'Baggage Excellence' Campaign: carry on rules check/enforcement [feedback]
May 14, 2019, 12:27 pm
#586
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 123
Make sure you're backpack stays within the published dimension and weight(!) limits and you will not have any problem.
They will ask you to hand over the bag at the boarding gate and usually remind you to take out e.g. laptops or any battery operated electronics and valuables. Make sure to take out everything valuable, medicine, wallet and passport. It is a good idea to keep a small plastic bag or similar with you to stow away all that stuff.
No one will forcefully grab your bag and be gone with it.
If they gate check-it, it will be delivered to the conveyor belts in baggage claim area at the final(!) destination.
You have to drop it at the gate, they will then have the loading crew pick it up and load it on the plane. Risk that they lose it in transfer is quite small... of course increases with every connection, same as for all checked baggage. But in general, I wouldn't worry, also same as for all checked baggage. But as said before, take out important stuff - most important: PASSPORT.
They will ask you to hand over the bag at the boarding gate and usually remind you to take out e.g. laptops or any battery operated electronics and valuables. Make sure to take out everything valuable, medicine, wallet and passport. It is a good idea to keep a small plastic bag or similar with you to stow away all that stuff.
No one will forcefully grab your bag and be gone with it.
If they gate check-it, it will be delivered to the conveyor belts in baggage claim area at the final(!) destination.
You have to drop it at the gate, they will then have the loading crew pick it up and load it on the plane. Risk that they lose it in transfer is quite small... of course increases with every connection, same as for all checked baggage. But in general, I wouldn't worry, also same as for all checked baggage. But as said before, take out important stuff - most important: PASSPORT.
I got a small nylon bag I could use just in case. I guess there wont be any connection for me on that route so I guess the risk of it getting lost is not that big, maybe, unless they forget to load it on and it gets sucked into the engine :O
May 14, 2019, 12:29 pm
#587
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 123
As said in the other posting, if you stay in the published size and weight limits no problem at all. I NEVER had any problem with Lufthansa in FRA or MUC with my laptop bag and 21"/51cm carry-on spinner, which by the way is always severely over the weight limit
A lot of problems arise through the US 22" bag standard for carry-ons.
A lot of problems arise through the US 22" bag standard for carry-ons.
I never travel with spinner bags though. I prefer a backpack as I like my hands free, so I can use my karate chop when needed
May 14, 2019, 12:39 pm
#588
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,961
But joking aside, I once met a very unhappy colleague who gate checked his backpack in CPH with transit in FRA to the states and found out in FRA that his passport was in the backpack. Since boarding in CPH doesn't check documents... he only notice when they asked him in FRA. They pulled his bags but he did not make his flight.... and actually UA refused to accommodate him for free on the next one claiming he was a no-show while the feeder flight was on time...
May 14, 2019, 2:34 pm
#590
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 123
But joking aside, I once met a very unhappy colleague who gate checked his backpack in CPH with transit in FRA to the states and found out in FRA that his passport was in the backpack. Since boarding in CPH doesn't check documents... he only notice when they asked him in FRA. They pulled his bags but he did not make his flight.... and actually UA refused to accommodate him for free on the next one claiming he was a no-show while the feeder flight was on time...
I nearly lost some stuff on a flight to Tokyo once. Had put a lot of papers, like hotel bookings, printouts and so on in a plastic bag and put it in the seat pocket. I guess jet lag hit me bad as I just rose up and left it. And as I asked the airport staff later, they said nothing had been found. So I guess they just threw it away. Luckily, no passport or anything in it.
But since Japan require a stay address for immigration entry it took a while, including the horror of realizing I had forgotten it. Oh dear, oh dear.
May 15, 2019, 6:23 am
#591
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: WAW
Programs: A3(*G), Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,534
But joking aside, I once met a very unhappy colleague who gate checked his backpack in CPH with transit in FRA to the states and found out in FRA that his passport was in the backpack. Since boarding in CPH doesn't check documents... he only notice when they asked him in FRA. They pulled his bags but he did not make his flight.... and actually UA refused to accommodate him for free on the next one claiming he was a no-show while the feeder flight was on time...
May 15, 2019, 6:29 am
#592
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: BOM-SIN-EWR
Programs: UA*G (1K again), Sixt Plat, *was*: SQ QPP01 & SK EBS/EBG, LH SEN, AA EXP, 9wPlat
Posts: 8,606
But joking aside, I once met a very unhappy colleague who gate checked his backpack in CPH with transit in FRA to the states and found out in FRA that his passport was in the backpack. Since boarding in CPH doesn't check documents... he only notice when they asked him in FRA. They pulled his bags but he did not make his flight.... and actually UA refused to accommodate him for free on the next one claiming he was a no-show while the feeder flight was on time...
Always catches me and am forced to go down into the dungeon at FRA to get my rollerboard - even when flying in biz sometimes!
May 15, 2019, 6:40 am
#593
Moderator: SAS
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: BLL & CPH & ZRH
Programs: LX, SK EBD (*G)
Posts: 3,146
I've actually never had my hand luggage measured or even weighed and I always have a big backpack and a small suitcase (on which I place the backpack), one of which is usually above the 8kg weight limit. Never had any problems. I guess I probably look or act like I'm perfectly fine and allowed doing what I'm doing so nobody bothered to check me yet. (And I am actually allowed to take two carry on pieces with my *G anyway so meh).
A witch! A witch! We've found a witch! May we burn her?
A witch! A witch! We've found a witch! May we burn her?
