Dave Noble

Other than safety , there is also the benefit that stopping people bringing their entire possessions as hand luggage, means that there is no trouble finding space in overhead luggage lockers.

On the business class side, although the seats are similar to economy , just wider, the price differential between economy and business is not ridiculous like the US difference between economy and 1st tends to be ime

Dave

PDX-PLT

That I understand, which is why size restrictions make sense. But the pitifully low weight restrictions do not.

JDiver

These archaic carry-on regulations predate advent of Airbus aircraft, so that isn't it. Maybe even began when they were still flying L-1049s and -1649s and DC-7Cs transocean (they had open shelves above the seats, you didn't want anything of substance up there!) Whatever, these regs have taken a life of their own, and they are enforced in other places than Europe - try a Qantas flight sometime, you'll see (13lb / 6 kg,) especially if you trave through BNE and have the travel troll there walk over and heft your bag with a gleam in her eye...

But surprisingly, we flew LHR - BRU in BA CW (A320,) and were allowed out carry-ons, as well as SFO - LHR! These were full-size TravelPro rollaboards... they asked if we had checked any bags, we said "no," and on we rolled.

oldpenny16

enjoy embarrassing Americans who have too much carry on baggage. I'm talking actual glee here. It's their airline and their rule. I stay will within the limit but have stood in check in lines behind people who haven't and watched them get the full treatment. It is fun to watch someone trying to repack bags at a check in counter, up to a point.

FWAAA

The Brits have never enjoyed all the freedoms that we yanks have enjoyed, and I have always attributed their "glee" over the carryon weight issue to their envy of those freedoms.

polkacat

I apologize for going back to the original topic - but I am looking at a flight arriving at LHR at 06:15 am on a Monday, connecting with the only BA flight that day to KRK departing LGW at 9:45 am. Way too tight, or doable?

BearX220

Tight, with rush-hour traffic on the M25. Worse if you have to hang around LHR to retrieve a checked bag. When I've done this using Speedlink I've given myself four hours minimum even at midday (between rush hours) and it's been a near thing once or twice. If your inbound flight is late, or -- worse -- if you land OT but then sit tight for 20, 30, or more minutes waiting for a stand, as often happens at LHR in the morning, you'll be feeling the heavy stress.

davork

I'd take the trains. Also you can get a 'share a taxi' from Paddington which is where the Heathrow Express ends up in London to Victoria for the Gatwick Express for a fixed price, which may be a sensible idea to do too

Good luck!

Efrem

More or less. You have to be at the entrance to the FasTrack lane before you reach an agent (immigration, BTW, not customs) to give it to.

When you reach the immigration hall, keep walking along the right-hand wall to the end instead of turning left to enter the queue for the main group of agents. When you have to turn left because the room has come to an end, there will be an agent collecting those pink landing card jackets. Give it to him/her and continue to the FasTrack desks.

One nice aspect of this process is that you get to check out the queue for the main group before you enter FasTrack, so you can go that way if it's short. FasTrack is usually faster but occasionally, since there are just two desks there, backs up when two people have problems and can take ages. Also, if you don't always fly in front, this lets you save the jacket to use on your next economy-class trip, when it might make more of a difference, or to give to a friend who flew in back. (The agent who collects them doesn't care how you got it.)

martin33

phooey. are BA's J/F class travelers safety-trained to have 18kg of carry-on instead of 12 or 6 for W and Y??