Programs: CO Plat, DL Gold, Hyatt Diamond, PC Plat
Posts: 1,887
AF Carryon weight limit silliness
Last week I flew my first AF segment in several years and was surprised when told to place my carryon bag on the scale. Having just flown Easyjet 3 days earlier (which has no weight limit on carry on baggage) I had forgotten warnings from my father that AF have become b@stards with the carryon weight issue. So when I was told that I needed to remove 4 kilos from the bag, I took out my laptop, camera, GPS, cd case, and liter of water and handed them to my companion to hold. The bag was then re-weighed and approved, after which of course we walked to the nearest bench and replaced the items in my bag. What is the point of this silly game they play?
Programs: BD *G, NW PE (back home :)), FD RW (no more), HH Gold, MR Gold, some Amex
Posts: 7,714
Quote:
Originally Posted by srodr
Last week I flew my first AF segment in several years and was surprised when told to place my carryon bag on the scale. Having just flown Easyjet 3 days earlier (which has no weight limit on carry on baggage) I had forgotten warnings from my father that AF have become b@stards with the carryon weight issue. So when I was told that I needed to remove 4 kilos from the bag, I took out my laptop, camera, GPS, cd case, and liter of water and handed them to my companion to hold. The bag was then re-weighed and approved, after which of course we walked to the nearest bench and replaced the items in my bag. What is the point of this silly game they play?
I have had them check my carryon luggage as well (hmm, well, 3 pieces were a little over the limit ), but for elite passengers I have never seen them complain. For FB Plat this is very strange, did you show your card? What was the route? intra-EU or trans-atlantic? Very strange behavior indeed .
Programs: CO Plat, DL Gold, Hyatt Diamond, PC Plat
Posts: 1,887
Quote:
Originally Posted by cfischer
I have had them check my carryon luggage as well (hmm, well, 3 pieces were a little over the limit ), but for elite passengers I have never seen them complain. For FB Plat this is very strange, did you show your card? What was the route? intra-EU or trans-atlantic? Very strange behavior indeed .
I'm actually only FB Gold now (I have to figure how to change that) and the route was MAD-CDG. When I have flown NW CDG-DTW and checked in with AF they have never weighed my carryon bag.
It usually depends on the agent but it is not only an issue with AF. If they are doing this is because agent at the security check can refuse your bag if it is too heavy and those guy really don't care wether you are gold plat or Ivory. From my experience this is not limited to AF CDG. I had some problem once to go through security check in the US with a bag that was above the limit.
If they are doing this is because agent at the security check can refuse your bag if it is too heavy<...>
Not sure of the relation between heaviness and security risk, but those folks do want your luggage and you to fit a specific pattern, I guess. Once, in AMS at the gate, the metal detector didn't buzz, but I was searched anyway and made go through the detector again, without shoes. Then, the X-ray guy had me open every compartment of my carry-on and searched them thoroughly. However, my carry-on couldn't possibly have shown anything on the screen: it was empty! His comment to me: 'You don't have enough luggage!'. But he didn't refuse my luggage and I was allowed to board with nothing but air inside my carry-on. Pfew...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adrien
From my experience this is not limited to AF CDG. I had some problem once to go through security check in the US with a bag that was above the limit.
I have had numerous battles with the staff at Madris over the last few years. We ended up buying a business class ticket which was cheaper than paying the price they wanted for over weight luggage. The arrogance of the AF ( FRench ) staff was amazing. Then we watch some women with a short skirt, boobs hanging out and swimming in perfume check in a 32kg suitcase and walk off with two huge bags as hand luggage.
Then we watch some women with a short skirt, boobs hanging out and swimming in perfume check in a 32kg suitcase and walk off with two huge bags as hand luggage.
Most likely more effective than a "super platinum level " fb card any day
hmm.. to me, this is more of a problem with the staff at MAD rather than AF or KLM or whichever airline. I have passed through MAD a couple of times this year and last year, and I noticed that it is only in MAD that I noticed and also at times experience such "problems" the most frequently.
There was once even as an Elite, I was questioned why I was checking-in at the Biz desk Tried to explain that this was part of the privilege, but still denied of it.. in the did get check-in but the agent behind the desk was totally not happy with it and warned me that if this happens again the next time, she will not check me in
I have never liked the staff at MAD airport, not very customer friendly.
Programs: BD *G, NW PE (back home :)), FD RW (no more), HH Gold, MR Gold, some Amex
Posts: 7,714
Quote:
Originally Posted by nldogbert
hmm.. to me, this is more of a problem with the staff at MAD rather than AF or KLM or whichever airline. I have passed through MAD a couple of times this year and last year, and I noticed that it is only in MAD that I noticed and also at times experience such "problems" the most frequently.
There was once even as an Elite, I was questioned why I was checking-in at the Biz desk Tried to explain that this was part of the privilege, but still denied of it.. in the did get check-in but the agent behind the desk was totally not happy with it and warned me that if this happens again the next time, she will not check me in
I have never liked the staff at MAD airport, not very customer friendly.
