Yes it happens. On my LGW-BFS several mounths ago I was securing my area and found a large box by the pax feet. It fitted in the bin (just) but he told me it was "too fragile to go up there". I asked what was in the box..... it was a bathroom cabinet
As a Pu on LowCo I think
Girtbar has it in one and I shouldn't say this as my company would not agree on principle. The amount of stuff that pax cram into a non weight restricted cabin bag is unsafe. They want to avoid the hold charges and why wouldn't they. Most if not all of what they have in there is not essential for that flight however.
And the bag crates seem to be so much bigger downroute for the same dimentions.....any other crew find this
I cannot speak for what happens on FR if
all pax turn up with a correctly sized cabin bag (unlikely) but I can say what happens at my lot.
On a flight from a certain italian airport on a 319 (156 pax capacity) 102 pax turned up with the contents of their houses crammed into their hand luggage which seemed to have cleared all ground channels. Because i have time pressures to board we don't argue on the steps but allow the SLF to sort it in the cabin.
When they can't the CC tag the bags and offload them to the hold after asking the pax to remove "essentials" that is medication, travel docs, nappies....
The poor dispatcher then has to drag all this down the steps to the hold so EZY avoid handling charges for that bag.......
Loco do exploit the luggage issue in the name of revenue......I don't deny this and I'm not saying this is right.
And to the "sniping" SLF who think we should place the emergency equiptment elsewhere to accomodate your luggage where would you suggest?
It's not much use to us/pax in the hold and stowing it in the galleys means reduced catering.....
And yes the CAA have an input here.....airlines do not just do their own thing. We have to be approved.