Melbourne International Airport - Hand Luggage Weighing

[MelUser]

When leaving from Melbourne international airport, just after entering the passport control area (but before the passport control desks) there is a man that always wants to weigh cabin bags. I am wondering what authority he has to weigh the bags of a Qantas passenger?

He looks like he has been put there by other airlines yet purports to exert authority over all.

One of these days I am going to tell him no he can't weight my cabin baggage as it's none of his business!

Have others noticed/what do others think of this nosy man?

 

[Harpoon]

I saw that dude the other day and wondered what the heck myself. Although he didn't weigh my backpack...

 

[dot]

They've been doing this for years, but typically only weigh bags that look full or heavy. If you have a backpack, don't hunch under the weight, if you have a bag that has handles, swing it around like it weighs nothing and they will more than likely leave you alone. Alternatively, walk in behind someone who looks to have a heavy bag, let the chap grab them and then walk on by. I have also noticed (more of a recent thing - in the last 12-18 months) that if you are flying J or F, they don't worry about weighing your bags.

Their enthusiasm for weighing of hand luggage seems to go through cycles and they have been particularly keen on recently.

 

[NM]

A wheeled bag will always attract weighing at that point that MEL. But I have not been stopped/denied even when my wheeled bag weighed over 10kg, so not sure what his threshold is.

 

[tuapekastar]

The mystery remains. Who is this chap? And does he have any rights (I'll bet he does...rightly or wrongly). Love to tell him to butt out but reckon I might come out second best.

 

[maninblack]

Odd. I have been through there countless times and never seen him and certainly never been stopped for a weighing by anyone at MEL international. I would assume cabin baggage weight restrictions are within the purview of each individual airline, so yes, I wonder under whose authority he is acting. Perhaps he is there as a service so to speak...for people to check their bags rather than being stopped and hassled at the boarding gate. Before all the changes at LHR I saw some absolute whoppers going through the X-ray, I commented jokingly to the security guy manning the X-ray about them one time, he just shrugged and said if they fit through the machine it's not his problem, it's up to the airlines to deal with it.

 

[Evan]

Before all the changes at LHR I saw some absolute whoppers going through the X-ray, I commented jokingly to the security guy manning the X-ray about them one time, he just shrugged and said if they fit through the machine it's not his problem, it's up to the airlines to deal with it.

And deal with it they do sometimes, i have seen them force people to check there bags at LHR just before boarding, they tag them and down the chute, they come out with the rest of the bags.

E

 

[oz_mark]

I would assume cabin baggage weight restrictions are within the purview of each individual airline, so yes, I wonder under whose authority he is acting.

Although each individual airline leaves this to thier ground handling agent. I suspect than in many cases at MEL this will be Qantas anyway.

 

[Mal]

BNE Intl has a similar chap or chapess at times.

I also wonder what authority they operate under. I suspect that telling them where to stick the scales could give you hassles somewhere else in the airport as they seem to be employed by the airport or as part of security screening.

It's often easy enough to confuse them enough to be skipped over and/or blag your way through, but still annoying.

I note with interest that you can buy whatever you want duty free to be over your cabin baggage limit and not be challenged...

 

[NM]

Many people report being stopped to have the carry-on bags weights st Melbourne. Has anyone actually been stopped from continuing through the immigration and departures with an overweight bag?

 

[Evan]

Many people report being stopped to have the carry-on bags weights st Melbourne. Has anyone actually been stopped from continuing through the immigration and departures with an overweight bag?

I have seen a person sent back to check a bag in or get the airline to put a hand lugguage approved tag on the bag.

I have had a 14kg bag once... well 2 bags, once inside another... and notebooks etc, looked at my BP, must have seen status and waved on, not a word said.

E

 

[Fluid-Flyer]

10.7kg at PER T1; no problems.

At MEL T2 are the scales only if you turn right (at the entrance to the restricted area)? I generally turn left and, like maninblack, carry-ons haven't ever been weighed there.

 

[dot]

Many people report being stopped to have the carry-on bags weights st Melbourne. Has anyone actually been stopped from continuing through the immigration and departures with an overweight bag?

Yes, well - kind of. About four years ago, I was flying Y and was stopped. Rather ridiculously, I took out some magazines and manuals (inside a satchel) from my laptop bag, he weighed the bag again and waved me on. I kept the satchel out of my bag until after the security checkpoint where I put it back in my laptop bag .

I have seen others sent back to check their bags in though.

 

[Reggie]

My carryon was weighed by the Qantas checkin agent at PER INT who told me it was overweight. So I took out my jacket and a text book, and it was under. She told me to carry the book and wear the jacket til after security,then I could do as I liked. I wasn't asked by the chap doing the bag weighing but others were, including one woman who had about 6 bags, (4 were shopping bags, and 2 were luggage)

 

[Danger]

It's been awhile since I've flown internationally out of Perth but tonight I am and had the same experience. As soon as you enter the passport control area there is a security guard weighing each passenger's hand baggage. Several people were being sent out! Mine weighed in at a hefty 11.1kgs and he subsequently asked to see my boarding pass. I'm flying QF J so I assume that's the reason he let me continue.

 

[straitman]

Also slightly OT and I've posted else where. At AKL in Feb I was asked to weigh my carry-on bag, which was bulging with Freddie Jnr but when I looked up there was no one paying attention so I continued. Even with Freddie Jnr it was only just over 7kg and I was travelling in J.