That sounds crazy , last lime I flew out of MAD was in May with KL and the staff was super friendly . He got my fiancée (only ivory) reseated (different PNR) next to me in the front of the cabin and gave her priority seating for the entire journey (we took different paths in AMS). No trouble with carryon at all. I don't regularly fly out of MAD but I most definitely did not have any issues with carryon and overweight checked luggage for the past couple of years; maybe I was just lucky.
Flew out of MME with only a small roller. Never usually a problem. This time however, I was told to put it on the scales and then informed that it was 50grms over the limit and would have to be checked in. As my partner's carry on was well within the limit I offered to transfer some of my camera equipment across to hers but at this point I was told they would allow it through this time as I was PE. After boarding, watched in astonishment as a guy with a roller and a rucksack, tried to squeeze them into the overhead opposite me.... Could only think he was someone big in polystyrene bead sales!
Programs: UA 1k , HH-diamond, spg gold,hertz 5 star
Posts: 471
Just returned
Quote:
Originally Posted by srodr
Last week I flew my first AF segment in several years and was surprised when told to place my carryon bag on the scale. Having just flown Easyjet 3 days earlier (which has no weight limit on carry on baggage) I had forgotten warnings from my father that AF have become b@stards with the carryon weight issue. So when I was told that I needed to remove 4 kilos from the bag, I took out my laptop, camera, GPS, cd case, and liter of water and handed them to my companion to hold. The bag was then re-weighed and approved, after which of course we walked to the nearest bench and replaced the items in my bag. What is the point of this silly game they play?
We just returned from our first flt on AF in C(no status). Before departure we were concerned about our carry on's also because of other posts on FT about how stringent AF is on carry ons. Our bags are the small roller bags, we normally pack them full and they are about 30 lbs fully loaded, called AF and they said 26 lbs and one other bag, computer or hadbag. So rather risk being forced to ck our bags we took my laptop bag and one other old laptop bag and broke down our weight. Upon ck in at sfo they didn't even look at the bags, maybe because of C class, in cdg the same. On our way back however in Istanbul, the agent looked several times at the bags and we could tell she was just about to tell us to weigh them, at that point we had purchased considerable stuff and the stuff stuffed the bags.
So I guess we were just lucky on the way back, but we didn't want to risk checking our bags with the strike going on at CDG with the baggage handlers. We made sure we had one change of cloths in our comuter bags just in case.
Moderator: Flying Blue (Air France & KLM), France and TravelBuzz!
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Paris, France, AF F+ Rouge pour toujours, Flying Blue whatever, LH nobody, HHonors Diamond, SPG Plat, formerly proud SCC Executive, now IC Royal Ambassador, hungry BA Gold in CE
Posts: 7,816
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Fenton
I have had numerous battles with the staff at Madris over the last few years. We ended up buying a business class ticket which was cheaper than paying the price they wanted for over weight luggage. The arrogance of the AF ( FRench ) staff was amazing. Then we watch some women with a short skirt, boobs hanging out and swimming in perfume check in a 32kg suitcase and walk off with two huge bags as hand luggage.
I had the same situation in Bangkok, with one of my colleagues, on our way from BKK to KUL with MH. Were they arrogant ? Well, they were quite firm about it and we ended satisfied with the solution.
Moderator: Flying Blue and Other European Frequent Flyer Programs
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: BCN - BD *G · Flying Dutchman RW
Posts: 7,640
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Fenton
I have had numerous battles with the staff at Madris over the last few years. We ended up buying a business class ticket which was cheaper than paying the price they wanted for over weight luggage. The arrogance of the AF ( FRench ) staff was amazing. Then we watch some women with a short skirt, boobs hanging out and swimming in perfume check in a 32kg suitcase and walk off with two huge bags as hand luggage.
Be sure and save a photo if you adopt the skirt, boobs, and perfume approach next time you're through MAD.
FWIW, I haven't flown on AF nor KL from MAD but both IB and JK staff are outsourced to some company I can't remember the name of. They have the most dreadful black-and-white checked jumpers with a big fluffy yellow cravat. They look like the interior of a 1963 Volvo.
), but for elite passengers I have never seen them complain. For FB Plat this is very strange, did you show your card? What was the route? intra-EU or trans-atlantic? Very strange behavior indeed 
.
But he didn't refuse my luggage and I was allowed to board with nothing but air inside my carry-on. Pfew...
" fb card any day
Tried to explain that this was part of the privilege, but still denied of it.. in the did get check-in but the agent behind the desk was totally not happy with it and warned me that if this happens again the next time, she will not check me in 
. He got my fiancée (only ivory) reseated (different PNR) next to me in the front of the cabin and gave her priority seating for the entire journey (we took different paths in AMS). No trouble with carryon at all. I don't regularly fly out of MAD but I most definitely did not have any issues with carryon and overweight checked luggage for the past couple of years; maybe I was just lucky.
