Platinum caught out with VA baggage ex CBR

[lovestotravel]

I've been over the 23kg limit before, but the allowance for us travelling was 6 x 23kgs and we had 3 x 30ish kgs.

We were prepared to pay the extra, but were told not to worry about it and heavy tags were put on and no $$ paid.

For people saying it's OH&S, yeah that's funny, 32kg is the maximum

This is about $ and nothing more

Limits should be combined (where reasonable) for Platinum members

 

[servicerequired]

I've been over the 23kg limit before, but the allowance for us travelling was 6 x 23kgs and we had 3 x 30ish kgs.

We were prepared to pay the extra, but were told not to worry about it and heavy tags were put on and no $$ paid.

For people saying it's OH&S, yeah that's funny, 32kg is the maximum

This is about $ and nothing more

Limits should be combined (where reasonable) for Platinum members

BINGO - exactly what should have occurred - some common sense customer service.

 

[TheInsider]

BINGO - exactly what should have occurred - some common sense customer service.

May as well just waive it for anyone and everyone then

 

[N860CR]

May as well just waive it for anyone and everyone then

TBH, yes. Really, what’s the difference if you carry 23kg in your checked bag but an additional 4kg in your cabin bag?

 

[eastwest101]

A different issue to combined baggage allowance that comes from status vs baggage allowance inherent in the fare type, but I thought this the most relevant thread, as I received a recent survey from Virgin - they are obviously doing market research about fare types and baggage allowances and I bet its all about maximizing revenue and possibly responding to their Lite fares competing with Jetstar fares without checked baggage:





And this hypothetical example - I would love to see how this would even be possible without hiring more staff to enforce it - and how this sort of thing would even work in the real world - regarding boarding passes, hand luggage tagging and once on-board how it would be enforced? Sounds like more ground delays just waiting to happen to me.




What are others thoughts about this - is this a Virgin revenue issue or an on-time performance thing? It seems like a diminishing law of returns to me as an airline can gamify and fine-tune carry-on baggage allowances, but all of this requires resources such as IT, staff, tagging systems and staff enforcement policies and procedures that are all costing the airline $$ and possibly on-time performance and turnaround times?

I can think of Jetstar as an example where they have implemented something like this and have earned a reputation of being ruthless in protecting their checked-in baggage policies and carry-on baggage limits to the point where it might seem to actually be a handy source of anciliary revenue that catches the infrequent flyers out, but which frequent flyers know about and can adapt to?

 

[lovestotravel]

All those questions are around the lack of overhead baggage space...

Seems they want to enhance the lite fare for no carry on bags

 

[antycbr]

All those questions are around the lack of overhead baggage space...

Seems they want to enhance the lite fare for no carry on bags

Or add an ultralight fare?

 

[markis10]

Swissport do passenger services as well as ground handling at CBR which may explain the lack of discretion, Virgin have given an undertaking to bring 160 positions back in house to the twu but I doubt it’s happened yet. I have had a similar experience at MCY for the same reason.

 

[Harrison_133]

Virgin have given an undertaking to bring 160 positions back in house to the twu but I doubt it’s happened yet.

The undertaking was for the Link Airways SYD-CBR services to have their ground handling in SYD done by Virgin in house. Canberra is still outsourced.

 

[servicerequired]

It reads to me that they want to introduce similar to what QantasLink offer in their ‘Premium Hand Baggage’ service - you dispose of your wheelie bag at the foot of the aircraft, it is then returned to the same spot upon disembarkment.

 

[eastwest101]

It reads to me that they want to introduce similar to what QantasLink offer in their ‘Premium Hand Baggage’ service - you dispose of your wheelie bag at the foot of the aircraft, it is then returned to the same spot upon disembarkment.

Maybe but thats more of a Dash-8 or a Saab 340 thing where those aircraft really do have limited overhead bin space and easily accessible luggage compartments on the ground. The issue is more of a full B738 with older overhead bins problem, and especially since they have densified their B738 seating, the newer Max-8 has even more volume than the pivot bins in the newer BSI interior B738s but remember Virgin now has Lite fares that don't include checked bags, so they must be feeling the pressure on their turnaround times or aggravation from pax or cabin crew.

On thinking about this more maybe it is a thought bubble and market research into a "ultra lite fare" without checked luggage and/or underseat carryon only. Good luck trying to enforce that without extra costs.

 

[ozstamps]

As a partly relevant aside, I mail heavy boxes all week long via Australia Post.

22kg is ABSOLUTE max they will accept, and over 16 kg they MUST all have a large red and white '2 person lift' sticker.

I've literally seen some Bolshie red van drivers demand they be 'given assistance' with a 17 kilo box (that I cheerfully walked in with 5 minutes earlier.)

Getting back to Virgin, I mailed a large thing Adelaide to Sydney - 27 kilos - no issues at all. As I recall it also exceeded a little the maximun dimensions size too it was noted. It needed to get to a client in Gosford, and that was a headache in the making, due to the 22 kilo PO max.

True story . …. Arrived in SYD and get paged to Virgin baggage desk. My huge 27 kilo box with 15 solid brass doors got held up by Adelaide security, and missed the flight. It was a 90-100 year old montage of old PO boxes, and the many layers of PINK LEAD BASED GLOSS PAINT PRIMER over many decades and the full size of brass doors, sent their X-Ray scanners insane, they told me.

I said darn … it really needs to go to the Gosford area tomorrow, and they replied - “no problems at all, as a Platinum member, and as it was an issue not of your making – we will do that at our expense Priority courier for you at 9am, when the first Adelaide flight arrives in, now the object has been cleared for transport”.

MAGIC .. saved me the hassle of it with the cab in Sydney - AND somehow getting it to Gosford!

 

[pauly7]

The issue is more of a full B738 with older overhead bins problem, and especially since they have densified their B738 seating, the newer Max-8 has even more volume than the pivot bins in the newer BSI interior B738s but remember Virgin now has Lite fares that don't include checked bags, so they must be feeling the pressure on their turnaround times or aggravation from pax or cabin crew.

Agree it’s all about issues overhead baggage space and the flow on effects this is creating - slowed down boarding, aggravated passengers (and therefore staff cop it), on time performance etc etc.

I tend to board early and the look of panic on peoples faces about 5 minutes later when they realise everything is full around their seat… then people just stop in the aisle until a FA squeezes down to them and starts with overheard Tetris / ‘whose bag is this would you mind putting it under the seat?’ game.

I loath the 737 especially the newer crammed seating ones which exacerbate the issue, but a lot of these issues could be managed with tougher compliance checking/fining at the gate and limiting certain ticket types.

On thinking about this more maybe it is a thought bubble and market research into a "ultra lite fare" without checked luggage and/or underseat carryon only. Good luck trying to enforce that without extra costs.

I’m pretty sure BA at some point tag ‘this bag has to go under seat in front’…. I seem to recall Jetstar doing that too? Maybe memory mixed up, but maybe that could help.

I did the recent Virgin baggage market research as well and basically said just fine people a lot of money, consistently and the problem will solve itself!