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

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Scales were on out on Monday's QF453 just for the premium line. I was waved through not needing to weigh my carry on. It looked like FAs on the scanner were just eyeballing bags that looked heavy.

No scales on the 452 operated by A330.

Moral of the story: use the non-priority queue (which I often do anyway)

 

[stevenaus]

Scales were on out on Monday's QF453 just for the premium line. I was waved through not needing to weigh my carry on. It looked like FAs on the scanner were just eyeballing bags that looked heavy.

No scales on the 452 operated by A330.

Moral of the story: use the non-priority queue (which I often do anyway)

I wonder what the Qantas obsession is with the priority/premium lanes ?

 

[FlyboyAl]

And of course the scales are calibrated aren't they!
I had a bag weighed about 4 years ago at Jetstar check in at Adelaide and it came up at about 9kg.
I was gobsmacked because my 2 hand weighing gadgets had it at 6.5kg.
I did a controlled dummy spit and demanded to see the calibration details for the unit they used or I would report them.
They put the bag on another scale and it was 6.6kg!!!!!!!!!!!!
I saw a unit weighing bags in Brissy on Monday and it was hauled across the carpet, and banged down on the cement floor at the gate and they started weighing and collecting bags to check.
Who knows if the scale was accurate or not, and there is no way for the flying public to know.

 

[Pushka]

And of course the scales are calibrated aren't they!
I had a bag weighed about 4 years ago at Jetstar check in at Adelaide and it came up at about 9kg.
I was gobsmacked because my 2 hand weighing gadgets had it at 6.5kg.
I did a controlled dummy spit and demanded to see the calibration details for the unit they used or I would report them.
They put the bag on another scale and it was 6.6kg!!!!!!!!!!!!
I saw a unit weighing bags in Brissy on Monday and it was hauled across the carpet, and banged down on the cement floor at the gate and they started weighing and collecting bags to check.
Who knows if the scale was accurate or not, and there is no way for the flying public to know.

And you aren’t going to put up too much fuss if you aren’t sure in case they refuse to board you.

 

[fifo]

Then there were no scales in sight when boarding the A380.This crackdown has not hit the US where people were still boarding with the kitchen sink.

The concerning things about this is that the reason my travelling partner’s bag was heavy was that it had a number of batteries in it. He forgot about it and was not asked by the people concerned about two kilos.

Was the a380 QF ex USA or to USA?

The batteries thing is a massive issue, I carry the max limit of lithium, fully tested and complaint, authorised by QF/AA/BA etc as required. The devices I carry have good quality panasonic cells in them. If stuff starts being gate checked, with the amount of garbage chinese lithium cells going around, only a matter of time before in flight emergencies over them, particularity with how bags are handled (physical damage is a vast contribute to lithium cell dysfunction).

 

[Pushka]

Was the a380 QF ex USA or to USA?

The batteries thing is a massive issue, I carry the max limit of lithium, fully tested and complaint, authorised by QF/AA/BA etc as required. The devices I carry have good quality panasonic cells in them. If stuff starts being gate checked, with the amount of garbage chinese lithium cells going around, only a matter of time before in flight emergencies over them, particularity with how bags are handled (physical damage is a vast contribute to lithium cell dysfunction).

Which means they are going to have to start manually searching bags to be put into baggage in a hurry during boarding. No one seems to have thought of that.

 

[Townsend]

Just a suggestion. If the bag is over 7kgs why not tell the passenger that it can go as hand luggage as long as it goes on the floor under the seat in front? Would there be any problem with that?

 

[fifo]

Undeclared Lithium battery carried in gate check-in baggage could risk an inextinguishable fire on your flight

heres is a reasonable/halfassed translated op piece on it

 

[Blinky]

Just a suggestion. If the bag is over 7kgs why not tell the passenger that it can go as hand luggage as long as it goes on the floor under the seat in front? Would there be any problem with that?

You are assuming that carry on weight is a safety issue. With JQ at least it is all about revenue.

 

[exceladdict]

Just a suggestion. If the bag is over 7kgs why not tell the passenger that it can go as hand luggage as long as it goes on the floor under the seat in front? Would there be any problem with that?

You are assuming that carry on weight is a safety issue. With JQ at least it is all about revenue.

PER to BNE today on a 737, around 8 free seats in Y so pretty close to full, and one of the longest 737 flights so you'd argue the best case for safety-related weighing. Scales unused. Overhead cabins jam packed. That said being a weekend flight probably less HLO business pax?

