Travel etiquette

[Moody]

I never use wheeled hand luggage because the dubious convenience/comfort of pulling something with a handle and wheels does not justify the extra space and weight they entail. The only exception to this that I can see is for young kids with small wheeled bags that have their travel books and activities. These are smaller than your average laptop bag and relieve the parents of carting all the stuff you need to keep kids occupied.

If everyone choose to use the girlie wheelie bags then half of them would have to go in the hold. They should only be allowed for physically disabled pax, or perhaps there should be a wheel-tax applied?

 

[maninblack]

If everyone choose to use the girlie wheelie bags then half of them would have to go in the hold. They should only be allowed for physically disabled pax, or perhaps there should be a wheel-tax applied?

Who's wheelie bag are you calling "girlie" pal. Try sticking this in your hold.

 

[medhead]

Okay I kind of understand where you are coming from now. Whilst you are entitled to hold true to your 'principles' I completely disagree with your assertions. The wheeled bag, whether it be a carry-on in one of it's many forms or a SUITcase which may or may not contain a suit has been one of the better inventions for the busy traveler on the go. Many of us at times only travel with a carry-on which may be to the maximum weight and size as we are entitled to do and which saves us a great deal of time. The actual volume of the handle of my current main wheeled carry-on (you are concerned by the room it takes up) is approx 3cm x 2cm 40cm extended plus small 'T' handle which is a volume of about one quarter of a litre :!:

You forget the bit about how wheelie bags weight so much empty that the full volume of such a bag can rarely be used without exceeding weight limits like 7kg. As such they are an inefficient waste of space.

Then there is the countless number of wheelie bag people that fully block escalators preventing people from walking down the escalator. That is so inconsiderate.

 

[Edge]

Travel etiquette... person seated in front of me on VA259 MEL-CBR this morning felt it necessary to fully recline their seat for the whole 30-or-so minutes of the flight.

 

[Kieran2274]

They should only be allowed for physically disabled pax, or perhaps there should be a wheel-tax applied?

Disabled pax tend to avoid wheelie bags, they are awkward for wheelchair use, heavier than just a plain bag, and require hands on to move. Most disabled people I know prefer light backpacks or weekender bags - they can sit on your lap or on the back of your wheelchair easily, don't take as much strength as wheelie bags to put up in overhead bin, are small enough to put under seats or in seat pockets, and don't weight much themselves empty.

 

[Foreigner]

Travel etiquette... person seated in front of me on VA259 MEL-CBR this morning felt it necessary to fully recline their seat for the whole 30-or-so minutes of the flight.

For a short flight like that, plane annoying!

 

[Pushka]

Metal implants don't usually set off alarms. Well, my husbands bionic elbow doesn't and that is all metal. Otherwise I'd avoid being behind him at the scanner.

 

[nickykim]

Just because somebody isn't in a wheelchair doesn't mean they aren't disabled - I am not supposed to carry more than 5 kg, I can lift up to 10. So for me a wheeled bag would be a work around. However, I usually just take a slightly larger handbag and put it under the seat in front. The exception is if I head off to Auckland for a weekend to visit family - then I do use a wheeled bag.

 

[straitman]

Who's wheelie bag are you calling "girlie" pal. Try sticking this in your hold.
View attachment 22853

You should see what he carries on flights over one hour :!:

 

[straitman]

I used to work in a prison, and there are very large numbers of people with implants (knees, hips etc), pins supporting fractures, rods in spines, etc. Perhaps the airport detectors are better able to ignore them. The older you get the more likely you are to have one. It may be that the implant technology is changing too, with more non-metal materials - outside my area of expertise. I just know how many people used to have difficulty entering the prison to visit.

My comments were based on experience as in my last job I was the proud owner rolleyes of the scanning equipment and was fairly up on what it could and could not do.

 

[Kieran2274]

Just because somebody isn't in a wheelchair doesn't mean they aren't disabled - I am not supposed to carry more than 5 kg, I can lift up to 10. So for me a wheeled bag would be a work around. However, I usually just take a slightly larger handbag and put it under the seat in front. The exception is if I head off to Auckland for a weekend to visit family - then I do use a wheeled bag.

