Englishmum

..... then you had better check the weight on each suitcase!

It now appears that all check-in staff at UK airports are going to be more stringent on the maximum weight levels for each suitcase so as to avoid health and safety problems for baggage handlers.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/traffi...ening%Standard

The maximum weight will be 32kg (not sure what this is in pounds but 1kg = 2.2 pounds) so I guess that's about 70lbs which is what North American airlines often impose as max total weight for economy passengers? Luckily you are allowed to have two suitcases to spread the load.

I've never understood why anyone flying into or out of the US and Canada gets a far higher weight allowance than passengers get whom are flying anywhere else in the world.....I used to spend about six weeks of the Summer hols in England and fly back to Singapore with a 20kg limit and one suitcase only ...difficult once I'd been to M&S and Boots! LOL!

FlyergirlUK

Same thing with the hand luggage - the rule is, apparently, if you can't lift it up to fit it in the bin overhead then the staff can't do it as they're not covered for back injuries, (or summat like that anyway). I overheard this on my way back from London last week.

I always try and jam my hand luggage under the seat in front of me first - it's either that or filling up that ridiculous panel on the back of the seat in front with the bits and pieces I feel I'll need during the flight, (how come I always get the one that's knackered)?!

antjen

whenever i have flown to us, the airlines ba/virgin/continental have always been strict on the weight limit as they always weigh each piece of luggage.

is there an actual weight limit on the hand luggage or just guidlines??

Ant

superpat

Not sure what the limit is, but there definitely is one. I have a Samsonite carry-on bag that fits the maximum size regulations, but have been prevented from carrying it on more than once since it was over the maximum weight regulations. They gave me a little canvas bag to put essentials in and put my 'carry-on' in the hold.

Pat

Englishmum

Well, here's the weight & size limit for Virgin Atlantic passengers; to see the carry-on luggage limits scroll down to the bottom of the page. Some airports have a metal frame and if your hand luggage won't fit inside (typically those small cases with wheels and pull-out handle) it has to be checked into the hold. Upper Class passengers get to take two bags as hand luggage with a total weight of 35lbs! (My husband flies extensively and rarely checks luggage in as he doesn't want to wait to retrieve it at the baggage carousel):

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/bagga...owance.view.do

(If you go to the BA and Contintental airlines websites they will almost certainly have similar info).

suzieque

They have always had these but I rarely see anyone being told to use them. I fly a lot but have never been told to fit mine into these.
Suzie

mariawatanabe

On a related matter, could I also warn Brits that no meat products are allowed? I brought over a single pork pie as a test several trips back and declared it to see what would happen. Result: You get put in a special line, they decide that you are not honest and must also have food that you didn't declare, and either X-ray your entire luggage, or do a manual search for more food. Anyway, the customs officer rudely and unceremoniously chucked the offending pork pie half way across the room into a bin. I asked her if haggis in a can was acceptable. The answer was (He**) NO! I then asked her if fruit were acceptable. Again NO! I then asked her if fruit served on the airline could be saved for later. NO! She said that all airlines were required to warn passengers not to remove fruit from the plane. When I told her there hadn't been such an announcement, she wanted to know which airline it was! These people have zero sense of humor.
So if you really want to bring a meat product in for personal consumption, it's best not to declare any meat or fruit, but rather declare something innocuous like Tunnock's Tea Cakes or shortbread.
Mari