Flybe strict cabin bag enforced

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  • David
    Participant

    I frequently travel with Flybe, however in recent weeks airport staff are now checking all cabin bags, and of course most bags don’t fit the Flybe policy, that will be £50 to put in the hold, all major credit cards accepted, sir.

    On the Belfast/Edinburgh route this flight is often half full or less, and cabin bag space hasn’t been a problem on this route, feel this new policy is unfair.

    Flybe has lost me as a customer, and ask members how strict are Aer Lingus regarding cabin bags, or perhaps time to start using ferries, although I noticed ferry prices went up, when Flybe grounded a number of flights a number of weeks ago.

    David


    capetonianm
    Participant

    Whilst I have sympathy for you, and I am no fan of FlyBe (quite the opposite in fact, and they lost me as a customer several years ago for different reasons), an airline is damned for being inflexible if it enforces its policy strictly, and damned for being unfair if it doesn’t.

    Of the two options, I believe enforcement is the better.

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    In fact this draconian cabin baggage policy started earlier this year.

    https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/flybe-airline-hand-baggage-zero-tolerance-charges-luggage-fees-flight-a8758666.html

    One reason is that Flybe operates only smallish aircraft which have less space within the cabin.

    Even after all this time there are endless complaints on Flybe social media.

    In particular, some travellers wonder why they get charged in one direction but not in another.

    Many weeks ago Flybe was saying that it wanted airport workers to be more consistent. But passengers still complain long and hard about the lack of consistency.

    At most airports Flybe relies on third-party workers rather than its own staff.

    Flybe is handling more and more interline travellers at London Heathrow and at Manchester

    One wonders whether these rules are being enforced on interline passengers, who might have arrived at Heathrow from an overnight United, SIA or Emirates flight, to the same degree.

    I say that because all these carriers (and there are others too) all operate wide-body aircraft with far more cabin space.

    Does the Edinburgh-bound passenger flying to London Heathrow with one of SIA’s A380 realise he or she will be transferring to a small Flybe turbo-prop ?


    iflypremium
    Participant

    There should be more lieuway for passengers who have 1 ticket with multiple sectors but connections onto smaller aircraft.

    For example,if a passenger flies Singapore-Heathrow on SQ then transfers onto BE from Heathrow to Aberdeen,the BE staff should know and not enforce the rule. Otherwise it should not be possible to book ABZLHRSIN etc…

    flyBe already had the £50 fee in place. It is in the headlines as the rules are being enforced.

    After many months of being in the headlines,surely by now passengers know to take small handluggage by now ?


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    [quote quote=931381]For example,if a passenger flies Singapore-Heathrow on SQ then transfers onto BE from Heathrow to Aberdeen,the BE staff should know and not enforce the rule.[/quote]

    This is not a practical idea. You allow a transferring passenger to take 2 large sized bags yet tell Mr Commuter, sorry you are being charged £50, is a recipe for some loud & understandable, arguments…


    GivingupBA
    Participant

    [quote quote=931416]

    For example,if a passenger flies Singapore-Heathrow on SQ then transfers onto BE from Heathrow to Aberdeen,the BE staff should know and not enforce the rule.

    This is not a practical idea. You allow a transferring passenger to take 2 large sized bags yet tell Mr Commuter, sorry you are being charged £50, is a recipe for some loud & understandable, arguments…[/quote]

    Right, not practical. What I do when connecting like that (which I often do) is pack accordingly for the first flight – keep hand luggage small enough for the smaller plane (I know some passengers will not be aware that the connection may be on a smaller plane).


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    [quote quote=931418](I know some passengers will not be aware that the connection may be on a smaller plane).[/quote]

    That’s the point and especially for travellers originating from elsewhere.

    When I checked with United and SIA (who both interline with BE at LHR) for flights departing the US and Singapore both websites display the fact that the connecting flight would be with BE.

    United says it will be a Q-400 which it describes as “a non jet aircraft type.” No indication of the size.

    SIA does not reveal the aircraft type for the connecting flight.

    Both carriers offer no further information on hand baggage allowances with BE.

    Travellers are told to check with partner airlines.

    When checking with Flybe.com an alert “Please check your cabin baggage dimensions before travelling” is posted in small black type at the top of the home page.

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    I can’t comment on the UK flights, but it is a bugbear for those of us who visit S. Africa, where the LCC’s have a 20kg limit and 1 bag limit, and the flights are all Economy. Whereas the connecting flight is 1 / 2 bags and 23kg resp. 32 kgs and 2 carry ons in Business. Not only do you have to pay the extra bag, but also for extra weight above 20 kgs and this can then become quite expensive.

    However this can often be avoided by buying a through ticket, when your baggage allowance is that granted by the original carrier. For SAA (SA Express) this is Star Alliance flights as well as AF and EK. Kulula is BA, Iberia, EK and a few other airlines. The downside though is buying a through ticket is often more expensive than buying the international leg and the local leg separately. So you pays your money and takes your choice!!

    A small caveat, is if you have your two tickets, and I’ve only done this with LX/LH and SA Express, is at check in if you show the onward flight they will issue baggage tags through to the final destination, for example, MXP-ZRH-JNB-GRJ (in my case) though you still have to pick up your bags and clear customs at JNB. You then just go straight to the bag drop for the domestic flight. Not sure about other airlines though.

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