Why bother with carry-on bags?

Status
Not open for further replies.

spiggy_topes

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Posts
161
Travelling back from SYD to BNE last night. Couldn't be bothered competing with other passengers trying to fit steamer trunks into the overhead bins - so I checked my modestly sized bag and just took a book and my laptop. Easy stroll up to the QP and then to the gate.

Off the plane in Brisbane, down to the carousel, a wait of about a minute - and out come the bag.

If Qantas can keep this up why should one ever bother carrying stuff on? Or was I just very lucky? Off to Perth on Sunday, may try it again...
 
Read our AFF credit card guides and start earning more points now.

AFF Supporters can remove this and all advertisements

spiggy_topes said:
Travelling back from SYD to BNE last night. Couldn't be bothered competing with other passengers trying to fit steamer trunks into the overhead bins - so I checked my modestly sized bag and just took a book and my laptop. Easy stroll up to the QP and then to the gate.

Off the plane in Brisbane, down to the carousel, a wait of about a minute - and out come the bag.

If Qantas can keep this up why should one ever bother carrying stuff on? Or was I just very lucky? Off to Perth on Sunday, may try it again...

If you arrive in Perth about the same time as another aircraft, then you could be in for a wait! On the other hand it may come out quickly, but I would count on a wait of more than a minute.
 
If you could have seen the queue at the Quickcheck bag drop at MEL on Monday 10/03 at 1030hours you would have second thoughts about what should be referred to as a lottery win! It zig zagged to the left of the counters and around the back of them! I could not believe that on a public holiday there were two (and I am not joking) agents doing Quickcheck bag drop... Honestly it was appalling! Luckily I had carry on only!

Last time I was in PER I spent 45 minutes in the bag drop queue!

I have seen the queue just about out the doors at SYD on occasions too!

It should be renamed SLOWCHECK... nothing but a joke!

Pull your socks up QF... SHAME!
 
Willie said:
Last time I was in PER I spent 45 minutes in the bag drop queue!

Indeed, I have arrived over an hour early at PER and still ended up being called by the 'anyone in line for QFxx_, please go to counter y'. It can take a while sometimes!
 
Checking luggage is a PITA during peak periods, and also when making international connections. I don't want to stand around waiting for bags to appear on carousels when I just want to get out of the airport. This particularly applies during peak-hour for international arrivals at that nightmare known as the SYD Arrivals Hall, and when I make an 80-minute Int-Dom connection at SFO on the way back. I suppose that Dom in AU would be a little better, although I have witnessed shockingly large lines at SYD and BNE in the last few months.

There is always competition for overhead locker space, so I try to board early and get settled, and I don't get caught too often. What's the point in sitting in some ordinary lounge for another 10 minutes, finishing a glass of some cheap, lamentable Shiraz, when I could be getting organised in my seat?

I also have a zero-tolerance policy for passengers in other classes of service using the lockers in my ticketed cabin, and ask the FAs to deal with the problem if I witness it.
 
My experience with QF domestic checked bags reflects that of spiggy_topes most of the time. Its rare to have to wait more than 5 mins for bags to arrive - with the noted exception of PER :evil: .

The issue noted by most previous posters is more about the time required to check the bag rather than to collect it. Luckily I have not experienced any long delays in the checking process, but I am sure my turn will come.

This is very different to the checked baggage experience at most USA airports, where its normal to wait 30-45 mins for bags to arrive from a domestic AA flight at places like DFW, LAX, ORD and MIA. No wonder AA passengers try to travel only with carry-on bags.
 
I travel to Perth regularly and lived there until 6 months ago. I have waited an hour for my bags to make it onto the carousel, particularly late in the evening when two 743's and a 767 all arive from MEL, SYD and BNE at the same time. If travelling to this poor excuse for a major airport take carry on wherever possible. If leaving from same airport try and take carry on and check in either in the QP or at the cityflyer desk near the gates.
 
