New baggage policy

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I find a single large and heavy bag far more difficult to manoeuvre than 2 or even 3 much smaller bags. On long trips that are leisure I'll take a large roller, perhaps 25K, a small roller, maybe 10-15k and a laptop type bag.

When QF changed their policy the small roller stopped going into checkin and started finding space in the overhead bins. I still make it to my destination with everything I need ... but its hard for me to comprehend how moving luggage into the cabin is an improvement ... still presumably there is more luggage hold space now and that, also presumably, means more freight forwarding possibilities for QF. A bit of extra finagling about inside the cabin by the FA's and Pax to organise the ever decreasing overhead space is no big deal I suppose.

1/ Is your new carry on bag within the carry on limits??

2/ Under VA's new rules you can still take two bags

3/ Under QF's old rules 35-40kg total would have been over the limit unless status allowed you.

4/ Under QF's new rules you would be over as well unless status allowed you.

Not sure which rule change affected you..??


But i take your point about not wanting to carry 1 heavy bag.

That said - anything over 23kg feels heavy to the anti-heavy brigade. And I would agree that 32kg is more work to carry (lucky I've got the guns ;))
 
I find a single large and heavy bag far more difficult to manoeuvre than 2 or even 3 much smaller bags. On long trips that are leisure I'll take a large roller, perhaps 25K, a small roller, maybe 10-15k and a laptop type bag.

To each their own and all that, but when my wife and I go overseas for a couple of weeks I demand a repack if our combined checked bag weighs in at more than 20kg. Onboard I'll take a small roller, she'll take a handbag.
 
I agree with some sort of policy along those lines. If the focus group research showed that the frequent flyers, most likely higher status members as well (did anyone here participate in the focus group? seems not) actually fly with less baggage than most, then why would they not be rewarded with an exception to the rule for say up to 4-6 times a year you can take double the bags you are allowed in your weight allowance, give or take depending on status level. Silver 2, Gold 4 and Plat 6 times for example.

How about Platinum status = 2 bags included for the status member + 1 each for the pooled family members when travelling together. This covers the infrequent family trips and can have similar varitations for other staus levels.
 
How about Platinum status = 2 bags included for the status member + 1 each for the pooled family members when travelling together. This covers the infrequent family trips and can have similar varitations for other staus levels.

Wow!! What a great idea.

That would be a point of differentiation that QF couldn't match!!
 
Baggage Policy Update

just got this via email;

On 16 May 2012, Virgin Australia will introduce a new domestic and international short haul checked baggage policy for guests:

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[TD="width: 477, align: left"]Checked baggage allowances will be based on the number of pieces checked in rather than the total weight.[/TD]
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[TD="align: left"]A maximum of three pieces of baggage may be pre-purchased online or via the Guest Contact Centre at a discounted rate, including any complimentary allowances. Baggage may also be purchased at the airport at a higher rate.[/TD]
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[TD="align: left"]There will be a small flat fee for overweight baggage, rather than charging per kilogram for overweight baggage.[/TD]
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Your complimentary checked baggage allowance as a Velocity Silver member when travelling Virgin Australia domestic and international short haul will be:

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[TD="width: 145, bgcolor: #FFFFFF, align: left"]Fare Type[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF, align: left"]Complimentary baggage allowance[/TD]
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[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF, align: left"]Saver[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF, align: left"]1 piece up to 23kg[/TD]
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[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF, align: left"]Flexi[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF, align: left"]1 piece up to 23kg[/TD]
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[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF, align: left"]Premium Economy[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF, align: left"]2 pieces up to 32kg each[/TD]
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[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF, align: left"]Business[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF, align: left"]2 pieces up to 32kg each[/TD]
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All information included above is correct as at 19 March 2012. The baggage policy is subject to change, please refer to the website for further information regarding the new baggage policy.


Yours sincerely,

phil-signature.gif

Phil Gunter
General Manager, Velocity Frequent Flyer
 
Well it took a bit, but the emails today are out detailing the new changes to the bag policy.

My guts tell me that since VA doesn't have QF's NGCI, I suspect that the front line staff will be rather lax in enforcing the piece limits, especially for the higher tier elites (much to the joy of most of this board). Certainly when QF had a "piece system" going many years before NGCI even graced the Earth in any way, shape or form, they were very lax in enforcing the piece limit, even when I was a NB.

All of these changes don't really affect me, though I can see where it can affect some others, albeit in more than half the time, in contrived cases. (Changes like these often only have adverse effects on those on the fringes / in contrived cases).
 
VA website says "
more than 23kg should be split across several bags to prevent injury to our ground staff."
32KG in one bag is pretty darn heavy, it's a 2 person lift onto the scales.

--
Refering to this page: Oversized and fragile items | Virgin Australia



  • Oversized baggage can be checked in, provided each item does not exceed 32kg in weight. Items heavier than 32kg must be shipped as Freight.
  • Checked baggage amounts of more than 23kg should be split across several bags to prevent injury to our ground staff.
 
Moving to replicate the same system introduced by QF, have to say its disappointing, as a business traveller I often do events where I need to carry promotional banners etc, and the piece system makes this hard, has the catering manager who got rid of spirits been moved to baggage policy now, its poor form!

One big difference which is in the gold column. On Qantas a gold in economy gets 2 bags as 23kg, whereas on Virgin it is 1 @ 32kg.

Got caught by this on Qantas the other day, they were going to charged extra for having 1 bag at 25kg with no discresion by the agent, though luckily for me though the person you pay the charges to has the discretion and let me go this time, owing to the fact I was a Platinum when I started my trip and dropped to gold on the return.
 
On a positive note;

If your carrying items for work (Printing, pull-ups, spare parts, hard drives/servers, etc the extra 23kgs for $20 or $30 is pretty good value.

Works out to be $0.86 - $1.30/Kg for 'same day' / Overnight freight (all be it airport-airport). It's a bargain.
 
VA website says "
more than 23kg should be split across several bags to prevent injury to our ground staff."
32KG in one bag is pretty darn heavy, it's a 2 person lift onto the scales.

--
Refering to this page: Oversized and fragile items | Virgin Australia



  • Oversized baggage can be checked in, provided each item does not exceed 32kg in weight. Items heavier than 32kg must be shipped as Freight.
  • Checked baggage amounts of more than 23kg should be split across several bags to prevent injury to our ground staff.

I agree.
I'd rather take 2 bags totalling 23kg, rather than 1. Easier on the workers who do the lifting.



Maximum weight limits - Workplace Health and Safety Queensland

There has been some work done on the lifting capacity of people in the workforce by Mital, Nicholson and Ayoub (A Guide to Manual Handling published by Taylor and Francis, 1997). For example they got workers to lift a 75cm box with two hands from the floor to a height of 80 centimeters. They found that:
  • 10 percent of male workers had the capacity to lift 27kg safely once every 5 minutes, but they could only lift 14.5 kg if asked to do so 16 times per minute.
  • 90 percent of male workers were able to lift 14 kg every 5 minutes but could only lift 4.5 kg safely if asked to do so 16 times per minute.
As you can see there is a lot of variation in workers. In general, older male workers will have a lower lifting capacity compared with younger men in their early thirties. Therefore, when designing jobs, you need to design for the majority of workers doing that task.
 
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This appears to be much bigger than the not so recent Qantas change to the piece system.

Personally this is not going to affect me as the most I am likely to check-in is a piece of luggage and golf clubs. So if that can still happen then I am content....
 
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