Carry on Baggage

[whogivesa????]

Was at Sydney airport the other day, and just happened to notice the boarding of a flight. I watched with interest the amount of baggage that people are carrying on these flights. Not one single person used the "test bin" and most of the baggage looked over the allowable weight.
Is there a weight limit on the overhead lockers ? and if so, who is enforcing it ?Also, why aren't the airlines involved, enforcing the "one piece" rule ?
In the past I have seen some ridiculous amounts of so called "hand baggage", but next time you are near a boarding aircraft, have a look for yourself. Anyone else noticed this ?

Just one more thing,: If the overweight baggage does come lose in the cabin (be it through the overhead locker flying open in turbulence or otherwise) and hits some poor sod in the back of the head causing injury, who is at fault ? the airline or the pax ? and who will be coughing up the $$$$ for compo ?

Still, if the airlines don't care, why should the public!

[Torres]

From the thread title I thought this was going to be a thread about taking wives on holidays!

Try Asia. Only the kitchen sink and the double bed is checked baggage. The rest of the household furniture is "carry on"!

Indeed in the Middle East one accident some years ago (DC10 or MD11) was the result of firing up a gas cooker someone had brought on as hand luggage and cooking lunch in the aisle.

But I do recall an aurguement at an Aussie domestic airport when a pax objected to not being allowed to take his full size surf board on board as carry on luggage.

And the pigs we had sneaked on as carry on hand luggage in bilum bags in PNG. Mind you when a good pig is worth many wives, one can understand concern for such precious possessions.

[Captn Seagull]

Glad to see I'm not the only one with concerns about the amount of carry on baggage carried on to flights.

Standing inline waiting to board a QF flight acouple of months ago was a bloke with an acoustic guitar in a case!!!! How the funk did this nong think he was going to fit it in a locker or stow it under a seat? What planet are some of the travelling public on??

:rolleyes: :p :rolleyes:

[Hugh Jarse]

I think Whogivesa was writing about "baggage" as opposed to "bags" :D:D

As Biscuit Chucker knows, we regularly get people with ridiculously oversized, or over their maximum number of pieces allowed as carry on.

You need to be sensible about it, but I'm always happy for offending pax to remain behind with their excess baggage if they aren't prepared to compromise with me.

I'm still yet to leave anyone behind :) You just need to explain why the limit is there......

[Mango3]

Interesting topic. We in GA have many stories re this.

Self once confronted with larger than normal cabin baggage. Namely, a 180Kg live pig, bound for a party although pig didn't appreciate this at the time...

Self says "No way, this pig isn't going on this flight". Fact was however, I needed weight in the fwd locker but the problem was the avionics panel located in there. It was a BN3.

Solution: Pig's soul went to heaven fast, ballast problem solved and party brought forward by 24 hrs. As for RPT ops, and based on my observations at aerobridges in Australia, then those gadgets designed for cabin baggage are rarely used.

[Rich-Fine-Green]

Anyone who has flown domestic in the USA will know that the 'carry-on' problem here is nothing compared to the USA.

Generally speaking, Australian pax are much better behaved, patient and usually adhere to the 'carry-on' limits (my observations only).

However, with the lack of catering on DJ is it just a matter of time before we see a Weber BBQ fired up in a 737?. :D

[Bundy]

Unfortunately Qantas changed the hand luggage regulations last year. Pax can carry two "domestic size" bags OR one "international size" bag. Yes guitars are allowed, but only in soft carry case. Due to this years change to only one flight attendant doing all the boarding, hand luggage is often not sighted. 7 kilos is maximum weight allowed, but there are no scales at the departure lounges to weigh anything. There is now an added problem that the new 737-800's have smaller overhead lockers, and on full flts not all the bags fit and must be removed!

[cabinboy]

Just for the record since last year this policy has been effective on QF -

QF INTL and QF DOMESTIC (JETS) - 2 Bags/Items allowed as cabin baggage not exceeding 7kg Each

QFLINK - SUNSTATE/EASTERN/SOUTHERN - 1 Piece/Item not exceeding 4kg.

[Roadrunner]

Qantas are actually weighing the carry on out of Japan and enforcing 7.5kg/pax.:rolleyes:
The flight bag weighs half that unfortunately.

[F111]

One of the problems I've found is when passengers have travelled on on domestic jet (ie SY-BN) and then connect with a regional aircraft (ie BN-HBA). They have carried their 2 bags/items, each at 7kg on the jet and now they what to carry those same items on the smaller regional aircraft. Thats fine on our 36 seat aircraft, but what about the smaller 15-19 seat (Metro/Bandit) aircraft that do not have space for carry-on bags.

This problem is increasing with the increase use of internet bookings. Pasengers don't bother to read what carry baggage allowance they are allowed. In the past there was a good chance the travel agent would tell the passenger about the size of the regional aircraft and it's lack of space for carry-on bags.

[whogivesa????]

I have seen in the US that the security guys there actually have perspex "Cutouts" on their x-ray machines, and that if a piece does not fit through that, then they have to go and check it in.
I agree with F111 that maybe internet bookings and/or E-Tickets, and especially this new "quick check in" or self checking in system may cause an increase in baggage being carried onboard.
I also find it disturbing re the comments that we are not as bad as the US. therefore we are doing OK.... Do we really have to lower ourselves to US's standards before we do anything about it ? Surely as professionals we should be learning from the mistakes / wrong policies of others and NOT making the same errors.

A question that always gets the pax stumped, I have found, is.... " What is in that bag (which weighs 12kg)that you are absolutely unable to do without for the next 45 mins?"

Is this an accident waiting to happen ?

[luna landing]

Whogivesa???? - what is in the bag is all the stuff you're going to need for the day or 2 it takes the airline to find your checked in luggage that they lost and get it to you!! :)