rrz518

1) No hot drinks allowed. I had just purchased a Starbucks coffee and was denied boarding until I finished it, or discarded it. ...? This was in LAX, en route to SYD, in business class.

2) Carry on weight limit of 7 KG. Was met with a bag-Nazi, who determined mine was overweight. Bag was seized and checked. Again, ...? This was in MEL, en route to SYD, in coach class. No other passengers were scrutinized this way (believe me, I watched). Also, the same bag went the opposite route three days prior, with no issues

These are both quite ridiculous IMO and soured me on the airline.

trooper

I imagine the hot drink rule is a liability issue... In todays litigious world I can't really blame them!

Is the 7kg limit published? Did you know that, yet voluntarily purchase a flight on that airline?

If so, then calling someone who enforced the rule a "bag nazi" reflects more on you than them I'd suggest.

rrz518

Blame them for what? Being ridiculous? One can take a hot drink on a bus, train, you name it. I've never once seen or heard of this type of ban.

The 7KG "rule" is not published anywhere; I asked that question and they stated it was in the "terms and conditions", however, I've yet to see them, not that I looked. I've never seen this type of "rule" on any airline. 15 lbs is quite limiting.

I bought the ticket b/c of their partner status with Delta, of which I'm a Diamond Elite. Yet there were zero benefits. I avoided the unknown airlines to avoid the "Spirit" kinds of markups and fees, but aside from getting a few miles, I got zero benefits. And yes, the bag Nazi.

So explain why the bag Nazi did not check any of the other 100++ bags brought on board? Just mine?

Mwenenzi

Took me all of 10 seconds to find this http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en...ry-on-baggage/
In my experience 7 kg limit is common
How heavy and what size was it ?
Did the bag look heavy ?
Did you wait and watch while the 100++ bags from other passenger were brought on board ?

Not all airlines have same rules

rrz518

Common where exactly? Not in the US.
How does a bag LOOK heavy exactly?
It didn't smell heavy for that matter.
It is a regulation carry on bag. The same one I carry on every single week, for the past 6 years.
And yes, being more than a little peeved, I did watch every single passenger following me. Not one was given the bag-Nazi bicep curl test.

rrz518

Wow! Based on these excellent responses, I've certainly seen the error of my ways, and herewith re-submit my original post, in a much more "user friendly" and VA-Friendly format:

Dear Virgin Australia:

Thank you SO MUCH for your TLC on my recent flights. I can't imagine how I would have gotten on without your guidance, oversight and supervision, especially so far from home. Specifically:

- Thank you for so adeptly, and correctly, pointing out that I am unqualified to manage a hot beverage while boarding, or on board your aircraft. Clearly, 30+ years of drinking hot black coffee makes me absolutely a risk to myself, others, and your aircraft, especially in this risk averse society. I now realize that I am far too clumsy, oafish, and unqualified to have such a risky item anywhere near me, so thank you again for seeing to my well being.

Further, thank you for making me wait until after take off to be served your version of "coffee". Instant is SO preferable to that swill that Starbucks serves (so arrogantly, right next to your gate at LAX).

- Speaking of beverages....thank you SO much for having the trust and confidence that anyone, at any time (in the premium cabin anyway) can stumble to the unsupervised bar and drink themselves into a stupor. Being a recovering alcoholic, I certainly appreciate the opportunity to relapse so easily.

- Thank you for so correctly pointing out that I had so significantly overpacked for my week long vacation; given my bag weighs about 5 lbs, I now realize (thanks to you!) that 10 lbs of clothing, etc., is completely sufficient. I do apologize that I "tested your systems" so to speak by making your purser test my bag, and remove it from the cabin and regret any inconvenience this caused your diligent staff. Certainly, this effort was so great that, in their sheer exhausted state, they were unable to apply the same acid tests to any other passenger!

- Thank you for being a partner of Delta. Most appreciated is the fact that your checked baggage policies don't apply to Delta Diamond Elite members, thus ensuring my comfort and convenience, not to mention fees.

Further, thank you for not posting this information on the site on which I purchased my ticket, nor on the confirmation emails, etc. I always appreciate the opportunity to research obscure facts about the things that I should know anyway.

Most of all, thank you for re-defining the travel experience for me. I now realize, foolishly, that I am ill equipped to manage beverages, luggage, etc. I should have simply stayed at home and flown somewhere far less risky.

Best regards,

An untrustworthy, oafish, clumsy, overpacked and ridiculous passenger who clearly has no business being in your midst.

