shefgab

Hi!

Next week I’m flying QF for the first time LHR-DXB-LHR in economy. I’m hoping to go hand baggage only, but just noticed that the official economy hand luggage is ONE piece up to 115cm in dimensions (I assume that’s a standard roll aboard size – Ryanair is happy with it) up to 7kg. Compared to BA (2 bags, one under the seat, max weight 23kg per bag (really!)) this seems a little restrictive. Does anyone have any first-hand experience with how strict QF staff are regarding this in LHR and DXB?

I was hoping to take my rollaboard, and a small backpack as carry on. Should be ok? If it makes any difference, I have a Sapphire card in my booking, but also an Emerald card (not in booking).

A few more questions:

- Does anyone know what time the check in desks in DXB open? The return flight leaves at 0225, and with my Emerald card, I (believe I) get access to the EK First lounge (never tried it before). I imagine I might get to the airport around 10pm, and it’d be great to be able to just chill in the lounge, rather than find a bench and wait for the check in desks to open.

In the “Airport Guide” section, it says the desk opens in LHR 5 hours (!) before the flight, but for DXB it only says there are “dedicated QF desks” (so I assume you can’t check in at any old EK desk), and that check in closes 60 mins before departure. Any ideas?

- BA (sometimes) offers single cabin upgrades at OLCI. Does QF do this?

- Finally, i'm booked in 33A on the way out. This is row 2 of economy on the upper deck. I appreciate that I might be one of the last off, but can anyone confirm if there is a window there (and that the seat reclines), as it's just ahead of the last upper deck door.

Thanks for any assistance! I’m looking forward to trying out the QF A380, and getting away from the freezing UK weather.

Airvan00

I have had 33K before and it does recline, and there is a nice little locker beside you. The overhead lockers in that area are a bit small. Yes, for memory, there are two windows. Don't assume that your carryon is under 115cm measure it.

You won't be one of the last off, the J class pax ahead of you are much more adept at deplaining that the Y class below, and there is less of them. When boarding join the q for the J aero bridge and don't join the Y q. Show the attendant for the J aero bridge the boarding pass and they will know you are behind J and W.

worldtraveller73

We've had bad luck travelling short haul Qantas on a B737 (business) with carry on baggage. Indeed QF has this ridiculous 7kg limit which pretty much eliminates any normal sized carry ons. Around Australia, the business circuit seems to carry around these small rollie bags that are half the regular size and look a little fairy like.

We had a talking to from one FA on the outbound and I had my bag politely revoked from me at business check in on the inbound. I was travelling with a rollie and a laptop bag attached. Again this was business class. . .

Your mileage may vary on long haul flights but I wasn't too impressed on the short haul treatment.

og

My wheelie bag is consistent with the QF size limits and I can pack anything up to 20 kgs in it without it "looking" heavy ( hint ). But seriously, would you really want to be sitting in an aisle seat when someone is struggling with a fully loaded American standard kitchen sink sized bag above your head?

Oh, and QF doesn't charge anyone to check a bag, so why bother carting so much crap into the cabin so that you stress over the mass / volume of a wheelie bag?

And, on QF, you don't have to fight to be first onboard to get overhead locker space - because people are polite enough not to carry bag upon bag upon bag (usually).

morioka74

Hi shefgab,

There is definitely a window and a little side compartment in 33A on the upper-deck of the A380. If I recall correctly, there 2 normal size and 1 small size overhead compartments between rows 32 and 33 with the smaller one above 33B. The seat can be reclined without any issues. However, the overhead compartments in the economy section are pretty limited so you may want to board the aircraft as early as possible to avoid disappointment or having your luggage stowed away in Premium Economy.

edy4eva

- You'll need to go to the DXB premium terminal for Plat check in. And ex-DXB check in closes T-90 NOT T-60 last time I checked.

- No.

shefgab

Thanks everyone for the responses.

My case is less than 115cm, so is within size limits. I guess I'll pack my stuff expecting it to be checked, but hoping that it's ok for carry on. I'm only away for 3 nights, so i'll be travelling fairly light. I wonder why QF is so strict/limited with the onboard baggage weight. Must really irk business travellers.

Also good to know 33A is a relatively good seat.

Baghoarder

No doubt there are many of us here who travel regularly within these weight limits. If your trip is only three days and your case isn't too heavy (when empty), you might find you can get it within the limit anyway. If you distribute the weight as much as you can between both items and neither looks overpacked, oversized or hard to manage, I'd say you'd be fine.

leonpr

In my experience, QF is dangerously lax in letting too much carry-on on board. Particularly business men and women who seem to carry a 'carry-on' bag, a laptop bag plus a suit bag and or a hand bag. This is not limited to 'business class' travellers. I am terrified the overhead bins will come open and the contents will fall on top of me, or worst still, all that carry-on will block my emergency escape/exit.

Mwenenzi

7kg or 8kg limit is not that unusual for non USA based airlines

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/virgi...-policies.html VA
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/emira...allowance.html EK
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...-airlines.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qanta...g-limit-2.html QF
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/budge...arry-bags.html Air Asia
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/singa...y-baggage.html SQ
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/singa...nforced-c.html SQ
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...arry-rule.html Eva

og

5 kg for TAM domestic (Brazil). But, this means a full A320 can be loaded in 10 minutes - and there is no need to be first on board as there is plenty of overhead space for EVERYONE.

Nugget_Oz

It often gets weighed at check-in.

shefgab

OP here. So, my QF experiences:

In LHR my bag was weighted - 8.1kg I think, the agent said it was fine. In DXB, not weighed.

I'm not sure when the DXB desks opened, but when I arrived at 2230 (4 hours before the flight), there was 4 desks open, and zero other passengers!

Finally, I LOVED 33A. A cosy corner on the top deck. No one behind, so you can recline without bother, and a good cabinet under the window. I like the foot hammocks too. More airlines should get those. Luckily I had an empty seat next to me on both legs, so had plenty of space.

Food and catering were generally very good, although breakfast ex-DXB was without doubt, the worst airplane meal i've been serve in years. Hash browns were like cardboard, no flavour, same with the beef sausages. The "scambled egg" was almost jellifed. Yuck. Shane, as the outbound catering was excellent. The "no trays in Y" is a good way to take away elements of the meal, without it being too obvious. The main evening meal was just a main course and dessert. No appetiser/salad. Very stingy.

worldiswide

We left Darwin today on a domestic flight to Adelaide. Weighed carry on bags at check in and we had to transfer some of the weight into backpacks we had packed in our carry on. My husband has a rolling briefcase which is pretty heavy empty,, so she was a little flexible on the weight. We were allowed two bags as carryon, so we redistributed the weight until we got to the Qantas club, where we packed it up into one and boarded, no problem.

I have found that smaller airports tend to be strict about the rules, and there is more inconsistency at larger airports. We have a flights adl to syd hkg to bkk later this week, so we are going to be prepared depending on how check in goes at adl. Once past that, I don't believe we will be checked or weighed in Sydney, corretc?

og

My thoughts too until a recent weigh-in with FJ at both SYD and at NAN (travelling in Business on both flights).