Of course we have no idea how much has gone into the cargo hold, QF could easily adjust any freight cargo down to save weight of the flight is chockers (and they know the weight of checked baggage).

But it has got me thinking. Unless there are secret scales in seats measuring and attributing pax weight to our FF numbers, I would think that that the varied weight of passengers would be more unpredictable (and harder to control) than carry on. Especially so close after Christmas.

 

[suze2000]

Someone I know who is a pilot basically told me that they have estimates of average pax weights and so on that they use to guess how much to allow for that, but they have no way of knowing what weight of hand luggage they are carrying, so when the plane takes off they are relying on the safety margins and their own experience as to guesstimate how much fuel to load/thrust to use etc.

Perhaps some of the pilots here might be able to tell us whether that was drunken mouthing off of somewhat close to the truth.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

... and one of the longest 737 flights so you'd argue the best case for safety-related weighing.

I think the safety is not the plane itself, or the route, but rather the configuration of the overheads? It seems the newer ones, which have to be pushed up to close, may be the ones subject to the weight issue. The ones which are static (and only the cover has to be secured) may not be an issue.

Regarding weight estimated, you'd have to assume 10kg per passenger, plus a margin to include those who are over, and those who might be connecting. Whether in the cabin or gate-checked, the weight will still be the same.

 

[Blinky]

PER to BNE today on a 737, around 8 free seats in Y so pretty close to full, and one of the longest 737 flights so you'd argue the best case for safety-related weighing. Scales unused. Overhead cabins jam packed. That said being a weekend flight probably less HLO business pax?

Of course we have no idea how much has gone into the cargo hold, QF could easily adjust any freight cargo down to save weight of the flight is chockers (and they know the weight of checked baggage).

But it has got me thinking. Unless there are secret scales in seats measuring and attributing pax weight to our FF numbers, I would think that that the varied weight of passengers would be more unpredictable (and harder to control) than carry on. Especially so close after Christmas.

My understanding is that they do estimate pax weight by formulae that take into account average weights according to number of adults and children.

Your point is a good one though. I’m sure we have all seen 200kg pax and thought “why are they worrying about carry ons .5kg overweight.

 

[clifford]

Your point is a good one though. I’m sure we have all seen 200kg pax and thought “why are they worrying about carry ons .5kg overweight.

Or even 100 Kg pax...

 

[Blinky]

Or even 100 Kg pax...

Hang on, you are approaching sacred ground. Mine. I’m not far off 90kg ....

 

[Matt_01]

A few observations and a question.

So up until last Wed this bag checking was a non issue for me as I had not been caught up in it, however SYD-MEL, both lines targeted and my bag was weighed on boarding. These are my observations and as I was at 6.9-7kg had no issues.

• QF seemed to be targeting wheeled bags, no weighing of back packs.
• A pax with the P1 coaster on his luggage was around 3-5 pax ahead of myself, the QF staff member said 'just over' but ok.
• Many bags that were getting caught and sent to checkin seemed to be around 9 kg.
• The lady in front of me was at around 21 kg if I heard correctly and QF were not having a bar of this despite her arguing.
• When boarded I noticed that I was on a plane that had the push up bins not the pull down types on many 738s and a330s. I have not paid too much attention to this but would be interested in feed back from others if checking is based on bin type

Question time - are QF enforcing this on international flights.

 

[mrsterryn]

• The lady in front of me was at 21 kg and QF were not having a bar of this despite her arguing.

Just a tad over.
Wow

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Question time - are QF enforcing this on international flights.

I'm on the 117 (A330) on Monday HLO so can comment on that. However, domestically QF have not weighed on my 330 flights to date so would be interesting if anybody whose flown 737 to NZ and Pacific can comment on weighing.

 

[Matt_01]

I'm on the 117 (A330) on Monday HLO so can comment on that. However, domestically QF have not weighed on my 330 flights to date so would be interesting if anybody whose flown 737 to NZ and Pacific can comment on weighing.

Thanks I will be interested to know you outcome however it may be a little late. My international carry on is raw weight about 1.5kg heavier than my domestic setup. Currently it weighs 8.3kg which is about right for my carry on stuff in the international set up.

This is a family trip so I will have a checked empty shopping bag for MrsM and MissM and if i need to put some stuff in the checked bag out bound I will just do some reshuffling at check in

 

[kermatu]

Question time - are QF enforcing this on international flights.

Not on my recent flights.