How to make enemies...! [by weighing carry-on]

[Deleted member 29185]

Weighed today on a 737 from CBR-MEL. It was frustrating, I got caught out and that's on me

May I ask what your carry on weighed?

 

[Wanderlust_tim]

May I ask what your carry on weighed?

Sure 10.3kg, I thought it was about 7 or 8. I would have checked it in but mum gave me a heap of preserves and I had images of various types of jam in my clothes!

 

[RooFlyer]

I spent a few decades travelling around the world, especially Asia, as a professional photographer. Usually I travelled relatively light, but without an assistant, so my standard excess baggage was around 56 kg ( I travelled business class). Obviously, all the lighting equipment and a lot of camera equipment was checked (in the standard high vis orange and yellow Pelican cases), but I always carried (as I still do today) enough basic gear to get some shots even if everything was lost. It made for quite a big camera (shoulder) bag (which fitted in the overhead locker), and occasionally I had to escalate above the check-in person to get a pass-through, but as a rule the fact that it was obviously my profession helped.

A belated welcome to AFF

 

[nutwood]

Weighed today on a 737 from CBR-MEL. It was frustrating, I got caught out and that's on me (should have read this thread before). In future I will carry a spare bag and take 2 bags. It seems that QF are trying to solve one problem but creating another entirely.

I fully recognise that I was in the wrong here. 200+ Qantas flights without being weighed meant I wrongly assumed what the boarding process would be.

However, from an experiential perspective with Qantas as a brand, this was a fail for mine. The process was handled very poorly. I checked in at the desk and my carry on was not weighed, just waved through. At the gate they announced they would weigh all carry on. I was pulled aside and made to stand at the front of the queue whilst I was written up with a manual tag.

We were flustered trying to sort out what could and couldn't go underneath. My bag was tagged to go underneath but there was no receipt. It was delivered on board. Staff seemed absolutely miserable and so were we.

So, what would I have wished happen?

1. The check in agent asking whether or not my luggage was under 7kg, advising that checks at the gate have been undertaken recently. (This gives me time to go and sort out bags without the stress of having to do it at the gate). Or even the agent could weigh each piece of hand luggage at check in.

2. Weighing being done in the queue ala JQ & TT. It prevents embarassment, people holding up the entire queue and gives people time to either sort it out (redistribute weight or remove particular items) or agree to check the bag.

This would have saved us a lot of stress and sped up the boarding process.

I know people will disagree in a thread which has had some pretty strong opinions, but I wanted to share my experience.

Would that have been on a Dash 8? Sounds like the "premium baggage" process?

 

[Flying mermaid]

Would that have been on a Dash 8? Sounds like the "premium baggage" process?

he says 737 so no. My daughter flew from Canberra to Sydney today on a dash8 and no weighing was happening.

 

[Austman]

I was at MEL and CBR over the past few days and weighed my carry-on at different scales. There was over a 1kg variation between the scales! I doubt that they are calibrated too often.

 

[nutwood]

he says 737 so no. My daughter flew from Canberra to Sydney today on a dash8 and no weighing was happening.

Funny how easy it is to miss the first sentence.....

 

[Archphoto]

QF676 ADL-MEL had weighing yesterday and the QF691 MEL-ADL return leg did as well. Both flights were packed to the rafters, so I can definitely see why, but even then some of the bags that were coming on were the size of (small) whales.

The crew were scoping out hand luggage while I waited to board in Adelaide and did approach a few passengers to advise some was going to be loaded and not be able to be taken into the cabin. No problems that I could see, everyone seemed to take it in their stride.

Also saw a few bags that were taken aside to be loaded below on the return flight: seriously, cannot believe what some people think "carry-on" is. One was close to being a full-size suitcase?!?!

 

[nutwood]

Also saw a few bags that were taken aside to be loaded below on the return flight: seriously, cannot believe what some people think "carry-on" is. One was close to being a full-size suitcase?!?!

I saw a couple of back packs at Launceston that wouldn't fit through the Xray machine. Amazingly, the owners took them to one side and off-loaded contents into trays until the size reduced sufficiently to pass through. I lost track of where they went after this but was glad I wasn't sharing an overhead locker with them!

 

[vandy]

Are backpacks getting weighed too, or is it just the roller suitcases and other bags that come close to the size limit?

 

[Wanderlust_tim]

Are backpacks getting weighed too, or is it just the roller suitcases and other bags that come close to the size limit?

Was everything on our flight except for little kids with a back pack.

 

[kevrosmith]

Was everything on our flight except for little kids with a back pack.

Were little kids without a back pack weighed...?!?

 

[Wanderlust_tim]

Were little kids without a back pack weighed...?!?

Only if they met the weight and size restrictions at the gate, otherwise straight to the cargo hold ;-)

 

[RickyT84]

Just to share my recent experience - travelled from SYD to MEL on the 21st and no bags were weighted although I noticed there is a bit of more room in the overhead bins with people not stuffing their overly large bags in. Flight was completely full.

On the way back last Friday, no bags were weighted as the flight was less full. Plenty of room in the overheads this time as well.

Seems like the crackdown campaign is working. If only QF can now improve its DOM baggage delivery speed which IME is (much) slower than VA.

 

[Quickstatus]

Only if they met the weight and size restrictions at the gate, otherwise straight to the cargo hold ;-)

Yes but that’s they want - free cargo hold luggage that should have been checked, likely for a fee).
I do it in the USA - max my checked allowance then carry the rest to gate

 

[mrsterryn]

Yes but that’s they want - free cargo hold luggage that should have been checked, likely for a fee).
I do it in the USA - max my checked allowance then carry the rest to gate

Do you get charged a fee if checked at gate ?

 

[stevenaus]

Observed today Jan 1st 2019. I only had laptop bag so no issue for me but this is what I saw.

Mel-Syd. Announcement made about bags not weighing more than 7kg. No bags weighed at either boarding lane.
Syd-Ool no announcement made but economy boarding lane near all bags weighed in that lane. Nothing weighed in Priority lane
Ool-Syd no announcement and no weighing at boarding either lane
Syd-Mel no announcement and no weighing at boarding either lane.

Very hit and miss from what I can see.

 

[Hvr]

Very hit and miss from wheat I can see.

Maybe they're sorting out the chaff?

 

[vandy]

I currently use a backpack that I often squeeze under the seat in front rather than put up in the overhead bins, but it's unfortunately about 8kg.

If they forced it down into the cargo hold, would I first be able to take things out that I need with me on board?

I have medication that I need with me in the cabin, but also things like my laptop that I will sometimes use on board to get work done (and would also be concerned with possible loss/damage if checked).

Ironically if I took the laptop out of my bag it would come in under the weight limit anyway.

Perhaps I just get a separate laptop bag and take 2 bags onboard from now on?

 

[Pushka]

I currently use a backpack that I often squeeze under the seat in front rather than put up in the overhead bins, but it's unfortunately about 8kg.

If they forced it down into the cargo hold, would I first be able to take things out that I need with me on board?

I have medication that I need with me in the cabin, but also things like my laptop that I will sometimes use on board to get work done (and would also be concerned with possible loss/damage if checked).

Ironically if I took the laptop out of my bag it would come in under the weight limit anyway.

Perhaps I just get a separate laptop bag and take 2 bags onboard from now on?

Or just put a 15cent plastic shopping bag inside and use it for the laptop should you ever have to weigh the bag.