serfty

When did Qantas lower the domestic cabin bag allowance?


I have been a member of QFF since 1994 and in that time the domestic cabin bag allowance has always been based on 2 x 7kg + personal item.

serfty

I know a Qantas pilot who advocates the banning of all rollabords as carry on.

Platy

Yes - you are right.

For clarity, (according the media sources located through a quick Google search) the reduction from 10kg to 7kg was instituted by Qantas Group airline Jetstar from 25 November 2014.

They previously started a program of spot checking the weight of carry ons from 13 October 2014.

The JQ paid extra carry on limit (from 7kg to 10kg) commenced from 4 September 2018.

At risk of repetition, my concern is that QF would copy this model.

Platy

/reality check from paying passenger on

I'm not referring to all QF staff and realise that travel is part of the EBA and there are certain systems in place supposedly to favour the actual paying passenger.

That said, in real life experiences I've had:

• Staff (pilot) try to sit in my allocated business class front row seat and had to be asked (nicely) to piss off back to their own allocated seat which they have done with attitude and unapologetically
• Staff (engineering management) (non duty) access business class seats on a flight for which I could not purchase the full business class fare
• Watched staff be given seats / boarding passes at the airport a long time before the supposed cut off time for such
• Staff be allocated seats which I can't access despite WP status
• Travelled in first to LHR a couple of times where there have been more staff in the cabin than actual passengers
• And listened to how one staff member (pilot) goes about outwitting the carry on allowances - including leaving their carry ons in the crew room when they go to check in so check in agents cannot see their carry ons and boarding at the last minute to minimise the opportunity for gate agents to enforce carry on rules

These staff-related situations are one of the three drivers for me to favour spending my money with the competition (the others being (1) the ability to select a seat of choice at the time booking without seats being blocked off and (2) cheaper business class fares).

Lost revenue to QF from one of the customers who pays for your partner's wage regardless of their undoubted skill, competency and professionalism in the cockpit.

FWIW I also agree that it would be far preferable for staff travel not to be part of the renumeration package.

/ reality check from paying passenger off

DownUnderFlyer

[mod hat] Reminder to stay on topic (weighing of carry on bags) and not drifting into staff travel territory. If you want to discuss this, open a separate thread please. [/mod hat]

og

Platy

Exactly - there is a disconnect between the allowable bag size and the weight of that bag when reasonably filled

Dave Noble

Reasonable depends on who is making the determination - I expect that it is like all things on FT - "What I do is what should be allowed and beyond that is wrong"

It doesn't matter what someone on FT thinks is reasonable when there is a atipulated allowance - go beyond it and may get away with it, but get stopped, then no grounds to complain ( c.f. the speeding analogy above )

If QF chooses to take JQ's model of allowing higher amount of weight on a piece for an extra fee, then maybe some people will be happy to pay it - others may be happier to keep their bag weight down

shillard

This is FANTASTIC news.

Proof that if you make enough customer "enhancements", you'll eventually get one right by accident.

Locker hogs BTFO.

Dave Noble

Unfortunately, there seems to be nothing to suggest that this was anything other than a one off case of an agent doing his or her job

shillard

I just died a little inside.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

The argument about the overheads being easier to close... does it make a difference if a passenger puts one bag at 14kg up there or two of 7kg? Same weight.

People say it's preferable to limit risk with only a bag of 7kg falling rather than 10? But what if two bags of 7 fall? At the same time?

People make out that it rains bags in the cabin. Other than a badly placed hat, coat, or other very light item placed loosely on top of something else in an overhead bin, I've never witnessed anything fall out of an overhead.

Platy

Well obviously QF is making the determination.

As is their legal requirement to make one (whatever it may be) to satisfy the regulatory requirements (per the government regulator CASA).

From what I can glean on a cursory Google search those requirements are left to the discretion of the airline - it is NOT set in stone by CASA (or other equivalent bodies).

So, the airline has a choice.

Therein the disconnect in this thread.

On one level QF has made a choice. Suck it up anyone stupid enough to accept the supplier's determination without question (I think - your position - respecting your record questioning the benefits of the QF FF program). Set yourself up for another "enhancement" and pillage yet more cash from the assumed gullible customer base.

On another level some might question:

1). Where QF sets the benchmark; and
2). How that benchmark should be enforced

To avoid pointless repetition - the various arguments within that framework have already well aired.

That said, the airline itself could determine a policy to meet the customer need and expectation if it could be bothered to conduct due market research (kinda basic stuff in product marketing by the way) - how much luggage does a business customer typically need and how can we meet that need to promote a product which is fit for purpose and cost effective. What is the average and standard distribution of the actual weight of a statistical valid sample size of allowable carry on luggage items of the allowable dimension. So elementary a secondary school science or maths project could cope with the question and answer. So basic stuff. Therein your definition of reasonable. Easy high school stuff.

In that circumstance your concerns about the definition of "reasonable" are readily dispensed - the airline can set a benchmark accommodating the customer based on actual research - not FT subjective position. The typical customer buys a roller carry on and needs 9kg (or 5kg, whatever) and wow, Boeing already anticipated that need (because it ain't rocket science and a common problem worldwide) in their pivot bin design an safety compliance criteria.

And our FT discussion would quickly subsume to a "well QF did appropriate research on customer needs and expectations and worked that into their business model" and "has QF used the latest overhead design to maximise carry on flexibility to promote customer satisfaction whilst minimising their safety risk".

Instead of superficial stuff about people following the rules without question (like that ever changed the world or was business savvy).

And if QF gouges yet more out of the customer (e.g. pay for 10kg even though your overall check in allowance is still within the limit - remembering that check in limit has itself been cut back by around 50% for folk like me), it will reach a tipping point of customer pushback (as it did today for me when the call wait time to speak to someone QF as a premium member was 53-75 minutes and the call back function didn't result in a call back so I went with a competitor - short term profit for folk to fawn over even though a decades loyal customer cannot even speak to someone at the airline).

Short term profit gain - long term disaster.

But, apparently logical (to some).

(and PS....the QF customer feedback system does not include a categorisation to encompass my feedback on the call centre issue - so that doesn't get reported and the arrogant twits in QF HQ continue in blissful ignorance of their own tragic incompetence - not a problem cos the share price went up - right?!?!).

m0hamed

Is this for domestic or international?

International I travel HLO and my bag is around 10Kgs because of my laptop. EY and EK sometimes weight it at check in but once I say there's a laptop they have no issue.

serfty

Both.

Main difference is that in economy domestic 2 x 7Kg "105cm" are permitted, but only one (up to 115cm) International.

If you are not in economy, then 2 "105cm" bags are permitted.

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/travel-...n-baggage.html