Originally Posted by
Reversethrustset
Absolute rubbish rog747, it's not the greed of the airlines but rather the fare paying public wanting something for nothing or a ticket for £20. Air travel on a £70m jet has never been sustainable for £20 and it never will be. Years ago you didn't have the option of not paying for hold luggage because you paid it within your £400 ticket, now you have the option of not paying it by not taking it yet the likes of you whine your tits off when your ticket doesn't even cost 3 figures. Now you have an option, you either pay for each item separately picking and choosing what you want to pay for thus making air travel cheaper, or you pay £400 for the lot with no breakdown. Make your mind up, you can't have it both ways.
Beg to slightly differ sorry old chap - But you too have worked in the industry (me since 1972, flying since 1964) like me you know we never had these problems when there was no choices on luggage on your ticket purchased back then - And no, not all tickets were £400 a pop - My first flight in 1964 was 2 weeks to the Costa Brava on a Britannia 33lbs hold bag and a cabin bag- wow how we lived! (and survived)
We paid 35 Guineas for that 2 weeks holiday and half price for me (I was 7)
One hold bag and one small cabin bag - end of - planes flew - passengers happy - crew happy UNTIL the bright sparks started to dismantle the product - Then and only then Joe P has been faced with a plethora of confusing rules and regs couple that with post 9/11 issues and constant security threats and changes to hand baggage rules therein plus the fact that Joe P now thinks he has been given the god given rights to take the contents of 2 suitcases squeezed into a wheelie holdall.
Personally I do not want it both ways - I don't care and I can afford to buy whatever ticket I choose - frankly the more bags I put in the hold the less I have to carry ---
What I do care and have empathy for is the poor crews that on almost on every flight I have taken in the past few years have to deal with the problems and delays of too much hand luggage brought first to the gate and then to the a/c which is in my view the pure fault of the airlines in offering too much choice which is then too confusing and open to misinterpretation and abuses.
Go back to hold luggage and one small piece would end this nonsense immediately.