Originally Posted by
celle
Here in Australasia, as someone else noted, the size and weight of hand baggage is a Health and Safety issue - people have been injured by heavy bags falling from overhead lockers. The last time I flew out of AKL, they were stopping people with large or heavy-looking hand baggage (just before the security line) and weighing the bags. Anything oversize or overweight had to be checked.
I pretty sure that in Australia, I'm not sure about NZ, that it is a CASA requirement, precisely due to safety reasons.
Though I notice that QF aren't policing it very much nowdays with people bringing on suspiciously heavy bags.
A recent stormy flight, where a locker opened and the contents were dumped out, made me think carefully about sitting the aisle. At least at the window seat you might only get a glancing blow, or perhaps something that had rebounded off another passenger's head!
Another element that I don't think is highlighted is what to wear on the plane. Synthetic fibres, shorts and sandals aren't going to be pretty if there is a fire.