New Baggage crackdown starts this week at VA

[Quickstatus]

So many red herrings.

Its very simple. the size of the carry on should fit into the size checker. And the weight - well the gravitational pull of the earth is the same. Just need to be enforced.

 

[UP4014]

They have been doing it for the past 15 weeks according to the thread on the 'other' side...

Wednesday this week, they may have been doing ad hoc but I never came across it in the last 15 weeks.

Matt

 

[Blinky]

Well at least VA allows you to carry on a laptop in a satchel, small handbags and so on without being weighed. JQ weighs everything. If I carry my laptop I can go on a three day business trip within the 7kg limit. If the laptop is weighed, I have to check in the luggage.

 

[cityloop]

I still don't see where weight is an issue (for the most part). A better policing of baggage size would be a far better solution.

I'd still like to know what either QF or VA suggest I do when carting 10-15kg of cameras and lenses as carry on, bag fits easily within the permissible dimensions unlike some of the cough you see make it aboard!

Not to mention heavy professional lithium batteries which can only be stowed with carry on.

 

[Drdazz]

Just spent over $2k on two pieces of hand luggage that weigh 5kg empty in total. I’m supposed to fit 2kg in it to be under the luggage naz_ rule. I travel every week of the year. After doing this for fifteeen years I can honestly say most frequent flyers try to pack a LITTLE as possible not as MUCH as possible. The ones who treat flying like they’re moving house tend to be the infrequent flyers. Meantime FF’s are now staring at luggage delays over a possible few grams over a limit. Never once in 15yrs has my carry on luggage ever had to be moved by an attendant. The point I want to strongly make is that FF’s should be given higher limits, even if it’s in two bags (such as Qantas) otherwise the delays in weighing everyone are just going to be hell. And flying is terrible enough without adding such stress to FF’s. The thought of throwing all my expensive carry on luggage out and replacing it with paper thin cough just so I have a few extra spare grams of weight - so we don’t have to suffer carousel hell - is enough to make me give up flying and take to driving instead

 

[aaronm]

Didn’t see anything being weighed out of MEL yesterday but a noticeable decrease in the amount of stuff people were bringing with them into the cabin. Perhaps the media noise has been enough to encourage passengers to bring less or check bigger bags instead.

 

[oz_mark]

Just spent over $2k on two pieces of hand luggage that weigh 5kg empty in total. I’m supposed to fit 2kg in it to be under the luggage naz_ rule.

naz_?

 

[Blinky]

naz_?

Yes, it’s a life and death matter

In reality it’s an archetypical First World Problem

 

[jasecao]

Sydney- Perth return Wed-Sat, no sign of weighing hand luggage at all

 

[arbo]

I did SYD BNE return and SYD MEL return this week and saw no sign of weighing hand luggage by VA

 

[Pleb Status]

The only 'mention' of VA weighing hand luggage recently is from a renowned VA hater over on the similar QF thread...

 

[JohnK]

Just spent over $2k on two pieces of hand luggage that weigh 5kg empty in total. I’m supposed to fit 2kg in it to be under the luggage naz_ rule.

Your carry on bags cost >$2000? Wow!

 

[Blinky]

Your carry on bags cost >$2000? Wow!

And they weigh 5kg empty?

Yeah, that’s fine if you fly international J with high weight allowances. It’s a bit rich to complain when you know you have only 7kg or so to play with. Somehow I don’t think an argument “but my empty bag weighs 5kg!!!!” will cut it....

 

[Ausbt]

Your carry on bags cost >$2000? Wow!

Thinking about expensive luggage just reminded me of when I was in London on a work trip and had to make an unscheduled trip to Edinburgh. I didn't want to lug my big rollerbag up there and had no substantial carry-on suitable for the 3 day trip. So, being the absolute cheap$kate I am, I headed off to various sports stores looking for a cheap gymbag or duffle to do the job. I even visited charity shops for goodness sake, in the search for the cheapest option. Even 10 quid proved too much for me, so you know what I did? Returned to my office and I found a narrow-ish box. No kidding I got this cardboard box, loaded it up and taped it, that hey presto Edinburgh here we come. Gave my English colleagues a huge laugh - and they were very welcome to indeed. The Scots were proud of me, of course.

 

[Warks]

Flew AKL-SYD on VA yesterday and daughter was panicked about the restrictions - she had probably 8kg in her carry on. I had a small backpack which weighed about 3kg at the time so I had to reassure her that I would simply take her overflow should the need arise. Of course no one checked or even looked at what we were carrying. Flight was about 1/3 full too so we could have taken our checked baggage on board easily. Whenever I am stuck waiting 30 minutes at the carousel I realise why I always travel hand luggage only where possible.

 

[stm1sydney]

Just spent over $2k on two pieces of hand luggage that weigh 5kg empty in total.

Yep, I'd be ditching those items, and buying one of the latest samsonites which weigh under 2kg ($150), leaving you 5kg for stuff, plus your separate laptop in a satchel. Not so hard, and you might get something on ebay for your $2k investment.

 

[Saab34]

I think the whole thing was just a scare tactic. Taking advantage of free press coverage while the media were on the topic.

Made all the front pages of news websites and the papers so mission accomplished!

 

[Denali]

Selective weigh ins today at Sydney. Staff also wandering gate and weighing bags before gate opened. They had pre printed tags ready to go.

 

[shuuy]

Still random checking.

Good luck today on the busiest flight day of the Christmas period!

 

[anabolism]

crackdown on size and stop the weight nonsense

That would at least be sensible. It is easy to see a concern over size. Weight makes no sense.