Baggage Checkin in Flight

[Niallo]

During a flight, I sometimes notice that other passengers have too much baggage to fit comfortably in the overhead bins or under the seats. Can they then ask the Cabin Crew to check it in for them or is it too late?

[Seat62K]

If it's during a flight, it's definitely too late!

[The Real Slim Shady]

Joking aside, nice one S62K, the difficulty is that airlines sub the handling side out to 3rd parties.

Ergo, the groundstaff, who should cull the hand baggage, often don't give a monkeys and allow it through regardless of size.

[Seat62K]

I remember an argument onboard a KLMuk 146 several years ago. We were within minutes of closing the doors at Amsterdam. One connecting passenger didn't realise that due to the "change of gauge" the size of bag he'd been allowed to take into the cabin on his flight into AMS earlier (on KLM) was too big for the 146. The flight attendant insisted that he give it to her so that it could be put in the hold. He was quite upset about this.

[The Real Slim Shady]

And you will recall that the 14sick had diddy lockers: can't say I blame the poor passenger though. KLM should have made it clear: on the TransAtlantic sector you will fly Business Class in 747-300; on the sector from AMS to ZRH you will fly in a 14sick............it's a jet if only just

[Seat62K]

I agree, it's a titchy 'plane, but I think the KLM timetable (paper one; remember those?) did explain the maximum dimensions for hand baggage for each of the airlines in the KLM group. Should have been picked up at check in for the passenger's first sector, I suppose. I remember thinking that if the passenger had been flying to Heathrow rather than Stansted (or indeed to Stansted on a Fokker 100) he would not have had this problem.
P.S. If I recall correctly, the 'plane was in buzz colours.

[SNS3Guppy]

During a flight, I sometimes notice that other passengers have too much baggage to fit comfortably in the overhead bins or under the seats. Can they then ask the Cabin Crew to check it in for them or is it too late?

Of course it's not too late. However, due to the effort involved, it's usually preferred to wait until enough excess baggage has accumulated, before checking it.

A flight attendant is placed in a harness with a safety lanyard, and exits a forward door, where she is slowly let out inch by inch until she can reach the external baggage door. There, she opens the door, and the luggage is passed outside the aircraft into the slipstream and the minus 50 degree temperatures, so she can check each separate piece and stow it safely in the baggage compartment. Once that is complete and she places the baggage claim tags in her pocket, she exercises what can only be described as hurculean strength in climbing hand over hand back to the forward entry door to get back in the cabin and continue serving drinks and peanuts.

Most amazing of all is that not once will you ever see her hair out of place or evidence of the inevitable frost-bite.

You haven't seen this before? It happens on nearly every flight...

[loungee]

It happens because passengers will insist, even after being advised their hand baggage is too large and does not fit into the gauge, that they must take it on board and will not pay to check another bag into the hold ! We as groundstaff who check in flights and deal with passengers do try very hard to do our jobs properly and do give a "monkeys" ! Unfortunately we have to deal with some very interesting members of the travelling public who really do not give a "monkeys" !!

[Load Toad]

I'm often amazed at what passengers (are allowed to) take on as carry-on baggage. Personally I hate travelling with a lot of carry on - it's just something else to have to lug around until boarding and it's something else to drop, lose, have break etc. There is also something infuriating as you sit in your seat waiting for the doors to close to have some imbecile bash your head as they walk past with their oversized suit carrier / mainframe computer / Wendy House / shoe collection. Then the joy of watching such people struggle to lift their valuable wares into the already stuffed overhead locker, packs of sherpas appearing to try to lift and wedge the baggage into place before slamming the locker shut and hoping the contents won't fall down breaking the necks and skulls of the row of people below.
Most places I go to (fortunately in Asia) checked baggage is usually returned quickly; I can sort of understand passengers in UK or USA where from my experience the return of checked baggage is dependant upon human sacrifice and may or may not happen if the carousel gods are displeased.
To encourage passengers to check their camper vans at check-in how about offering a financial incentive. If the bag is over a certain size the passenger has to pay a sum approx US$40 or local currency equivalent. The total sum could be split amongst the other passengers who are not selfish gits.

[WHBM]

For those in the industry who cannot see it, reasons why pax bring so much on board are simple :

1) 5% is lost by the carrier.
2) Sometimes 25% if a connection is involved.
3) The remaining pax have to stand round and wait and wait at their destination for the bags to be delivered.
4) Procedures that require, for example, on US to Africa flights, that baggage departing the US must be unlocked, or else the TSA break it open, while on arrival in Africa unlocked baggage is routinely rifled and contents stolen. And Heathrow is not much better in this respect.

Point 2 is probably an underestimate for KLM connections through Amsterdam, the start of this thread.

[Final 3 Greens]

A flight attendant is placed in a harness with a safety lanyard, and exits a forward door, where she is slowly let out inch by inch until she can reach the external baggage door.

Ah, the old Charlton Heston procedure, generally requiring a fast helicopter to give the relief pilot access to the flight deck.

[jojo82]

With many years as a checkin agent, this is the number one issue we have! unfortunaly on some airlines (generally asian bound flights) the passengers have got clever and realised that if they keep their handluggage with a member of family in the cafe then go to check in and show just a handbag for example they generally do get away with oversize hand baggage. For one particular airline i worked on it got so bad that we had to place two staff members at security with a baggage gauge to make sure the handluggage would fit once inside the cabin. The best time for us as checkin agents on that airline was 2 years ago when all handluggage was banned! That was just fantastic!!!!!!

Another issue is Americans! Half their handluggage is bigger than the suitcase i check in when i go away! On american carriers into and out of the uk allow such huge sizes, as its the norm in america. Arguing with American passengers can be fun when they try and take a 'suitcase' as handluggage on fokker 50! But for the airline I now work on we have DAA's which is delivery at aircraft baggage which i think is a fantastic idea. Passenger drops their bag at aircraft steps, and recieves it at aircraft steps at destination. I think all airlines should have this service as it solves alot of problems at checkin.

Handbaggage problems will never be solved! I don't aggree in weighing handluggage at checkin, and asking the passenger to take 1kg out as its 'overweight' - after security what is there? SHOPS!!! Anyone can double/triple there handluggage these days in airside shopping so all that arguing at checkin is pointless. Not to say i dont check handbaggage, i do have a quick look to see what they have and through experience you generally know if something is overwieght or not!

Arghh handbaggage, should just be banned!

[Niallo]

Thank you all for your replies to my original question.
I wanted to find out whether any 'Arrogant Posters' (See nearby thread) would be tempted by my dumb question.
I am pleased to report zero 'Arrogant Posters' (so far), some amusing replies, and several informed replies on the real problems of excessive cabin baggage.
Regards, Niallo