Controlling cabin luggage the Australian way

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Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 31 total)

  • capetonianm
    Participant

    Martyn, I suspect they are on some kind of incentive, hence the attitude.

    All I can say is that when I worked for airlines, we were definitely not incentivised to collect XBAG charges, but that was in a kinder and gentler age where old fashioned courtesy and decency drove decisions. My staff knew that up to about 5 kilos extra would pass with just a comment pointing out that it was over. 6-10 we would charge half, and over was usually referred to me for a decision. We sometimes had passengers who were clearly taking the proverbial and if they got lippy they paid in full or left it behind. All good fun in those days.


    MarcusGB
    Participant

    Just been sent this by Air France for a European trip.

    https://www.airfrance.co.uk/GB/en/common/guidevoyageur/pratique/bagages-cabine-airfrance.htm

    Very informative, so let’s hope it is an applied Policy.
    Travellers should be asked to accept this when booking, then it is a contractual obligation, and simply displayed at Check in. No comply, No Fly!


    GoonerLondon
    Participant

    There is definitely a peculiar attitude here amongst the status elite.
    – Irritation that people get away with stuff
    – Boarding slow because of cabin bags
    – Irritation that they cant get their own bag on

    The reality is, we all want to carry on! Its so much easier. Who wants to check a bag for a short trip?
    And airlines prefer cabin bags too because its much cheaper and less risk of liability too.
    (And thats why airlines dont offer free checked bags, but paid for cabin – pretty obvious, and Im amazed it needs to be said).

    There is a bizarre situation in Australia where ‘elf and safety’ have got involved to limit weight. But why should that be? why is 8gk any safer than 10 or 15?
    And because there is far less competition the Aussie carriers can make money by passing the costs on to the customer.

    So no.Lets be customer first not take a retrograde step to some “i know best” ridiculousness. The current rules are fine. First come first served.


    Johnnyg
    Participant

    GoonerLondon The current rules are fine. First come first served.

    To gate or board?

    Is it ok then for a passenger sitting in row 19 putting his / her cabin bag in row 3 o/h bins just because they boarded first?


    capetonianm
    Participant

    GoonerLondon

    You are wrong on so many points.

    There is definitely a peculiar attitude here amongst the status elite.

    It’s not ‘peculiar’ to expect a right, which has been paid for, to be delivered.
    – Irritation that people get away with stuff

    Yes, why should some people be allowed to inconvenience others with their selfish behaviour.
    (And thats why airlines dont offer free checked bags, but paid for cabin – pretty obvious, and Im amazed it needs to be said).This only applies to LCCs or base fares on legacy carriers.
    The current rules are fine. First come first served.
    This is not ‘fine’. It favours those who get to the front of the queue by pushing through, or simply walking faster along the jetway than the less able bodied.
    Those who pay for the right to have CBBG should not be impeded from exercising that right.

    As for is it ok then for a passenger sitting in row 19 putting his / her cabin bag in row 3 o/h bins just because they boarded first?, don’t get me started. Unlike most people, I speak out when I see this being done.


    apmeredith
    Participant

    Recently at AMS on a flight to LGW, the cabin crew told me that they routinely take the last 30 or so passenger’s cabin bags off them and put them in the hold. It doesn’t matter whether there is still space in the overhead bins or not. This is ensure on time departure. On the flight I was was on there were many passengers running to the front of the plane trying to get their bags back as there was still plenty of space overhead.


    canucklad
    Participant

    Ground Hog Day !!!

    Was about to share a few bad experiences on various airlines of different hues, and realized….

    “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome” is the definition of …..

    Insanity


    Cedric_Statherby
    Participant

    It is interesting to see the various defences of the way European airlines operate in this thread. Apart from being what most of us are familiar with, I cannot see any advantage at all of the shambles and arbitrariness one experiences on most short haul European flights, not to mention the opportunities for disappointment and discord, both between passengers and between passengers and gate staff.

    In any situation where there are rules – and there do have to be rules – it is surely much better that the rules be clear and be applied uniformly, fairly and efficiently. It is better for those that the rules are aimed at (because they know exactly what to expect and can be confident of the authorities’ response in any situation) and it is also better for those applying the rules. The Jetstar staff I saw at the Hobart check-in did not experience any unpleasantness. No-one complained. No-one tried DYKWIA. No-one flashed gold cards. No-one tried to game the system. No-one “got away with” more luggage than the rules permitted – which happens so often in Europe and is always at some other passenger’s expense. The whole experience was not only much easier for the passengers, it was much much easier and less confrontational for the staff (who some of our posters here seem to have forgotten).

    It also made for much faster boarding, gave everyone with legitimate amounts of cabin baggage the assurance that they could find space for it, and assured an on-time departure.

    In what way – what way at all – is this a less satisfactory solution to a real problem than the standard European “what can I get away with, who can I barge out of the way, who do I have to argue with” process?

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    mancvboy
    Participant

    Spirit Airlines in the USA has charged for carryon bags for sometime. Anything larger than a small briefcase, max 18insx14insx8ins, is charged for regardless of whether it is carryon or checked. Whilst you can specify and pay for a carryon, the size and weight of which is also limited, even then they can sometimes be put in the hold if there is insufficient room in the cabin. They used to charge more for carryon but this seems to have gone now.The difference it makes to both boarding and embarking is remarkable – very few carryons and no having to wait in the aisles whilst someone tries to push an overweight bag into the overhead.


    TiredOldHack2
    Participant

    [quote quote=921336]It would be a big plus if the airlines could actually get together and actually agree a standard size for hand luggage.[/quote]

    Damn right. I flew with Thomas Cook on a ski trip recently, and was amazed to discover that my usual cabin bag (which isn’t big anyway), and which has travelled round the world with me on a variety of airlines, didn’t meet TC’s, er, Ts&Cs.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    TiredOldHack2
    Participant

    [quote quote=921397]The only regular airport I use that has consistent hand baggage policy are the BA gates in AMS.[/quote]

    Yes, I’ve noticed this. It’s a busy service and always full.

    (I fly into and out of AMS all the time, because I use it as a starting point for long-distance CW flights, for the usual reason).


    maxgeorge
    Participant

    Agree wholeheartedly. AA is often pretty good about this, too. And no queue jumping into priority boarding, either.


    AlanOrton1
    Participant

    Agreed as well.
    My experience of flying domestic in the US is the mainline airlines and LCC’s rigourously enforce boarding groups and clearly announce over the tannoy who can board when.
    People often line up next to the numbered boards that match the number on their boarding card.
    A lot of US airlines board bang on 30 mins before departure, which may not always be possible for other airlines with tighter turnaround times.


    Sanran
    Participant

    [quote quote=921454]
    The reality is, we all want to carry on! Its so much easier. Who wants to check a bag for a short trip?
    [/quote]

    Agree. That pushed me fly C much often than before especially to “slow” airports. I guess I’m not the only one.

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