South Africa: ACSA to enforce hand luggage regulations!
#61
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oxon, UK
Programs: Mucci des canapes, Skywards Gold, BAEC, IC Plat Amb, LH FTV
Posts: 1,952
#66
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
I finally bumped into this - I think. (I'm not sure if the challenge was from an ACSA agent or one from SA.)
Was flying on SA in J domestically from CPT and immediately after boarding pass check at the gate there was a gent who asked to weigh my hand luggage. It was a very modest rollaboard - it easily fitted into the sizer and weighed in just under 7 Kgs - so not sure why he singled me out. My partner immediately behind me wasn't challenged (I was frantically signalling for him to move past ) even though his rollaboard was larger and heavier.
Seemed totally random. No sign of any checks for any of our other flights domestic or international.
Was flying on SA in J domestically from CPT and immediately after boarding pass check at the gate there was a gent who asked to weigh my hand luggage. It was a very modest rollaboard - it easily fitted into the sizer and weighed in just under 7 Kgs - so not sure why he singled me out. My partner immediately behind me wasn't challenged (I was frantically signalling for him to move past ) even though his rollaboard was larger and heavier.
Seemed totally random. No sign of any checks for any of our other flights domestic or international.
#68
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,077
Thursday evening, 17 Dec
JNB to CPT
Flying SAA
Nobody checking at domestic security.
Nobody checking at gate check-in desk.
Guy at end of jetway tagging large roll ons. But, not in an enforcement sort-of way, just doing it.
JNB to CPT
Flying SAA
Nobody checking at domestic security.
Nobody checking at gate check-in desk.
Guy at end of jetway tagging large roll ons. But, not in an enforcement sort-of way, just doing it.
#69
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,077
A little bit more on this and recent month:
Over the past month -
IAD-JNB - @IAD nobody - either at check-in or at gate - cared how much we carried on and we had a LOT of stuff (6 carried on bags for 4 people).
JNB-CPT - @JNB boarding domestic flight - Nobody checking at domestic security. Nobody checking at gate check-in desk. Guy at end of jetway tagging large roll ons. But, not in an enforcement sort-of way, just doing it.
Couple of back and forth flights - light carry on load (one shoulder bag) - CPT-JNB-CPT - saw the sizers all over the place, nobody cared or did anything either at check-in, security checkpoints, gate or plane door.
CPT-JNB-IAD -
@CPT check-in - no issues. Lots of bags checked as well as a large amount of carry on stuff (carry on's were 6 total, 4 pax total).
@CPT security checkpoint (domestic) - sizers around, but not being enforced.
@CPT domestic boarding - it seemed as if you had a hard sided (what I call "tortoise shell") style wheelie, they grabbed you and gate checked. Soft sided seemed to get through. Also, they were definitely "focused" on on person at a time and letting others by. To wit if they pulled someone aside and were dealing with them, they didn't notice others with the same type/size of bag walking right by.
@JNB domestic to international security/passport control - nobody checked, no sizers noticed.
@JNB US-IAD bound flight secondary security - no issues, no sizers. Kids told to keep on shoes. The hand bag check of carry on luggage has devolved into a joke. They open the bags, look in and close the bags. No more rummaging around, taking everything out and/or opening smaller interior bags. They seem more interested in chatting with their fellow security staff members than actually looking in the bag.
@JNB US-IAD bound flight gate and plane door - no issues.
#70
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
@CPT domestic boarding - it seemed as if you had a hard sided (what I call "tortoise shell") style wheelie, they grabbed you and gate checked. Soft sided seemed to get through. Also, they were definitely "focused" on on person at a time and letting others by. To wit if they pulled someone aside and were dealing with them, they didn't notice others with the same type/size of bag walking right by.
#73
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,077
Though I'll admit you were flying from CPT to JNB rather than down to CPT, could this stepped up enforcement be related to the Easter Holidays/Two Oceans traffic between JNB and CPT?
#74
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oxon, UK
Programs: Mucci des canapes, Skywards Gold, BAEC, IC Plat Amb, LH FTV
Posts: 1,952
Apologies for bumping this thread but I wonder if anyone has any recent experience of this? I am travelling from LHR to JNB and return next month and would prefer to travel with hand luggage only. BA will allow me one bag up to 23kg and another laptop bag (also up to 23kg in theory). This is clearly above the ACSA allowances and although I am not planning to get close to the BA limits I would be grateful for any recent experiences taking 2 bags as hand luggage with one above the 8kg limit. Thanks in advance.