LHR/MEL/Europe FF

In the case of a bin opening because it wasn't properly shut I'd argue the solution is to make sure it is shut rather than limit the weight inside

shuuy

Maybe it's because I'm on the smooth flights (QF-P1 for 5 years, VA-Plat for 5 years, AA-EXP for 3 years, SQ-PPS for 4 years, AC-SE for 6 years) ... but the only time I've ever seen anything fall onto a passenger's head is during loading and unloading ... never during a flight.

Unfortunate Dave Noble your n=1 example occurred. Must mean you're special

Really, this thread is about this:

docbert

Having flown 5 of the 8 airlines you listed within the past year or two, always with a carry-on that would be over the listed limits (normally around 15-16kg), I have only ever had a weight limited enforced once.

That once was SQ at BNE, and whilst it was the airline that enforced the limit (well, they "enforced" of around 12kg - about 50% higher than the real limit) they claimed they were doing it mainly because the airport carried out enforcement (which, on occasion, they do). In practice this just meant carrying an extra bag through security, where I then re-consolidated it back to one before boarding the plane. It was fairly clear the airline staff knew I would do this, and they clearly didn't care.

Outside of that time, from flying well over a dozen airlines over the past few years the only ones where I'd have weight limits enforced were on Australian airlines...

ps107

Virgin Australia says from tomorrow, passengers should expect to have their carry-on bags weighed at various points in their journey, including at the check-in desk and the boarding gate, to ensure they comply with the 7kg limit.

Passengers with bags weighing more than 7kg will have to stow them in the cargo hold with other checked luggage.

It brings Virgin Australia in line with rival Qantas, which last week announced it would start weighing bags to enforce its 7kg cabin baggage rules.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=12174348

serfty

Except that Qantas allow up to 2 x 7kg. VA max is 7Kg across both bags.

nancypants

goback

From the Australian:
And
So it's clear that the weight of individual bags is a safety concern.

Platy

It is clear that this is the story being promoted by the airline to justify their position. The story is then published by the gullible media without one single statistic.

Note the statement:

"This [injuries] is preventable if all passengers adhered to the baggage limits and guidelines"

Is a ludicrous statement - following the limits and guideline ain't going to prevent all injuries occurring, only possibly lessen the risk of such. The only way to prevent any injuries is to remove totally all cabin baggage.

Perhaps the airline can show statistics that the injuries occurred in those cases where the limits were not followed and do not occur in the instances where the limits were followed / policed.

Or even show the statistics that those airlines with more lenient policies incur a higher rate / higher impact of injuries, etc.

And its on the proportion of customers who actually want a usable cabin baggage quota versus those that will gladly check in their bags.

A decent journalist would ask for such validation before publishing the airline PR spin.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

Yeah. And if airlines were so concerned about on time departures they could start boarding 10 minutes earlier. Oh wait... they've cut turn-arounds to short they can't.

moa999

I still think the focus is all wrong. It should be on Size not Weight.

Boarding delays get caused by someone bringing an oversized bag, trying three times to fit it feet first, realising it won't fit, spending another few minutes moving other bags to find a double slot and finally putting it sidewards.
Or those with expansible over filled bags that they need to pod and poke and push to make it fit.

Whether a 50cm bag is 6 or 8kg doesn't make a difference.

Dave Noble

I would rather not have boarding taking another 10 minutes - let people with heavy items wait for baggage reclaim rather than everyone being impacted

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

But heavy items aren't the problem for boarding. Only oversized.

The debate should always have been about oversized, but given they think people won't understand the difference, they use the two conepts interchangeably.

The quote from Virgin is ridiculous... the passengers they have spoken to want these changes introduced. How can any passenger visually determine the difference between a 7kg and 8kg bag? They can't. But they could identify overzied bags.

And there again is the problem. Passengers bringing two 7kg bags are going to slow down boarding more than a passenger with one 8kg bag.

lokijuh

All this discussion about weights, safety etc. This isn't about the individual bags. This is about the overall number of bags people bring on. Whether the actual amount is 7kg or 10kg is immaterial, and it's not about dimensions of the bag either. It's QF setting the limit low enough in weight terms to make it difficult for people to meet*, selectively enforcing and creating enough PR, to "encourage" a change in behaviour, where enough people check bags rather than bring them on board. Once that change in behaviour happens, enforcement will stop, until it creeps back to a level that has an operational impact, and enforcement will start again.

* yet still having rules that allow road warriors to take a light rollaboard and backpack on board - hence the 2 bag rule

perthite

CASA are a bit more broad:

https://www.casa.gov.au/aircraft/sta...-carry-baggage

VH-RMD

Well, picked up a nice Porsche Design satchel/bag today as my second bag for travel on QF domestic as my Rimowa aluminum roll-aboard will be heavier than 7kg so I will dump half the crap into that.

As I'm usually fortunate to snag row 1 on the 737's, I'll be popping BOTH of them up above row 2...