South Africa: ACSA to enforce hand luggage regulations!
Feb 25, 2015, 7:44 am
#31
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: CLE
Programs: UA Gold, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,661
glad to hear this. I'll keep an eye on this thread. I'm not planning a trip until next year, but it is so much easier to use JNB as a base for the rest of my trips to various African countries.
Feb 28, 2015, 2:27 am
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
Just to add my observations:
Lots of signs, banners, posters and bag size checkers. There is also a lengthy, verbose, oft-repeated and annoying announcement. Apart from that, nobody gives a hoot.
Most peculiar. Unless there is a grace period and they plan to commence enforcement in the near future, this all seems like an exercise in futility, and a waste of money and resources.
Johan
Lots of signs, banners, posters and bag size checkers. There is also a lengthy, verbose, oft-repeated and annoying announcement. Apart from that, nobody gives a hoot.
Most peculiar. Unless there is a grace period and they plan to commence enforcement in the near future, this all seems like an exercise in futility, and a waste of money and resources.
Johan
Mar 9, 2015, 12:25 am
#33
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oxon, UK
Programs: Mucci des canapes, Skywards Gold, BAEC, IC Plat Amb, LH FTV
Posts: 1,952
Experience this morning in JNB domestic checking into SAA Airlink. Carrying a backpack within guidelines (only just). No comment, no measuring or weighing. Some suggestions that you are more likely to attract attention with obviously large bag.
Mar 9, 2015, 10:02 am
#34
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA, onePass
Posts: 317
Can someone speak to what constitutes a 'slimline' laptop bag?
I've googled slimline laptop bags and they range from just sleeves to what is called a 'slimline' LT bag....anyone have dimensions or anecdotes?
Most women use totes for their laptops.
And is the LT bag included in the weight allowance?
I have 2 Airlink segments to and from Kruger that do not connect to international flights so want to be prepared.
Also I see overcoats are considered hand baggage ...... What if you are wearing a jacket?
I've googled slimline laptop bags and they range from just sleeves to what is called a 'slimline' LT bag....anyone have dimensions or anecdotes?
Most women use totes for their laptops.
And is the LT bag included in the weight allowance?
I have 2 Airlink segments to and from Kruger that do not connect to international flights so want to be prepared.
Also I see overcoats are considered hand baggage ...... What if you are wearing a jacket?
Mar 12, 2015, 6:32 am
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
Can't answer your questions, but there's still nothing to worry about.
I'm currently in transit at JNB, with a backpack and a gearslinger that would have been compliant had I not crammed them so full. Security nor anybody else showed any interest in them whatsoever.
Johan
I'm currently in transit at JNB, with a backpack and a gearslinger that would have been compliant had I not crammed them so full. Security nor anybody else showed any interest in them whatsoever.
Johan
Mar 21, 2015, 6:27 am
#38
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
Been through JNB 3 times in the last week. No real enforcement in the airport but be prepared to have excess bags removed at the plane door if travelling on SAA.
Came through Cape Town and it was more strict, they were turning people back before security with gauges being used.
Came through Cape Town and it was more strict, they were turning people back before security with gauges being used.
Mar 29, 2015, 10:46 am
#41
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
Passed through CT again yesterday. Anyone who made it to the top of the jetway with 2 bags had their rollaboard taken off them and tagged.
The jist if it was it was bags tagged or offloaded.
I was pretty much the last to board and there was plenty of room on board.
The jist if it was it was bags tagged or offloaded.
I was pretty much the last to board and there was plenty of room on board.
Apr 10, 2015, 4:57 pm
#42
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Dublin
Posts: 188
Through Cape Town International again yesterday with the family and enough hand luggage to resupply a garrison (haven't yet hacked the travel light with young kids thing) - no-one batted an eyelid. As far as I can tell, this is basically a non-issue which has been absurdly overplayed.
Apr 16, 2015, 9:32 am
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,077
Sorry for the delayed update.
Over the past month -
IAD-JNB - @IAD nobody cared how much we carried on and we had a LOT of stuff (7 carried on bags for 4 people).
JNB-CPT - @JNB boarding domestic flight - no issue. Lots of sizer stands everywhere, nobody asked/cared even with the same large amount of stuff we carried on from IAD-JNB no issues or questions at international to domestic re-check, security checkpoints, gate or plane door.
Couple of back and forth flights - light carry on load (one shoulder bag) - CPT-JNB-CPT - saw the sizers all over the place, nobody cared or did anything either at check-in, security checkpoints, gate or plane door.
CPT-JNB-IAD -
@CPT check-in - no issues. Lots of bags checked as well as a large amount of carry on stuff (carry on's were 2 per pax, 4 pax total, all large shoulder or carrier bags except one large briefcase). They could have easily nailed us, I was most worried here just on the sheer amount of stuff we presented with as "carry on." Yeah, we were bringing back a lot of stuff.
