Are Carry On Bags Out of Control ?

[Archphoto]

Worst thing for me is that I have been burned so many times with lost and delayed luggage, that I am loath to put my camera equipment in the hold - my job requires me to hit the ground running and *any* delays in luggage will cause a lot of grief to me and my clients.

I have a roller bag that carries the gear I need to get the job done, should any of the hold gear be delayed. It fits within the dimensions of "carry-on" the only problem is, once you actually put the gear into it, it weighs well over 12kg!

I can get it into most of the overheads (think the 767's cause me some problems as they sit further back) - and believe me, it definitely won't fit under the seat in front. I also carry a small laptop bag, which fits well on top of the roller, and then I can put a jacket on top again.

J* Intl was *the* worst flight - got pulled up by a heavy at MEL INTL and was given the third degree, because it was 5 kg over. Never mind that people around me had 3-4 bags, rollers etc coming out of their ears - I had to march back to checkin for my "Carry-on" sticker - and boy, were those checkin ladies gruff and unyielding. Stuffed as much as I possibly could into the backpack I had, and told "Don't repack the bag before boarding!!" Finally got to the F lounge and did unpack the more delicate camera items back into the roller.

Heads up airlines - if you can guarantee that my bags won't be delayed/sent to Timbuktu/lost/destroyed etc, I'm more than happy to pack into the hold and meet your carry-on limits.

As it stands however, you don't give a toss if they do go missing, get damaged ($$$$$$ in repairs and new gear needing to be bought!) and generally get delayed. My business can't run without the gear I take with me - it's essential to me getting the job done. It's stripped down to bare minimum to get the job done if/when the bags do go on holiday by themselves - what more can I do?

 

[smeacs]

Completly agree, it is amazing how much "shopping" people get onto flights. Has anyone been on one of the flights into ADL where probably half the lockerspace is taken up by krispy Kreme's ?

 

[Archphoto]

Completly agree, it is amazing how much "shopping" people get onto flights. Has anyone been on one of the flights into ADL where probably half the lockerspace is taken up by krispy Kreme's ?

I'm unfortunately one of those - my sister and nieces adore KK, but I do try to carry them on my lap - it's only a short flight after all. If not, I try to place them on top of my carry on, rather than giving them their own "private suite"!! (Maybe the airlines can start storing KK up front like jackets, with our BPs inside??)

Guess the sooner KK opens a store in ADL, the sooner overhead space will be freed up for more important carry-on. . . . . .

 

[smeacs]

I have done it too a few times. Once i got told i had to put them on the floor and then discovered heaps of overhead room.

As Krespy Kreme wasn't making much money i don't think we will see one in ADL

 

[medhead]

I dont know.A bag with internal dimensions of 15x15x15cm=3375 ccs.24 carat gold=19.3gm per cc.So a little over 60kg would fit in that undersized bag.

I'm sure if you had that much gold you'd probably take your private jet.

It is not so much the wheelie bag but the size of the piece of luggage. Most airports have test modules to see if the bag is oversize. I was annoyed at Ballina one day when a JQ questioned my shapeless duffle bag which fitted easlit in the test unti while she allowed this woman with a massive bag on board without a challenge. She couldn't even lift it into the overhead locker.

I was replying to the OP which doesn't mention size or weight, only that wheelie bags are bad.

As for lifting things, I often have trouble lifting 3kg above my shoulder height. So inability to put it in the locker doesn't really tell one anything about the weight of the bag.

 

[medhead]

Completly agree, it is amazing how much "shopping" people get onto flights. Has anyone been on one of the flights into ADL where probably half the lockerspace is taken up by krispy Kreme's ?

Every week. It is pathetic. Tried them one week and they are nothing special. Give me a hot cinnamon donut anytime over those glazed sickly KKs

 

[Joshua]

Every week. It is pathetic. Tried them one week and they are nothing special. Give me a hot cinnamon donut anytime over those glazed sickly KKs

I roll my eyes every time. Supposedly there was an attempt to put a KK into ADL (pretty obvious market for it) but the other donut store got the tenancy first. Would of saved a lot of misery for the rest of us. You get the impression half the ADL pax feel they're so worldly because they've travelled all the way to MEL. :-|

 

[Happy Trails]

There’s no accounting for taste.
Before the local franchises opened some people would bring industrial quantities of KFC and McDonald’s back to Karratha.

 

[but-y?]

Supposedly there was an attempt to put a KK into ADL (pretty obvious market for it)

Actually, you have to wonder how much of the allure of Krispy Kreme to Adelaideans is the fact that they’re rare. No-one I know interstate purchases Krispy Kreme in the same quantities people from Adelaide do.

 

[Archphoto]

Actually, you have to wonder how much of the allure of Krispy Kreme to Adelaideans is the fact that they’re rare. No-one I know interstate purchases Krispy Kreme in the same quantities people from Adelaide do.