I'm living in PER at the moment and I have to confess that during peak times when the line starts to run out the door that I've given up waiting in the line. I go and get myself a coffee and wait for the "If you're in the main line and flying on QFxx_, leave it and go to counters Y & Z now" announcement. So far every time I've waited in that main line when it's that crowded I've never made it to the front before the announcement even though I'm at the airport at least an hour before departure. This is one area where travelling on DJ certainly has the edge, at PER I've never had to wait more than about 10mins to do bag drop when flying DJ.

I really need to try and figure out a way of stripping down what I'm carrying so that I can cram it all into carry on, but usually I'm leaving for around a week, so it's not really practical.
 
NM said:
My experience with QF domestic checked bags reflects that of spiggy_topes most of the time. Its rare to have to wait more than 5 mins for bags to arrive - with the noted exception of PER :evil: .

The issue noted by most previous posters is more about the time required to check the bag rather than to collect it. Luckily I have not experienced any long delays in the checking process, but I am sure my turn will come.

This is very different to the checked baggage experience at most USA airports, where its normal to wait 30-45 mins for bags to arrive from a domestic AA flight at places like DFW, LAX, ORD and MIA. No wonder AA passengers try to travel only with carry-on bags.

I'm not so worried about the time (although it is a disgrace), but what they will do to my camel suit and other belongings (it's alreadly been stolen from my bag at SYD, as you know). You would trust your dearest items to the QF baggage handlers, wouldn't you?

As for the USA, I rarely have a problem with UA (I am a Million Miler).
 
clifford said:
You would trust your dearest items to the QF baggage handlers, wouldn't you?
I am happy to let them play with my dirty underwear on the homeward leg :shock: .
 
I used to check luggage, but now tend to take a carry on. I normally travel ADL-SYD and whilst the bag is on the carousel by the time you walk to it in Adelaide, Sydney is a different story with a normal 10-15 minute wait. The other day I was travelling with a colleague who had an enormous bag (first business trip for her) so I checked mine in too as I would have to wait for her before heading to get the car, and it was around 10-15 minute wait at 9:30pm at night! I also get frustrated when the priority tagged bags don't appear until after the non-priority tagged bags - why bother, but that's a whole new can of worms. I'm about to find out what the wait is in MEL ..
 
SeaWolf said:
I really need to try and figure out a way of stripping down what I'm carrying so that I can cram it all into carry on, but usually I'm leaving for around a week, so it's not really practical.
One week is child's play for carry on. I have done 4 week stints with carry on only and ranging from Northern Hemisphere Winters to southern hemisphere summers and tropics on the single trip. If I were on holidays it might be more difficult, but for work, it it pretty easy and I only ever check in luggage any more when I need to carry large items or amounts of stuff (not clothes) to or from my destination(s).
 
NYCguy said:
There is always competition for overhead locker space, so I try to board early and get settled, and I don't get caught too often. What's the point in sitting in some ordinary lounge for another 10 minutes, finishing a glass of some cheap, lamentable Shiraz, when I could be getting organised in my seat?

Is there really competition for overhead space in F ;)

I used to be a major packer - for the same equivalent trip that I am on at the moment (global Finance conference in the US) I travelled with a suit bag, rolling large suitcase, rollaboard and laptop bag. This week I have a suitbag and a rollabord...

The main thing for me is the int'l transits - minimising losses - and getting home faster.

As remarked in another thread I always board early for fear of missing the flight (almost done that twice whilst sipping champers in the lounge) and to get myself ensconced in my seat.

Hand. Luggage. Only.
 
I am a recent convert to the Hand Luggage Only Philosophy.

Four of my last five O/S trips have been with hand luggage. For the fifth, I had to carry some tools, multimeter, safety boots and manuals, so this would have stretched the load carrying capacity of my rollaboard, as well as stretching the friendship with security.