@CPT security checkpoint (domestic) - didn't see sizers.
@CPT "domestic boarding" downstairs - they had a sizer and a guy standing at a digital scale and he seemed to be randomly grabbing people to weigh their hand luggage / carry on's. Though I saw the scale guy stop a couple of folks and weigh their bags, I didn't see him or gate staff "stop" anyone from actually bringing the stuff on board as carry on though. Nobody seemed to be using the sizers.
@JNB domestic to international security/passport control - nobody checked, no sizers noticed.
@JNB US-IAD bound flight secondary security - Still moving along with the eight large carry on's mentioned above (see CPT-JNB) - no issues, no sizers, they confiscated my kid's (less than 50 mil) hand sanitizer container and made him and his brother take off their shoes and socks (but not me). They barely opened my hand luggage. No sizers in evidence. No observed concern about number or size of carried on items.
@JNB US-IAD bound flight gate and plane door - no issues.
Over the past month -
IAD-JNB - @IAD nobody cared how much we carried on and we had a LOT of stuff (7 carried on bags for 4 people).
JNB-CPT - @JNB boarding domestic flight - no issue. Lots of sizer stands everywhere, nobody asked/cared even with the same large amount of stuff we carried on from IAD-JNB no issues or questions at international to domestic re-check, security checkpoints, gate or plane door.
Couple of back and forth flights - light carry on load (one shoulder bag) - CPT-JNB-CPT - saw the sizers all over the place, nobody cared or did anything either at check-in, security checkpoints, gate or plane door.
CPT-JNB-IAD -
@CPT check-in - no issues. Lots of bags checked as well as a large amount of carry on stuff (carry on's were 2 per pax, 4 pax total, all large shoulder or carrier bags except one large briefcase). They could have easily nailed us, I was most worried here just on the sheer amount of stuff we presented with as "carry on." Yeah, we were bringing back a lot of stuff.
@CPT security checkpoint (domestic) - didn't see sizers.
@CPT "domestic boarding" downstairs - they had a sizer and a guy standing at a digital scale and he seemed to be randomly grabbing people to weigh their hand luggage / carry on's. Though I saw the scale guy stop a couple of folks and weigh their bags, I didn't see him or gate staff "stop" anyone from actually bringing the stuff on board as carry on though. Nobody seemed to be using the sizers.
@JNB domestic to international security/passport control - nobody checked, no sizers noticed.
@JNB US-IAD bound flight secondary security - Still moving along with the eight large carry on's mentioned above (see CPT-JNB) - no issues, no sizers, they confiscated my kid's (less than 50 mil) hand sanitizer container and made him and his brother take off their shoes and socks (but not me). They barely opened my hand luggage. No sizers in evidence. No observed concern about number or size of carried on items.
@JNB US-IAD bound flight gate and plane door - no issues.
Last edited by jsnydcsa; May 20, 2015 at 10:09 am
Apr 17, 2015, 8:04 am
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
I personally have no need for amenity kits, but usually take them with me to hand out to friends and colleagues who fly longhaul economy. On a recent trip I ended up with 11 kits in my hand luggage, if not more. Each of these kits contained various lotions and other liquids, yet I sailed through security at a whole bunch of African and European airports, including some which displayed huge signs at the checkpoint detailing the liquid restrictions.
Go figure!
Johan
Apr 17, 2015, 12:26 pm
#45
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,077
I corrected my mis-type and deleted the word "time" - nonsensical.
I wish I had friends like you. I actually like the kit-bags themselves for storing various electronic knick-knacks. E.g. all of a particular device's wires, bits, etc. in one bag, then another for another device.
With all the sizers around, I could easily see this as being used by someone / some staff as a way of arbitrarily enforcing the rules. About 2 years ago, wife and kids traveling with me and we had a LOT of carry-ons (some too big, even by my standards) plus a BIG pram, the greeting FA at the door of JNB-CPT domestic flight was just in that kind of a mood that day and punitively gate checked just about everything. She actually ended up doing us a bit of a favor b/c the kids were so rambunctious, wife and I had our hands full with them rather than dealing with luggage.
With all the sizers around, I could easily see this as being used by someone / some staff as a way of arbitrarily enforcing the rules. About 2 years ago, wife and kids traveling with me and we had a LOT of carry-ons (some too big, even by my standards) plus a BIG pram, the greeting FA at the door of JNB-CPT domestic flight was just in that kind of a mood that day and punitively gate checked just about everything. She actually ended up doing us a bit of a favor b/c the kids were so rambunctious, wife and I had our hands full with them rather than dealing with luggage.