Yorkieabroad

Standing in line at the United Bag drop last week, the guy in front of me was "having words" with the ground staff because they said his bag was overweight. He unzipped it, took out ONE shoe, tossed it back on the scale and they accepted it. He turned to me with a "WTF?" expression and walked off with his shoe in hand.....

I then loaded my 3 bags which all came in at 47 lbs. That's odd I thought....I weighed them at home and they were all below 40..I know the scales aren't going to be totally accurate, but that was a larger than normal variance... Not an immediate problem, but one to sort out because I was aiming for the lower limit due to a restricted segment next week. When we got to this end, I collected the cases and weighed them on airport scales on the way out, which confirmed my home measurements...... I'd hate to accuse anyone of loading the scales to generate fees (are they really that desperate?) but something definitely seemed a bit fishy........

scrubbedexpat091

In the states I worked in at airports, the state inspected the scales to ensure accuracy, and the airline had no control over the scales, the airport did all maintenance on the scales.

No idea if it's standard across the country for them to be inspected.


I always gave a 3-5 pound leeway, our limit was 75 (this was before the 50 pound limit) and I'd allow 80 for most people before I charged.

But that was back before airlines went fee crazy as a source of revenue.

Yorkieabroad

I would have thought it should be, much the same as gas pumps. Although inspections don't totally stop the infringements ..... funny how one certain gas chain seem to be the ones in the news for the wrong reason......yes, valero, you know who I mean.....

Makes sense....I wonder what exactly was going through the agents head when she pi $$ ed off a paying passenger for the sake of one shoe......

tonrob

While I have no concrete proof i cannot see how this can possibly be true. Just by standing in the aisle, looking at the bins, a couple of carry ons that seem regulation size and also the sheer number of seats. It just doesn't fit together.

Pulaski

If the seating pitch is 30"+ and carry-on luggage's dimensions of l+h+w=45", then the smallest dimension of a carry-on is unlikely to be more than 10" (and in the case of a carry-on suitcase is likely to be less than 10" - my carry-on holdall is 20"x15"x10", so is wider and lower than a suitcase), then the bin space for one three-seat row should take the regulation carry-on bags of all three passengers (3xsay 9" < 30"). ..... Though as we know, the use of oversized carry-on's is endemic, which is where this thread started: "enforce the existing rules!"

Many, even most, people with carry-on suitcases, in my admittedly fairly limited experience, lie their suitcase flat in the bin, and apparently not realizing how deep the bin is I often see cases even laid lengthways, taking up more than twice the space they should!

Mr Weeze

Except people have coats, backpacks, guitars, duty free, all manner of odd shaped things which mean it's not a nice uniform world.

Yorkieabroad

Shame...I'm rather partial to a nice uniform....

Pulaski

Is that your motivation for annual multi-leg trips to the Far East?

Pulaski

Not to mention abominations like these.

Mrs Danvers

Oh if anything makes me angry it's the ****wittery of people boarding planes with too much stuff. Twerps holding up boarding because they're trying to stuff their too big suitcase in an overhead bin. Grrr!

tonrob

I don't think full-size carry ons fit on their edge, just wheels first on their back. Just checked BA's website and the graphic shows them being loaded this way. You also can't occupy the full length of the plane as the ends of the hoppers have a few inches taken up with the hinge mechanisms.

Pulaski

Except my "maximum size" (45" total) does. Not having a "carry-on suitcase" I am not certain that one would fit, and I am a little sceptical, though on occasion in the past I have "restacked" a bin, or helped somrone of dhorter stature, and I think I have put suitcases end-on on their edge, but I may be wrong about that. ....... That said, I do think that many carry-on suitcases have aggregate dimensions exceeding 45" ..... which takes back to the start of this thread and why the airlines don't enforce the existing restrictions.

Mr Weeze

But IATA only have guidelines. As it stands, airlines set the rules. BA allow the following:

1 x cabin bag: 56cm x 45cm x 25cm (22in x 18in x 10in) including handles, pockets and wheels.

1 x personal bag: 45cm x 36cm x 20cm (18in x 14in x 8in) including handles, pockets and wheels.

So BA allow 50 linear inches. On your first bag.

Southwest allow two bags too - one personal, one carry on:

Personal-type items include purses, briefcases, cameras, food containers, or laptops (case included). Pet carriers are considered either a personal item or a carryon item.
Southwest Airlines limits carryon bag dimensions to 10 x 16 x 24 inches.

Also 50 linear inches.

Pulaski

Interesting. I wonder if it changed at some point? ..... Because when I bought my holdall almost 20 years ago it was sold as a "maximum permitted size" carry-on of 45" aggregate.

Pulaski

Having learned that airlines are allowing 50" bags, and presumably some even bigger, never mind all the other sundry crap they are allowing people to take onboard, I agree, there is no hope of accomodating everyone's carry-on luggage on a fully booked flight.