Cabin baggage is the scourge of airline travel today. People are bringing on board increasing amounts of luggage, taking advantage of online check-in to flout the rules.
On time departures are being threatened as cabin crew have to try to shuffle bags around in the overhead compartments, trying to find space for everything. It begs the question, should airlines weigh all cabin bags?
Australia Weigh All Bags
There are four airlines in Australia. Qantas group have Qantas and their low cost offshoot Jetstar, while Virgin Australia group have Virgin Australia and their low cost carrier Tigerair Australia.
Both budget airlines have had to weigh cabin bags to ensure they are within limits since 2014. As it turns out, both of the full service airlines are now doing the same.
Differentiation means that the full service airlines will put your bags into the cargo hold free of charge. The budget carriers will of course charge you for the same thing.
Is This Really Necessary?
My first experience with a long boarding due to cabin bags was with American Airlines. I was honestly astonished at how much people were bringing on board and boarding the flight took forever. The amount of crap people bring into the aircraft with them is just silly sometimes.
Overall Thoughts
Humans will always try to get a little extra when they’re not entitled to do so. European airlines such as Ryanair are also trying to combat the vast levels of baggage being brought on board, but they have not started to weigh cabin bags – yet!
What do you think? Should cabin bags be weighed in all cases or is it overkill? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image by rawpixel on Unsplash.
Bags in bins via American Airlines.
Man putting bag in locker via Ryanair.
Right now probably more than half of travelers arrive at the airport and head directly to TSA and then to their gate. To weigh every bag would cause EVERY passenger to have to go to the ticket counter, weigh their bags and then head to TSA. This will greatly add more time and waiting in line to the already dreadfully frustrating process of traveling by air. I do agree that some are idiots when it comes to hauling half their homes on board, but out of 100+ flights this year delay by these folks has maybe happened two or three times. I’m willing to live with that as opposed to having to get to thge airport an hour= earlier because every bag has to be weighed.
I hear you on that, and that’s the airline’s own making – provide online check-in for those with carry on bags and it saves them money by having less staff. I’m all for it, as I love breezing straight through the airport to the lounge or gate without having to stand in line. Clearly it is a reaction to the fact that not all cabin bags will fit inside the aircraft. I can only imagine how different the experience was years ago when there were hat racks above the seats and they were literally for hats, coats, pillows and blankets while all luggage was checked in. Different times! As long as the weighing is a quick process at the gate, I’m all for it. Thanks for the comment!
In this case, size matters. Weight doesn’t. Therefore, weighing bags is an unnecessary annoyance to passengers. (Are you listening LATAM?)
However, the airlines post both size and weight limits on their web sites. Therefore, people are expected to be within the limits for both. Since it appears so many bags are overweight, the airlines are well within their rights to enforce it. I can understand people’s frustration at being made to comply after years of not having to worry, but that’s the world we live in now with people bringing too much into the cabin. Thanks for the comment!
While I suppose weight is important, I believe it’s size that is the true differentiator. I’ve seen many bags in the overhead that should’ve been checked due to size. Moreover, if someone has managed to get multiple oversized bags on board, it really creates an issue.
I wonder if this could be resolved with better baggage handling practices. I actually wouldn’t mind checking my bags most of the time *if* there was a reasonable assurance that it would be treated with care. I have a nice carry-on bag that I will not entrust to any airport staff because I don’t trust they won’t damage it. I usually buy a new checked bag every two years because it just gets beaten to pieces. I’ve given up on buying nice luggage for the purpose of checking it. The claims aren’t worth the time and headache of filing them. I’ve had everything from busted/missing zippers, to major dents, to missing/damaged wheels, and my personal (least) favorite is when my bag is saturated with liquid (which has happened multiple times). My last piece purchased of luggage was from IT, and on the very first flight I used it on, it came back with a damaged wheel and the IT logo was completely ripped off the front. I didn’t even get mad. I just laughed and later told my wife that I was really impressed by the baggage boys. They damaged this one almost beyond re-use after just one flight.
I agree with you, the one bag rule should be strictly enforced, same with size. It’s often not possible as the people at the gate are rushing to get the aircraft away on time, then the bag switcheroo is the responsibility of the cabin crew on board.
You are correct, between the baggage handlers and the automatic system of moving bags around from check-in to the point where they get it, there is a high chance the bag will be damaged. For me, even more important is the arrival of bags at baggage claim. I’d check a bag with no hesitation if I knew the bags would be on the carousel at the same time I got there. I’ve had one hour waits in places like Miami, which I really hate. I could deal with damage moreso than delays. My Samsonite that I bought in 2005 is still going strong – it only recently had damage to a zip which was a €22 repair in Dublin, so I’ve been very lucky since it’s been all over the world with me. Checking a cabin bag I would be less crash hot on, as they’re just not as robust as the hold bags. Hopefully you have better luck in future! Thanks for the comment.
This was no doubt meant to be provocative and could only have been written by an Australian sheep who does not fully appreciate the freedoms we have in the USA and elsewhere much less competitive market. I go on 2 week biz trips with only carryon and idiotic Qantas is the only airline that forces me to check my bag. Stupid and does nothing to promote safety as a 7kg bag falling can injure people as bad as a heavier one. We could be even safer by eliminated overhead entirely but even Qantas doesn’t have guts for that.
You probably like the 55mph (100km) speed limit too.
Well, if Qantas are forcing you to check your carry-on bag, you’re clearly over the limit, which is clearly listed on the baggage pages of the airline’s web site. I don’t really see what you’re complaining about really. The weight limit is clearly posted and if you’re over you have to check the bag. It’s pretty simple! Thanks for your comment.
I disagree. There is a cost of enforcement, mainly labor, which passengers pay.
Not really, the staff making you check the weight of the bag are already employed to check your boarding pass or check you in. I have never heard of additional staff being employed to weigh cabin bags. Thanks for your comment!