South Africa: ACSA to enforce hand luggage regulations!
Apr 18, 2015, 7:51 am
#46
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: AL
Programs: All of the Above
Posts: 1,374
I had 1 out of 4 flights care about the new regulation, but not a single person in the airport this month. There was a baggage nazi FA that literally picked up every carryon brought on board and said "hmmm, feels too heavy" or "feels fine". Made me check mine, and I asked why, and he said because it will break the overhead bin and it will fall and hurt me. I said I've flown on a320's all over the world with this exact bag, with zero issues, and he said that the other carriers obviously didn't care about my safety. Absolutely absurd.
The other 3 flights and transiting JNB was painless and no one said a word.
The other 3 flights and transiting JNB was painless and no one said a word.
Apr 18, 2015, 12:26 pm
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
Back in the Good Old Days KL had a whole series of amenity kits. The (high quality) contents were the same, but the bags themselves came in various shapes: toilet bag, pencil case, shoe bag, ticket wallet (e-tickets had yet to be invented), etc. You never knew in advance which one would be handed out on your flight. They are almost indestructible, decades later I still have a whole bunch in use for various purposes.
Johan
May 20, 2015, 8:01 am
#48
Join Date: Jun 2006
Programs: Various
Posts: 6,526
Another data point.
We (two of us) flew JNB-ZRH on LX about a week ago, and the baggage weight checkers were out in full force. We were in the business/first check-in area, but they (of course) didn't give a fig about that, and insisted that all bags over the weight limit must be checked.
We each had a backpack and a rollaboard, and the woman checking the weight of the bags put the little white tag on the backpacks without even checking them. Our rollaboards were over by a couple of kilos, so we asked permission to step back out of the area, and try to lighten them. We swapped our lightweight shoes for our hiking boots, put on our jackets with bulging pockets, and stuffed the (already approved) backpacks cram full. This brought us under the weight limit for the rollaboards, which were duly white-tagged as well.
Of course, we took off the jackets and boots, and removed the extra bits from the backpacks as soon as we were through security. What a farce.
We (two of us) flew JNB-ZRH on LX about a week ago, and the baggage weight checkers were out in full force. We were in the business/first check-in area, but they (of course) didn't give a fig about that, and insisted that all bags over the weight limit must be checked.
We each had a backpack and a rollaboard, and the woman checking the weight of the bags put the little white tag on the backpacks without even checking them. Our rollaboards were over by a couple of kilos, so we asked permission to step back out of the area, and try to lighten them. We swapped our lightweight shoes for our hiking boots, put on our jackets with bulging pockets, and stuffed the (already approved) backpacks cram full. This brought us under the weight limit for the rollaboards, which were duly white-tagged as well.
Of course, we took off the jackets and boots, and removed the extra bits from the backpacks as soon as we were through security. What a farce.
May 20, 2015, 8:07 am
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2009
Location: FRA / YEG
Programs: AC Super Elite, Radisson Platinum, Accor Platinum
Posts: 11,874
Another data point.
We (two of us) flew JNB-ZRH on LX about a week ago, and the baggage weight checkers were out in full force. We were in the business/first check-in area, but they (of course) didn't give a fig about that, and insisted that all bags over the weight limit must be checked.
We each had a backpack and a rollaboard, and the woman checking the weight of the bags put the little white tag on the backpacks without even checking them. Our rollaboards were over by a couple of kilos, so we asked permission to step back out of the area, and try to lighten them. We swapped our lightweight shoes for our hiking boots, put on our jackets with bulging pockets, and stuffed the (already approved) backpacks cram full. This brought us under the weight limit for the rollaboards, which were duly white-tagged as well.
Of course, we took off the jackets and boots, and removed the extra bits from the backpacks as soon as we were through security. What a farce.
We (two of us) flew JNB-ZRH on LX about a week ago, and the baggage weight checkers were out in full force. We were in the business/first check-in area, but they (of course) didn't give a fig about that, and insisted that all bags over the weight limit must be checked.
We each had a backpack and a rollaboard, and the woman checking the weight of the bags put the little white tag on the backpacks without even checking them. Our rollaboards were over by a couple of kilos, so we asked permission to step back out of the area, and try to lighten them. We swapped our lightweight shoes for our hiking boots, put on our jackets with bulging pockets, and stuffed the (already approved) backpacks cram full. This brought us under the weight limit for the rollaboards, which were duly white-tagged as well.
Of course, we took off the jackets and boots, and removed the extra bits from the backpacks as soon as we were through security. What a farce.
Too bad they don't make the employees do something useful, such as sweeping the floors.
May 22, 2015, 3:37 pm
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
Fortunately, enforcement so far seems to be haphazard or non-existent.
Johan
May 22, 2015, 4:34 pm
#52
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA, onePass
Posts: 317
Thanks Johan..........
I hope it continues through September/October.....I'm still getting hung up on 'small purse or slimline laptop bag' yet no dimensions are given for those on SAA.......
I have one segment on Comair and because it's on a BA PNR......it has dimensions for that personal article which are 18 in x 14 in x 8 in......not exactly what I would consider 'small or slimline' so it would be nice to know what I could work with for my 2 SAA domestic segments.
I hope it continues through September/October.....I'm still getting hung up on 'small purse or slimline laptop bag' yet no dimensions are given for those on SAA.......
I have one segment on Comair and because it's on a BA PNR......it has dimensions for that personal article which are 18 in x 14 in x 8 in......not exactly what I would consider 'small or slimline' so it would be nice to know what I could work with for my 2 SAA domestic segments.
Last edited by nalismom; May 22, 2015 at 5:08 pm
May 27, 2015, 11:39 am
#53
Join Date: Jun 2006
Programs: Various
Posts: 6,526
If that happened, I think I would have much bigger problems than an "overweight" bag....
May 28, 2015, 7:07 am
#55
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,111
There was no sign of handbag enforcement earlier this week in JNB; sizers and signs but noone questioned our bags. Good thing too since I had a 30l backpack, separate camera bag, and bulging laptop bag 
(If challenged I was going to have a nice chat with the officials and mention that the F cabin has plenty of space in the closet, etc - or engage in some creative repacking and jacket-pocket-stuffing).
(If challenged I was going to have a nice chat with the officials and mention that the F cabin has plenty of space in the closet, etc - or engage in some creative repacking and jacket-pocket-stuffing).
Sep 11, 2015, 10:05 am
#58
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oxon, UK
Programs: Mucci des canapes, Skywards Gold, BAEC, IC Plat Amb, LH FTV
Posts: 1,952
Any recent updates / experiences? Will be travelling through JNB next week with a backpack of photographic equipment (same as post #33). Just wondering if all had gone quiet?
Sep 14, 2015, 2:47 am
#60
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: British Airways Silver
Posts: 23
No real problems. Flying jhb-cpt every week and only got weighed once in the last few months. Seems to be one and off whether they are checking luggage. If you have one piece off luggage they dont seem to care at all.
Last edited by WeekendWarr1or; Sep 14, 2015 at 4:18 am