years. What these direct and indirect observations have told me is:

The best way to get on an EZY flight first is to gate crash the gate. Usually they are quiet but they are just in the front of the queue for when boarding starts. I have frequently looked over their shoulders and read that they were group 'C' (as first used) but they and have been let on before 'A' + 'B' and other variations. I have seen them protest (and pretend, I think) that their travelling partner checked in at the same time - but somehow they got into a higher group - etc.

I can see the gate agents shrugging their shoulders and just hoping that nothing kicks off. Having a stand up argument with agressive pax (both genders) is not what makes their day go well. It would also hold up the queue and onlooking pax would see an agent being, apparently, unhelpful to a pax. They would not know the reason.

It was not always like this. At the outset, folks did queue nicely. Then behaviour steadily deteriorated as they took advantage. Others then followed them.

I have stated that I think (i.e. my point of view if you read me) that many EZY staff would have been very glad to get rid of the original first-past-the-post system as it was often difficult for them.

If you choose not to accept my empirical evidence of 16 years, I am cool with that but rejecting it out of hand does not lend creedence to your point of view. Now, can we get back to the fundamental point of the thread ...

Pax behaviour with cabin baggage has followed seat selection. Once in a while they get stopped but not often and never consistently. It is obviously worth taking a punt on seat grab and cabin baggage.