My last trip (10 days) I had a rollaboard and backpack. Half of my clothes did not make it any further than PIT, due to a delay in the laundry returning my clothes to the hotel before checkout, but still managed the second half of the trip OK with very limited clothing. Although I did purchase a new pair of chinos at HKG as the pair I had been wearing were looking pretty grubby by then, and who wants to sit in J looking like a bum.
 
I went through a phase of carry-on only, but I am not a convert, and now I tend to be selective on carry-on vs checked depending on flight/destination. I do have status that in most instances avoids the longer check-in queues, but this makes virtually no difference at the other end (at least on QF) regardless of what colour tag is attached.

With peak hour trunk route flights (eg MEL-SYD) if I'm going longer than a day or two, happy to check baggage as hardly any one on these flight do, so recovery is quick. Likewise if doing connection to rural destination on Dash 8, where OH locker space is limited, checking is good. Also have made a few trips to SIN on SQ, and even in instances where I could have taken a everything on board I've checked it in - usually sitting in a cab within 15-20 minutes of landing, even with checked luggage (just grabbing the bags from the carousel as I'm walking past ..)

As for the US .... sheesh I've been travelling in first and boarded flight half an hour before departure and still been the last in that cabin to board ... so no O/H locker space even for a small laptop case ..... the question is how early do you have to board??
 
I am a carry on type of guy.

For Domestic Qantas mainline, one basically gets 2 x 7kg bags. If I can go RTW with a "personal item" (laptop bag) and a 7 Kg 22" rollaboard, I can certainly avoid checking baggage betwixt PER and MEL.

There are always exceptions, but hey - that's life.

There's a really good AFF thread on this with over 250 posts (of varying usefulness :p ):
 
i gotta learn how to pack a suit in a rollerboard i thinks... Mind you hwo do i pack the clubs as carry on?

HE he he
 
serfty said:
I am a carry on type of guy.

For Domestic Qantas mainline, one basically gets 2 x 7kg bags. If I can go RTW with a "personal item" (laptop bag) and a 7 Kg 22" rollaboard, I can certainly avoid checking baggage betwixt PER and MEL.

I know its a bit O/T for this thread Serfty, but how to you keep a 22" to 7kgs ? This is your Tumi one right ?
I used to use a rollaboard but decided different bag is better for me to carry on, a back pack of sorts.

My rollaboard was weighted a couple of times in MEL departing and i was seeing 12kgs, not that i was stopped.

Maybe i need lighter cloths, my shoes are light.

E
 
dajop said:
As for the US .... sheesh I've been travelling in first and boarded flight half an hour before departure and still been the last in that cabin to board ... so no O/H locker space even for a small laptop case ..... the question is how early do you have to board??

IME, when they call boarding for first passengers, you gotta board then. Yanks do not trust checked baggage (with good reason;) and take as much as they can. That goes double for the pointy end. Plus the gold/plat equivs who can board with the First passengers tend to use the front overheads as well.
My last flight I scored a E+ on UA and that was the only reason my rollaboard stayed as a carry on. I could shove it under the seat in front and put my feet on it. The 757 was half full when I got on and even then, the FAs were stacking luggage to be checked.

mt
 
Evan said:
... This is your Tumi one right ? ...
Nah, it's a 105cm bag purchased on sale from "Harris Scarfe". It's a "Qantas" brand. Empty, it weighs approx 2Kg. For some reason stuff in my laptop case seems to rarely have any weight.

Another consideration is that items carried in your pockets do not have any weight.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Become an AFF member!

Join Australian Frequent Flyer (AFF) for free and unlock insider tips, exclusive deals, and global meetups with 65,000+ frequent flyers.

AFF members can also access our Frequent Flyer Training courses, and upgrade to Fast-track your way to expert traveller status and unlock even more exclusive discounts!

AFF forum abbreviations

Wondering about Y, J or any of the other abbreviations used on our forum?

Check out our guide to common AFF acronyms & abbreviations.
Back
Top