May 15, 2019, 6:44 am
#594
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: BOM-SIN-EWR
Programs: UA*G (1K again), Sixt Plat, *was*: SQ QPP01 & SK EBS/EBG, LH SEN, AA EXP, 9wPlat
Posts: 8,606
In any case, is this stipulated in *A rules at present??
Please do so - and/or the little elf/troll whom she has now trained in the same manner....
May 15, 2019, 6:49 am
#595
Moderator: SAS
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: BLL & CPH & ZRH
Programs: LX, SK EBD (*G)
Posts: 3,146
Before we need to confirm she is a witch and so so by measuring if she is made out of wood and therefore lighter than a duck. Deductive reasoning!
May 15, 2019, 6:52 am
#596
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,961
May 15, 2019, 6:55 am
#597
Moderator: SAS
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: BLL & CPH & ZRH
Programs: LX, SK EBD (*G)
Posts: 3,146
There is no such Alliance wide *G benefit. https://www.staralliance.com/en/recognition
I guess with some extensive mind bending my backpack could have been seen as personal item...
May 15, 2019, 7:04 am
#598
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,961
May 15, 2019, 10:42 am
#599
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,715
Assume that the "enforcement campaign" still occurs at the departure gate and not at security (for transit passengers)? I would be very stale if they adopt the LHR T5 policy of blocking customers from even entering the conformance checkpoint.
May 16, 2019, 5:53 pm
#600
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Checking in at NAP
Had a ticket, LHR-MUC-BRI and NAP-MUC-LHR.
The outbound, no incident, went fine. In fact, UA interlined my checked bag all the way to BRI from a separate SFO-LHR round trip ticket.
On the return, I got an email from LH inviting me to check in my carryon -- but not if there were lithium batteries.
Well my carry on was full of lithium batteries, a 15-inch laptop, battery pack and a drone with 3 batteries. My carryon is definitely over the 8kg limit. My camera bag had iPad and a full frame camera. No room to offload any of the contents of the carryon into the camera bag.
So on the outbound, they didn't check my carryon at LHR or MUC.
On the return though, the agents at the check in counter was very strict. Suggested I remove some items and put it in my checked bag, which was around 20 kg. I told her my carryon had a lot of lithium batteries. The only items which didn't have lithium were some lenses, which combined probably was about 3-3.5 kg. I was over by 6 kg.
But I wanted to know what they covered in case of theft and damage. She said she didn't know. I asked if she could find out. Eventually a supposed supervisor came out. She didn't know the coverage on lost or damaged items in checked baggage either. I asked how is it that she doesn't know. She said something like it's not her responsibility because she is not a LH employee. Then I realized it was some 3rd party fulfillment company who did ground operations for LH.
We went back and forth and finally they said I could take my carryon on board. They gave me a little tag "Cabin Luggage."
I guess they had no ways of contacting LH and they weren't going to deny me boarding. I had pointed out to the first agent that I didn't have any issues on the outbound flights but she said they were mistaken not to enforce these rules.
Once on board, there was plenty of bin space. And it seemed like most passengers carried on most of their stuff, with several people putting up their carryon, personal item and their jackets bunched up into the bin space. Even then, nobody had problems finding space.
Maybe a lot of people checked their carryons but it didn't seem like it. It was an A320.
In MUC, they were not checking the size or weight of the carryons either.
I guess LH tells them to enforce at NAP only? Or maybe 3rd party companies don't want to risk alienating LH?
I'd taken plenty of intra-European LH flights and had never encountered this rigidness.
The outbound, no incident, went fine. In fact, UA interlined my checked bag all the way to BRI from a separate SFO-LHR round trip ticket.
On the return, I got an email from LH inviting me to check in my carryon -- but not if there were lithium batteries.
Well my carry on was full of lithium batteries, a 15-inch laptop, battery pack and a drone with 3 batteries. My carryon is definitely over the 8kg limit. My camera bag had iPad and a full frame camera. No room to offload any of the contents of the carryon into the camera bag.
So on the outbound, they didn't check my carryon at LHR or MUC.
On the return though, the agents at the check in counter was very strict. Suggested I remove some items and put it in my checked bag, which was around 20 kg. I told her my carryon had a lot of lithium batteries. The only items which didn't have lithium were some lenses, which combined probably was about 3-3.5 kg. I was over by 6 kg.
But I wanted to know what they covered in case of theft and damage. She said she didn't know. I asked if she could find out. Eventually a supposed supervisor came out. She didn't know the coverage on lost or damaged items in checked baggage either. I asked how is it that she doesn't know. She said something like it's not her responsibility because she is not a LH employee. Then I realized it was some 3rd party fulfillment company who did ground operations for LH.
We went back and forth and finally they said I could take my carryon on board. They gave me a little tag "Cabin Luggage."
I guess they had no ways of contacting LH and they weren't going to deny me boarding. I had pointed out to the first agent that I didn't have any issues on the outbound flights but she said they were mistaken not to enforce these rules.
Once on board, there was plenty of bin space. And it seemed like most passengers carried on most of their stuff, with several people putting up their carryon, personal item and their jackets bunched up into the bin space. Even then, nobody had problems finding space.
Maybe a lot of people checked their carryons but it didn't seem like it. It was an A320.
In MUC, they were not checking the size or weight of the carryons either.
I guess LH tells them to enforce at NAP only? Or maybe 3rd party companies don't want to risk alienating LH?
I'd taken plenty of intra-European LH flights and had never encountered this rigidness.