Flybe hand luggage
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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Flybe hand luggage
Last Monday Mrs FF and I flew to from BHD to MAN on a Flybe Embraer 195. We had two pieces of hand baggage. These were my cpap bag and a small holdall on wheels which exactly matched the Flybe hand luggage measurements - carefully checked before we set off. It also weighed less than the 10kgs allowed. There was no problem. We boarded. The holdall fitted comfortably in the overhead bin and there was absolutely no quibble from anyone.
We returned on Thursday morning. Once again an Embraer 195. Exactly the same hand luggage. At the gate we were told our small holdall on wheels was "much too big". We pointed out there had been no problem on the outward flight. Again: "It's much too big."
We suggested it corresponded exactly with the measurement requirements and was under the maximum permitted weight. Again we were told it was "much too big."
The holdall went in the hold and we were flown back to Belfast by a very cheerful Captain who at 6.45am had definitely "had her weetabix" as Mrs. FF pointed out after her ecstatic welcome to the flight.
We didn't make any fuss about the holdall but what are a passenger's rights in this situation? Could we have insisted on the holdall being measured? We did wonder initially if perhaps the flight was full but it wasn't and the overhead bins were half empty.
I don't see the point in Flybe advising its passengers of hand luggage dimensions if these are ignored by its ground handling agents.
We checked the measurements carefully because on this occasion we didn't want to have to hang about at luggage carousels but we had to do so at the end of the return flight.
We returned on Thursday morning. Once again an Embraer 195. Exactly the same hand luggage. At the gate we were told our small holdall on wheels was "much too big". We pointed out there had been no problem on the outward flight. Again: "It's much too big."
We suggested it corresponded exactly with the measurement requirements and was under the maximum permitted weight. Again we were told it was "much too big."
The holdall went in the hold and we were flown back to Belfast by a very cheerful Captain who at 6.45am had definitely "had her weetabix" as Mrs. FF pointed out after her ecstatic welcome to the flight.
We didn't make any fuss about the holdall but what are a passenger's rights in this situation? Could we have insisted on the holdall being measured? We did wonder initially if perhaps the flight was full but it wasn't and the overhead bins were half empty.
I don't see the point in Flybe advising its passengers of hand luggage dimensions if these are ignored by its ground handling agents.
We checked the measurements carefully because on this occasion we didn't want to have to hang about at luggage carousels but we had to do so at the end of the return flight.
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I saw something in the press recently where bmybabi (or whatever) was using a checker that was smaller than their published measurements. After numerous complaints from pax who were charged a checked bag fee they are now 'fixing' the problem.
I would politely decline to check the bag and suggest that they measure it if they thought it was 'too big'.
I would politely decline to check the bag and suggest that they measure it if they thought it was 'too big'.
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Lack of consistancy by various airport groundstaff is not only confusing to passengers but also irritating. Only a couple of days ago I had the same experience with Lufthansa (Eurowings) flights on an CRJ-900. First of all my cabin bag is a soft top type and it meets the carrier's requirements. I have never previously had a problem with it before (including the the same a/c type). Outboud Germany no questions and no problems. On the return from the UK no comment from the check-in agent who saw my bag. At the gate I was informed that it wasn't suitable for the cabin and needed to be tagged for "delivery at aircraft"! The flight was only 2/3 full. Out of curiousity I asked why my bag was suddenly classed as unsuitable. Needless to say I didn't get a satisfactory answer. I didn't waste my breath arguing the point and let her tag it. I took it on board and asked the CC if she had any objection to its size. "That little thing Sir (she was referring to the bag), is no problem at all".
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The only positive thing I can say about the matter is when I asked how much it was going to cost for the bag to travel in the hold rather than as cabin baggage he said: "Nothing at all."
Anyone who paid to put a similar sized bag in the hold must have felt a little pissed off by that if they heard the conversation.
Anyone who paid to put a similar sized bag in the hold must have felt a little pissed off by that if they heard the conversation.
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MAN check in staff are pretty swift to seek to place hand baggage in the hold and to charge for the priveledge. Waiting in the check in queue last week, at least 4 out of the 5 passenger groups in front of me were dispatched to the ticket desk to pay for excess baggage (although in this instance it was quite justified), but they do have a reputation for being a bit 'keen'.
Issue is easily resolved by dropping your bag into the baggage sizer as suggested, which sits quite conveniently at the exit from the queue to the check in desk itself.
As for the skipper in question, well................
Issue is easily resolved by dropping your bag into the baggage sizer as suggested, which sits quite conveniently at the exit from the queue to the check in desk itself.
As for the skipper in question, well................
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After doing dispatch for years you found that if pax checked in on line and had a boarding card, they didn't need to go via check in but came direct to the gate. They could check in on line, not check a bag for the hold but bring one anyway and go straight to the gate in the hope they could carry it on.
Some were laughable, couldn't even lift the bag never mind put it in the sizer and the others who were regular travellers new that as they went through the gate and if challenged, the bag would be taken as a hold bag at last minute and due to proximity of departure there was no way they would be charged for it.
On line check in was a pain for dispatchers as you had an idea that they had a bag that wasn't checked in at the front.
Having said all that, I think that check in staff got commission on excess baggage taken at check in but not sure about normal hold bags.
Might just have been one of these off days for an overworked and vastly underpaid check in staff.
BMIBaby was the one that was highlighted last week or so.
Fly safe
Some were laughable, couldn't even lift the bag never mind put it in the sizer and the others who were regular travellers new that as they went through the gate and if challenged, the bag would be taken as a hold bag at last minute and due to proximity of departure there was no way they would be charged for it.
On line check in was a pain for dispatchers as you had an idea that they had a bag that wasn't checked in at the front.
Having said all that, I think that check in staff got commission on excess baggage taken at check in but not sure about normal hold bags.
Might just have been one of these off days for an overworked and vastly underpaid check in staff.
BMIBaby was the one that was highlighted last week or so.
Fly safe
