GodAtum

On my last 4 long-haul flights, BA have told me to check-in my hand luggage. But when checking- in and refusing to do so I've been given a "cabin guaranteed" luggage tag. Is this a new thing?

abligh

BA believe they won't be able to fit all the cabin luggage in (often wrongly IMHO) so are effectively asking for volunteers to check luggage. If not enough people check their luggage they try to strong-arm people at the gate to volunteer, and eventually (allegedly) force some of the roll-aboards to be checked. I suspect "cabin guaranteed" means not very much - it might mean "not a roll-aboard".

mikeyfly

They’ve never “told you”

HIDDY

Was this a Y only experience?

CPH-Flyer

I hear the lectures for short-haul flights, about how this is a very full flight, and they strongly encourage people to gate check, because it is very full and there will not be space for all carry-ons. They drone on endlessly, only for the flight to have plenty of empty seats and even more available overhead space. They should really save the announcements for when the flight is truly full.

chriswiles

Either sitting in J or CE, I've never had anyone ask me to check my hand luggage and I've flown a lot - too much - this year. I do see and hear it happen, it's nearly always economy passengers, which is fair as there are many seats per row and limited overhead locker space above.

The problem started after the 2021-2022 press coverage where luggage was lost or delayed, people are now taking an increasing amount of luggage on board the plane. I've seen people in economy with huge rucksacks for example. Far bigger than anything I'd ever put above me in CE.

lcylocal

This has been a fairly chunky problem since BA started charging for hold bags on the cheapest fares, though I agree it is worse post-pandemic (and those issues continue at places like MUC, where I waited an hour for bags on the belt in August).

I would bet there is a focus on it at the moment to drive up on time performance. I doubt it will help a great deal, on most flights passengers getting passengers on and seated isn’t the thing that causes delays.

volar

You’d think there would be focus on it. Yesterday I was at the gate at Gatwick far too early for a delayed flight due to the screens in the lounge saying ‘boarding’ when it wasn’t. Noting the vast amount of hand luggage being carried (generally hugely oversized first pieces or very large second pieces, plus shopping, suit carriers etc) I was pleased to see the gate staff wheel out the bag size gauge. They then just sat there chatting for half an hour until boarding started and didn’t use it, or stop anything being taken onboard at all. Several people in CE had bags so big they would only fit in the locker sideways taking up a lot of space. The flight was already late but the time taken for everyone to board and get seated would be reduced if there were not endless problems shuffling bags.

adrianlondon

There will be more people travelling HBO short-haul once the security scanners are updated to allow liquids through. Well, me for one.

GodAtum

All 4 flights were in CW.

Prospero

What was the size of your cabin bags? How many bags did you plan to take on-board. If you are able to share these numbers, you'll receive a substantive reply to your question

GodAtum

BA didn't know what the size of my bags where but I had one roller carry-on.

gormless

Last week, on a red-eye from SEA to IAD AS did the usual begging for people to gate check their bags, eventually giving up. Pretty full flight.

After boarding, a FA came back up the aisle carrying an Instant Pot in the box, stating to the other attendant that they couldn't believe that the passenger managed to sneak it on.
(For reference, probably a 450 mm cube.)

All of this for the money-grab the industry has focused on with charging for checked luggage, sadly.

HIDDY

Although you seem to think it was, I suspect the message you saw was not aimed at you personally.

adrianlondon

I wasn't aware that they asked business travellers in long-haul to check in hand luggage, as there never seems to be a shortage of space. Short-haul on the other hand ...