paulaf

Hope BA don't follow this as its only guidance, not risking my valuables in the hold:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art....html#comments

golfmad

DFT advice is that passengers are 'strongly encouraged' rather than the dictat in your thread title from the headline. Also the link you posted is to the comments section which should be avoided at all costs on the DM site. Here's the corrected link to the story:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...k-luggage.html

Geordie405

I agree. I haven't checked a bag in probably 5 - 6 years (I think the last time was when I left Belgium to move to the USA) and don't intend to start now. It's all very well saying that "Eliminating the scramble to claim rucksacks, handbags and small suitcases from overhead lockers will 'minimise the risk of transmission'" on board the plane but what happens at the carousel when you're waiting for your bag to come off? Are we really suggesting that a 747 worth of passengers will be able to maintain social distancing in the baggage hall?

The domestic baggage hall at NCL only has two belts and it can be pretty busy when you have a fully laden 321 arriving. Are we going to see people queuing down the corridor and only being allowed in to the baggage hall one row at a time? What if both belts are in use? What happens if someone picks up the wrong bag? Does that bag need to go into quarantine for 24 hours? When you look at what bookstores and shoe shops are advocating as the "new normal" in terms of removing product from shelves after someone has touched / tried on it's just another example of all spin and no substance.

Another great idea thought up by people who have no idea of the reality of things!

The Ginge

I am guessing flights won't be full for a while so the problem of an A319 running out of hold space won't be an issue. I don't see how the risk from checking in the bag, it being handled by one or two people, then it coming off at the other end, being handled by another couple of people before going round a belt in the baggage hall, is deemed less of a risk than carrying it yourself, putting it through security and getting it in and out of the overhead locker.
It does seem to be another kick in the head to the industry that is trying to get off the floor! Lets hope it stays advisory.

corporate-wage-slave

I haven't seen a half full overhead locker since 20 March 2020. However in their different ways, BA, easyJet and Ryanair do know how to fill aircraft, once people feel ready to fly again. At the moment this is vapourware.

GBOAC

Not this again! Sure I'm going to check my laptop and other valuables in the hold (NOT).
I spent a year purposefully booking indirect flights from AMM to LHR to aviod the compulsory checking of laptops when that stupid [1] CAA ban came in. How are they going to enforce this for connecting passengers passing through the UK?

Personally I'd reckon the risk of hand baggage is less than spending an extra 30mins in a baggage reclaim hall with people from my entire flight and many others coughing over me! You have already been exposed to your neighbours on the flight, don't be exposed to even more people (and unfiltered air) in baggage reclaim.

Would would be better would be to disembark by rows, such that there is not a scrum.

[1] not to deminish the intelligence threat, just that the solution was very unintelligent compared to other approaches that work well elsewhere... but that is another discussion

ISTFlyer

TK has started to mandate this on their flights and started only to allow bags up to 4kg and that could only fit under the seat.
That is one of the reason I would not prefer them on international flights for the short-term. If BA follows them, I would not prefer them either.

As many others mentioned, I would not be happy to check my valuables and technological devices on hold.

paulaf

Good glad you all think it's rubbish too and unlikely to come in, Ryanair is against it too.

Oxon Flyer

As this doesn't specifically relate to BA, we'll close the thread at this point, and direct anyone with an interest in debating whether or not it's a good idea to take hand luggage on board to the FT coronavirus and travel forum.

As and when BA issue guidance or instructions on this, we'll no doubt be discussing it here.