msm2000uk

The BBC are reporting that Ryanair will no longer permit passengers to bring 2 pieces of handbaggage on-board.

Now, EasyJet have been doing this for a while, and here on the BA Forum, we have long be-moaned the fact that passengers bring on too much handbaggage.

Technically, they bring on their allowance, which is 2 pieces, but if we were only allowed 1 piece, would it speed things up?

M

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41171871

stewaran

IMO - only if the 1 large piece was removed.

this is the item that causes space issues as well as the item that people cannot lift themselves.

I would personally prefer this delay, to the delay of re-claim

Pascoe

I'm not so sure it would. People will still want to (and therefore try to) bring all the same stuff as before.

They will also want the same subset of stuff available to them during the flight. Which means more grabbing laptops out of bags destined for the overhead lockers.

In short, everyone would be in and out of those lockers a lot I reckon.

Combine that with the fact that it seems to be increasingly rare to have a fully thought out boarding process (ie less able and kids followed by status pax followed by boarding in rows / sections from the rear) and I reckon it could, all other variables being equal, actually make things worse.

dylanks

Larger overhead bins such as the 737 MAX space bins, without increasing the allowance, would be the better option especially with the unfortunate densification that is coming.

Pascoe

Sensible, but presumably not easy to retrofit on old planes.

ajeleonard

Just charge for use of the overheads and allow free under seat item. Payment can be taken onboard like BOB.

Lefly

Probably only if the permitted piece was the personal item instead of the cabin luggage...

I find EasyJet policy excessive, though, as once my mother in law was told to put her small pouch (8 x 18 x 2 cm circa) in the carry-on because it counted as a second item.

BlackBerryAddict

Well, considering that Ryanair are saying the delays increased when they increased the hand luggage allowance, you'd think that when the decrease it again, boarding should be quicker.

It's not just the time spent putting your hand luggage away, which if you have one piece should be faster than when you have two pieces, but also the time when everything on board is full, and they need to put some of the hand luggage in the hold. That takes time as well. So yes, on balance I think it would reduce boarding time and delays.

gingerlucy

I don't really understand how Ryanair think this will be quicker, as they are offering to gate-check the second item for free. Won't that slow things down with tags to be printed and attached to the second bag for each person as they go through the gate? Unless they make it mandatory to report to the gate to surrender the second bag a set time before boarding starts, but you'll always get some delinquents/idiots/laterunners who don't do that and turn up for boarding still with both bags.

MPH1980

I think that's the point - if you aren't a priority boarder - your bag is going in the hold. So they can simply walk up and down the non-priority queue removing bags. Repeat the process enough - you'll have a lot of pre-printed tags to associate with a booking etc.

The problem BA have (to keep it on BA's topic) is this:

* Enforcement is often touted as the right way forward, but pushes the problem to a different location. Every bag checked, 1 in 5 deciding to argue the toss etc. It pushes the queue to the boarding area instead of the plane.

* Reducing the hand luggage allowance would be difficult given the reputation BA are gaining - and they don't properly enforce priority boarding to follow the RyanAir method.

But, obviously, if people walked on the plane with nothing more than a handbag or a laptop sleeve - it'll speed up boarding.

I actually think BA's 'check for free and board first' solution is a nice one. I do wish they'd change the tags around to 'overhead permissible' though.

streetmagix

I kind of understand where they are coming from but I always thought they were pretty stringent on gate checking bags? I find the biggest issue with BA (as I don't fly Ryanair) is that they *don't* police gatecheck bags as thoroughly, I've even had a few flights delayed as they've had to reattach the jet bridge to 'gatecheck' a few bags.

I just wish BA would actually keep to their own rules, especially regarding multiple and oversized bags. It seems like Ryanair are having the similar issues and have decided to change the rules instead of enforce them properly.

schrodingerdog

They tags are pre-printed. Your bag gets one and you get the receipt with the same tag number.

Anyway the policy is doomed to failure as it will not deter people to bring both bags, so gate agents job will become way more stressful.

Often1

The problem with BA is not the rules, but the rules enforcement. Space is a zero-sum game. If I am able to sneak a large bag on, that is less space for you. I may be happy, but you will be angry.

Recognizing this by publishing and sticking to the rules is a good start. AA has started doing this in an effective and efficient manner by announcing that later boarding groups will need to gate check their bags and then policing the process.

AA makes a show of especially policing the first passengers on, e.g. F/J & elites. Those passengers are asked to step aside while boarding continues. AA also scans the tag on gate-checked bags now and when an issued tag is not scanned, I have twice recently watched an agent come onboard, find the offending passenger and remove his bag.

This is all tedious for a while, but once people learn the rules and that they are enforced, the vast majority will accede.

There will always be whingers who are too important to follow the rules, but that just takes a polite, "do you still wish to board?" to make the point.

gingerlucy

Do you think that will work with Ryanair passengers though?

I think most people on here are frequent flyers and we therefore get to see repeated examples and learn from them. In America domestic flights are more routine so people again see enforcement happening and learn.

A lot of Ryanair's passengers might only fly once a year, if that. They aren't frequent flyers. They won't have seen this happen so won't have had the chance to learn that, no, really, this is a rule which is enforced so don't even try. I just foresee a lot of arguments at the gates and feel a bit sorry for the staff who'll have to take bags off confused people in the queue.

bafan

Yes...