Most people with upper body injuries find it difficult to raise items above their head - they are fine below the shoulder for average weights but lose considerable muscle power when raising arms above their shoulders - making hanging laundry, putting bags into overhead bins (particularly bulky wheelie-bags) etc difficult.

Then you have the strain of moving around a wheelie-bag - it makes you shift everything around using the power of one wrist, with lots of movement and angling. Also not a great thing for people with upper body disabilities.

Sure, you might find it easier, but most people who have some form of physical disability wouldn't. OTs recommend avoiding them, they like things were you can distribute the load/weight and whose movement allows multiple variations.

My reference to wheelchair pax was an inclusive one, as just one situation where wheelie bags were awkward - I'm not sure how you read that as an exclusionary statement, it certainly wasn't intended as one (if you are disabled, it matters little the form of disablement, you are still coping in a world where it's just a little bit harder)

 

[medhead]

Just because somebody isn't in a wheelchair doesn't mean they aren't disabled - I am not supposed to carry more than 5 kg, I can lift up to 10. So for me a wheeled bag would be a work around. However, I usually just take a slightly larger handbag and put it under the seat in front. The exception is if I head off to Auckland for a weekend to visit family - then I do use a wheeled bag.

Don't worry I have mobility issues that plays havoc with getting up for the window seat people. I am constantly amazed at the impatient and outright rude way people in those seats push passed me because they just can't wait for me to get moving. Like I'm unconcerned by those who demand people stand, no need to justify your needs to the anti-wheelie people.

 

[Robbi]

Metal implants don't usually set off alarms. Well, my husbands bionic elbow doesn't and that is all metal. Otherwise I'd avoid being behind him at the scanner.

Metal implants and body piercing jewellery don't have the right magnetic properties to be detected by standard metal detectors.

A screening person told me last time I flew that the detector doesn't detect loose change.

 

[get me outta here]

Metal implants and body piercing jewellery don't have the right magnetic properties to be detected by standard metal detectors.

A screening person told me last time I flew that the detector doesn't detect loose change.

My titanium parts certainly sets off all the alarms so I just assume the position early and they seem to know without me explaining it what the culprit is. Doesn't get me out of the pat down though. Take shoes off every time and I don't hold anyone up as I'm always pulled aside.

 

[TomVexille]

Don't worry I have mobility issues that plays havoc with getting up for the window seat people. I am constantly amazed at the impatient and outright rude way people in those seats push passed me because they just can't wait for me to get moving. Like I'm unconcerned by those who demand people stand, no need to justify your needs to the anti-wheelie people.

Personally I like a window seat. Almost always sit in one. The only people I push past are the ones that refuse to let me out (and I don't need to get up often). You obviously do, so you won't get any problems from me.

 

[Kieran2274]

Personally I like a window seat. Almost always sit in one. The only people I push past are the ones that refuse to let me out (and I don't need to get up often). You obviously do, so you won't get any problems from me.

Admittedly I fly J, but I do like the centre aisle (E,F) seats for this reason. Everybody wins.

 

[JohnK]

Travel etiquette... person seated in front of me on VA259 MEL-CBR this morning felt it necessary to fully recline their seat for the whole 30-or-so minutes of the flight.

A few years back on a VA flight SYD-CBR the couple in front of me fully reclined in unison after take-off. How sweet! They couldn't understand my frustration as I got out of the seat and into another seat cursing.

 

[DC3]

A few years back on a VA flight SYD-CBR the couple in front of me fully reclined in unison after take-off. How sweet! They couldn't understand my frustration as I got out of the seat and into another seat cursing.

Maybe they thought that the entire seat was theirs to do with as they liked.

 

[Robbi]

My titanium parts certainly sets off all the alarms so I just assume the position early and they seem to know without me explaining it what the culprit is. Doesn't get me out of the pat down though. Take shoes off every time and I don't hold anyone up as I'm always pulled aside.

My titanium jewellery never sets off the alarm, or the hand wand.

 

[maninblack]

You forget the bit about how wheelie bags weight so much empty that the full volume of such a bag can rarely be used without exceeding weight limits like 7kg. As such they are an inefficient waste of space.

My current main wheeled carry-on is compliant at at 115cm (or 45 inches) linear, is almost 45 litres capacity and weighs exactly 2kg empty. Nothing inefficient about it for my purposes.