Mwenenzi

You have not stated the weight and size of your carry-on bag

Not all airlines have same rules. A sample from EK
http://www.emirates.com/au/english/p...age_rules.aspx

tom911

Pretty common in Europe. I checked two carriers that are partners with alliances I fly:

Lufthansa:Air Berlin:

Supersonic Swinger

Experiences from some of my Delta flights:

1) The two biggest dressing downs I've ever received from airline staff have been from DL at ATL and LGA each time I tried to bring an airside coffee on with me during boarding.

2) At check in for a DL JFK-TLV flight, a friend had to empty items out of their carry on into their checked luggage to bring it underweight, and had to throw out a couple of items which wouldn't fit.

Things of a similar nature have happened to be me on BA, UA, QF and SQ. I just accepted it each time as one of the little moments that happen in travel and for the sake of your blood pressure and cortisol levels, you probably should too.

perthite

Maybe you needed to put it into 100ml containers in a clear ziplock bag!

ashill

Though I (an American living in Australia) agree that the 7 kg is absurd, it is indeed common outside the US. Both Qantas and Virgin Australia have similar limits. (Qantas is 7 kg per piece, while VA is 7 kg total.) The argument is that it's a safety thing, since a heavy carry-on would hurt if it fell out of an overhead locker -- take that as you will.

At least some Qantas gate agents are quite aggressive about announcing the 7 kg carry-on limit, noting that it's much less than American airlines typically allow. VA check-in staff often weigh my carry-on at check-in and have forced me to check it when it's overweight. I presume that you checked in with a different airline (like Delta) at a different airport and were thus caught by surprise at the VA gate?

I am surprised to hear that you were nabbed on the domestic flight; VA (then DJ) haven't weighed my carry-on since 2010, so I've stopped worrying about the weight limit domestically. But the rules are quite clearly stated when you book a flight through virginaustralia.com, and they are also clearly stated on signs in the check-in area. I will note that passengers carry on significantly less luggage in Australia than in the US, probably partly due to this policy, and that means that both QF and VA can board a 737 in 15 minutes flat (whereas US airlines take about 40!). That more than makes up for the time delay in waiting for checked bags (which VA generally delivers quickly).

In the future, you do have the option to fly an American airline to Australia, though you don't have an option to avoid similar carry-on policies domestically in Australia. I don't like it either, but it is what it is. All told, both VA and QF provide a dramatically better experience on domestic flights than any US airline, I think (particularly the lounges).

rrz518

I chose Virgin (over the exact same Delta routing) due to the fact that I wanted a better experience. (I had a great Virgin Atlantic experience some years ago, in coach, from MIA to LHR).

Not that Delta's 777's in BE are poor, quite the contrary (the seat in particular on DL 777 is MUCH better). However, foreign carriers seem to be much more service oriented, not to mention having better food. The service (aside from the hot drink/bag Nazi episodes) was, on the long flights, quite good.

The ridiculous bag and drink policies (and quite arbitrary enforcement and notification) soured me though. And the food was mediocre, so no gains there.

I would avoid Virgin in the future for these reasons.

Further, if I wanted a Spirit style LCC with tons of nonsensical fees and ridiculous policies, I would have booked a LCC. There seem to be plenty of them in Australia.

As an advertised partner of DL, I assumed I'd get basically the same perks as what I'm accustomed to on DL. While certainly far from perfect, you do miss what you don't get.

Dave Noble

VA is definitely not unique in barring hot drinks from being taken on board an aeroplane. Whether in business or economy the safetty reason for the prohibition is the same

Weight limit is not at all uncommon

rrz518

I bring coffee onto Delta flights nearly every time I travel. Religiously. Never once had an issue.

For your luggage issue, at least they caught it at the check in counter, where it could be weighed. My Nazi lifted my suitcase like a dumbbell curl and pronounced it to be overweight, on board the aircraft, while the boarding passengers waited and watched. Of course, since this was quite arbitrary, there was no opportunity to remove items and move things into my backpack, b/c she had no idea how much it was overweight, just that "it was".

For the record, they announced that it was 2 KG overweight, after it had been confiscated and checked. Nice. And furthermore, I have no idea as to the dimensions, just that it fits, and has been accepted as carryon for the last 6 years on every carrier I've used. Virgin as well, so it isn't oversized, by any means.

Let's just call this for what it is: a ridiculous attempt to further dumb down the process, and enhance the likelihood of checked baggage fees.

rrz518

And precisely what "safety reason" is that? Where is that posted/declared?