Here in Thailand, they had queues around the block, when KK opened!:shock: I'm still trying to figure out why?? They're so-so; I actually like the local product (Daddy Dough) better - and I *never* see anyone here carting boxes of KK on flights. Guess they have better taste than Adelaidians.

 

[simongr]

There’s no accounting for taste.
Before the local franchises opened some people would bring industrial quantities of KFC and McDonald’s back to Karratha.

There is a constant stream of KFC from AKL to the Islands...

 

[11sjw]

There’s no accounting for taste.
Before the local franchises opened some people would bring industrial quantities of KFC and McDonald’s back to Karratha.

When Maccas opened in Karratha the queues were massively out the door and into the carpark.

 

[dfcatch]

I remember my first year living at Mt Hotham.

After 5 months of not being off the hill, season was over, a few of us were bored (it was pelting down so no work that day), so we went on a maccas run to Glenrowan..... 4 hours return trip and maccas for about 30 people

 

[Awesom Andy]

Bringing it back on topic... I just had the "luxury" of doing a 3K SIN-HKG. What I saw was really surprising - it was a full flight, and most people with a small bag automatically put it under their seats, without any announcements or suggestions from the cabin crew. There are a few legal-sized wheelies, but virtually nobody had to go walk a few rows to store their cabin luggage (with the usual exception at the front, where equipment were stored).

And while we are here, only about 1 in 10 people reclined for the entire flight. Everyone else left their seats where they are for the entire 4 hours. I never thought such civilized manners could be seen on a budget airline.

And that's comparing to a CX HKG-SIN flight from 2 months ago - my carry-on was "op-uped", while the FA was unwilling/unable to wake up a pax who has the seat fully reclined so the pax behind could attempt to eat her meal.

 

[samiam]

Actually, you have to wonder how much of the allure of Krispy Kreme to Adelaideans is the fact that they’re rare. No-one I know interstate purchases Krispy Kreme in the same quantities people from Adelaide do.

Perth is probably not far behind...

 

[Spiller]

Certainly becoming an issue, if not yet out of control.

My biggest gripes:

1) "Duffel bags" which are obviously oversize but not so obvious to the Gate Agent.

2) People who carry Duffel Bag, Handbag, back-pack *and* shopping bags - which is obviously over the allowed limit but not so obvious to the Gate Agent.

3) My not being able to store my allowed cabin baggage above my seat because:

i) The crew have stowed their own cabin baggage there (happened to me again recently on a LAX-MEL in Y ... right next to the emergency exit where passengers must stow their luggage in the overhead ... but it's handy for the staff member in the galley, right?

ii) The overheads are marked "not for passenger use" - seems to happen at the front (yes, in J, too) and the back mostly. All airlines seem to follow this practice.

BD

I currently work as cabin crew and as such I travel very frequently. I just want to touch on the issues you have brought up here because they hot home with me.

Duffel bags - they are over the size limit sometimes and when full would not fit in our test units, however at the gate I try to make every one use the tester to see if they will fit.

Multiple bags - most airlines allow two pieces consisting of one main piece and one smaller item to be stowed under the seat. I make all pax put bags inside bags until they have two pieces. If passengers are being particularly rude, I extend this further to include their McDonalds meal as well. In one case I even had a pax leave behind her dozen krispy kreme donuts because she had too many bags.

As for crew bags taking up your space - I fly domestically around Australia and there are times where I don't actually make it home so it is important that I carry with me my toiletries and spare clothes, not to mention the manuals and other items used throughout the flight. You will often find we place our bags into the cabin so as to free up space for the front and the rear as it has been mentioned before some passengers tend to walk on the plane and place their bags in the first locker before walking halfway down the aircraft. When there is space in the galleys, which isn't often, we do keep our bags there because sometimes passengers forget what their luggage looks like and grab the first bag available.

Finally in regard to the 'Not for passenger use' lockers located at the front and rear of the aircraft, even in J class. These lockers hold vital emergency equipment that needs to be accessed quicky, therefore it is located as close as possible to crew. Given that most incidents happen on the ground and for take off and landing crew sit at the front and the back, this makes sence. Safetly should be the
Number one priority for any airline and if the airline you fly puts it's J class passengers before safety, I would be seriously reconsidering flying with them again.

At the end if the day airlines can have all the baggage rules in the world but as long as the cabin crew boarding the flight continues to ignore these rules by not checking size, pax will push the limitations of what they take on board.

Happy flying people.

 

[serfty]

Welcome to AFF spiller

 

[straitman]

Hi Spiller,

Welcome to AFF

Good move on the krispy creme donuts IMHO.

 

[samiam]

Spiller- you should have insisted that she eat them

Welcome.

 

[cove]

The only reason Krispy Kreme Donuts are not 100% fat is because of the sugar or chocolate glazing.
Nice post Spiller! Is your name coming from spilling stuff?
Most of us have a healthy dislike of the traveller who tries to bring the kitchen sink into the cabin.