Silver Fox

What is Virgin's reasoning behind the 6kg limit that even Ryanair manages to exceed without charging you for? Having just flown BA and seen that they will allow 23kg it seems out of kilter with the rest of the airline industry.

BA304

IMO VS has a better hand baggage policy than BA if you're flying in J because you get two bags plus a handbag/personal item even though the weight is lower (16Kg) but BA is definitely much better in W/Y.

I've no idea why VS has the 6Kg policy for PE/Y. It seems almost punitive but I don't see it being enforced very consistently.

slinky09

VS is pretty safety conscious about things like bags falling out of the bins.

UKtravelbear

The whole idea of hand baggage on international flights is that it is for items you may need during a long flight and not to take your holiday clothes et al - which should be in the hold.

The LCCs have a different business model.

Someone recently reported on v-flyer that they were on a flight back to the UK on one of the charter airlines and someone opened the overhead and two bottles fell on a passenger and they needed to off-load her because the injury was so severe.

Silver Fox

Sorry, I disagree with that, and so would all other airlines by adopting the same sort of limit.

I saw the thread on v-flyer about that and I am surprised it doesn't happen more often.

UKtravelbear

You may disagree but that was the original thinking - items needed in flight only so reduced risk of things falling on people. The fact that various airlines may have changed their policies does not get away from the original intention!

I was on a BD flight once - boarded and opened the OH and a stick of somesort fell out and scratched someone I was held 'responsonble' for this by the pax who was hurt but I pointed out that I wasn't the one who put the damm thing right at the front of the OH and closed it and that it was the person who put it theres fault. It was somehow ironic that the person who was hurt knew the owner of the stick thing

Silver Fox

Correct, I disagree that the intent now is just for things during flight. Times have moved on.

fredandgingermad

On BA i get 23kg hand luggage and the option of taking my laptop in its own bag rather than in my backpack, on VS i get 6kg and everything in the one bag :/
When i last flew on VS back in March my bag was over 6kg (yes they weighed it) with the laptop but under (thankgoodness) without it so they let it pass, thankfully on the return they didn't weigh it.
My next holiday i'm (rather unfortunately) flying to the US with BA but back from the US with VS (both in Y ) more unfortunately my allowance for checked baggage is higher on ba than vs but i should have finished any books by the time i fly home

I understand the purpose if bags fall out from overheads, but having had to go out and buy a new backpack just so i had a bag light enough to not exceed VS's limit when i put my laptop (yes just the laptop) in it, it'd be nice if they could be a little less extreme with their hand luggage allowance, bags with wheels are heavier than 6kg before you've even thought about putting anything in them!

clarkeysntfc

We fell foul of the "6kg for carry on" rule recently when travelling PE. Our bags each weighed 10kgs or similar.

Basically, if you visit a check-in desk to get your boarding pass etc, then it seems that they'll weigh your carry on and make you check it in if it's over 6kg. If you don't and go straght to security and the gate then you'll be fine.

This is a major PITA for us because most of the time when we're going away for a week or less we pack sufficiently light not to need more than a roll-aboard carry on.

The 6kg rule is frankly ridiculously low and I can't imagine how many people (particularly business travellers) VS alienates by making them check bags that are perfectly reasonable carry on items. It's also a stark contrast to Easyjet etc who don't have a weight limit for carry on.

at240

Like Silver Fox I would be interested to hear the official reasoning behind the limit, because -- regardless of history! -- it is true that it is much lower than VS's major competitors.

The policy seems to be rather oddly applied. I never have a suitcase as carry-on, but I do carry a rucksack and that can easily weigh (much) more than 6 kg -- but I've never had it weighed, and hardly ever even been given the hand-baggage tag thing that I see on others' bags.

fredandgingermad

Just learnt from the BA board that Virgin's handluggage allowance dates back to the Kegworth Crash, after that accident the CAA imposed a 6kg limit which VS still holds, i understand more now having heard the details but a little leeway would be nice 10kg would put them in line with Ryanair at least

clarkeysntfc

Interesting, so why do other UK airlines e.g. BA not adhere to the 6kg limit?

fredandgingermad

Not entirely sure why, not familar with any other accidents since the Kegworth crash though however Unite are currently campaigning for a return to a handluggage limit

http://www.unitetheunion.org/sectors..._can_kill.aspx

interesting comparison of which UK airlines have what limits

Silver Fox

How anyone can take Unite seriously with these spelling and grammar mistooks:

"Unite beleives that this policy is inherantly dangerous."

"unfortunate isle seat passenger"

"This study recommended that hand luggage should not exceed this 15 kg level and that the limit."

(I have stopped looking now)

is beyond me.

fredandgingermad

I don't tend to agree with them on anything, but they have a point where hand luggage limits are concerned!