Baldpacker

Normally I'm lucky enough to fly Business on Emirates but yesterday I came through Dubai in Economy. I couldn't believe it but at check-in they had 2 people with a scale weighing all of the hand luggage. I could not believe it when they told me that I was only allowed 1 7kg bag (I'm only silver status with EK). I had just finished a 12 flight RTW journey on *A without a problem yet had to go back, repack, and check a bag with EK. My laptop, SLR, camera, related cables / chargers and small handbag still weighed 9kg but thankfully they let me through.

What is wrong with EK? Even Air Asia allows 1 carry-on + 1 handbag. Is this just a ploy to get people shopping more and thus checking bags or doing their shopping in the airport? It seems absolutely ridiculous to me that an airline of Emirate quality would have such a tight carry-on allowance.

tokyolyon

Few days ago I got an email from EK saying that hand baggage will be 14kg per person.

Baldpacker

That's a lot more reasonable and more in-line with what I would expect. I'm surprised I didn't see that e-mail but perhaps I just deleted it as spam. Pretty strange that they were being so restrictive at the Dubai immigration yesterday if 14kg will be the limit going forward.

I am all for airlines restricting the size of baggage as some people get quite ridiculous and fill up the overhead bins, but as far as I'm concerned, as long as you're able to put up your own bag the weight really shouldn't matter. In this day and age and the number of electronics/valuables a lot of people need to carry, the weight of a small carry-on bag can add up quickly.

CaptainEKAirbus

Don't forget that a lot of the time it's not EK's fault about restricting the baggage limit. A lot of the time the authorities such as the security and screeners may complain about the size of people's luggage or weight.

Baldpacker

This was a scale set-up prior to entering security and immigration in Terminal 3 (EK's Terminal). The people weighing the bags were EK staff.

I've never had a comment from security about bag size - especially not in Dubai where they're all TCNs.

m3red

Big difference here. The op flew in y, the 14kg allowance is for j and f only...

eternaltransit

It's still 7kg though per bag for F/J, except you can take two pieces.

Perhaps some analysis has been done showing that an increased Y baggage allowance whilst being strict on cabin baggage (on some routes) makes them more money as they can more accurately gauge fuel requirements (especially being a carrier that has decent loads and revenue in Y), have reduced delays in boarding, especially on some routes where pax on other airlines with less strict cabin baggage policies do everything to pack the bins, which means an aggregate increase in aircraft utilisation rates - whilst I don't think that has been published recently, I believe it is high compared to comparable carriers, as well as additional revenue from excess baggage fees.

Dave Noble

That after repacking and checking luggage in, you still had 9Kg of handluggage, it would seem to me that you were extremely over the allowance. EK's allowance for handluggage is quite clearly stated at http://www.emirates.com/au/english/p...age_rules.aspx

This is not an atypical allowance

HelloKittysMum

It's my biggest bugbear with Emirates. By the time I have things I cannot put in hold (mainly handwritten exam scripts which really are irreplaceable) and things I need for a 20 hr journey I have no weight for my laptop so that has to go in hold. And then I see backpacker types with multiple bags that are clearly oversize but there's no extra allowance for gold skywards.

ft101

You would think such an experienced traveller would have had the sense to check allowances before travelling.

ung1

It sounds like the OP had a problem with 1 carry on + 1 personal item, which I think is the allowance on all carriers except those at the level of Ryanair. I would find it strange if an airline refused a laptop bag + carry on.

Increasingly airlines are restricting size, not so much weight, which I think makes a bit more sense.

Enzokk

Even Ryanair now allows the cabin bag plus an extra small carry-on bag (still strict on size...but there is the possibility of a second bag).

shefgab

"Economy Class customers are permitted one piece of carry-on baggage, either a handbag or laptop bag... and must weigh no more than 15lb (7kg)."

Ouch, that does seem very mean, especially if it's strictly enforced. BA have a 23kg allowance, Ryanair 10kg, and easyJet unlimited (size restricted, and must be able to be lifted by yourself). At least EK offer a decent checked allowance for all pax.

jackiedada

That's one benefit that I think EK should extend to their premium pax but that may governed more by the class of travel and the departing airports than being fully under EKs control.

Baldpacker

304 flights now (http://openflights.org/user/baldpacker) and this is my first time ever having a problem with my check-in baggage, thus my level of frustration. Granted I usually fly J, I've had enough Y segments to still feel this is ridiculous.

Of course, I am extra cautious if I ever fly with a budget airline like Ryan Air or Asia, but it's pretty unreal for EK to have a 1 7kg bag allowance when even Ryan Air allows 10KG and Air Asia allows 1 7kg hand luggage + 1 laptop bag.