Ridiculous amounts of hand luggage on long haul

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Flew long haul for a week away recently and I couldn't believe that there were so many people with huge soft sports type bags, four wheel hard cases and even 55cm suitcases that were the same size as the suitcase I checked in.

Is it just that Ryanair et. al have conditioned travellers to think that they must carry all their belongings in hand luggage and they just don't realise long haul is different?

I was in the last wave boarding and the amount of overspill in the closest overhead locker was so ridiculous that I only just fitted my coat in.

I travel regularly for work and do carry on where l can. I’ve had 2 hold bags go missing in recent years, plus a wait at a carousel for over 2 hours.

There’s an “interesting” area at Heathrow for missing bags.

Surely a small wheelie case AND a rucksack count as 2 lots of hand luggage?

Some airline (including BA) allow a carry on case and a small ruck sack.

Let’s get this right here, airlines’ main objective is not so much to rip you off, as put you off taking hold luggage; they don’t want you to take it. This leads to faster turn rounds and reduced staffing costs. I’m not arguing whether this is a good thing, just stating the facts.

The flight I was on recently was delayed for take-off because people were faffing with hand luggage and not sitting down. I'm not sure if it was always this bad but people weren't paying any heed to requests to put the cases narrow end first into the lockers or to out coats and small bags under seats. Endless faff. I don't mind how much people bring on but it does rile me when people inconvenience others or don't stow it safely.

Me! I want to travel fairly light but I still want to have clean clothes. I don't see why that is considered in any way odd.

Mostly it is just a matter of soaking things out in detergent in the bathroom sink and hanging them out on the balcony. It takes 10 minutes in the morning.

As someone who pays for priority boarding and needs special assistance, hold-all and handbag, amazed how much others seemed to abuse hand luggage!
Easyjet last year

Flew long haul for a week away recently and I couldn't believe that there were so many people with huge soft sports type bags, four wheel hard cases and even 55cm suitcases that were the same size as the suitcase I checked in.

55cm suitcases are cabin-sized, so what's the issue? I don't know about BA, but Jet2's cabin bag size limit is 56x45x25cm.

Or was this post intended as a humble brag, that you could travel for a week with only a 10kg bag checked into the hold?

I have noticed that people carry way more hand luggage than is technically allowed especially on long haul. Some airlines are still super strict about cabin allowances; we noticed this on a Wizz flight out of Abu Dhabi last year.

We try our best to do hand luggage only for trips of a week or less (although it depend where/what time of year etc). I agree with a PP who said they just want to get off the plane and out of the door.

I was aghast how big some cases were the last time we travelled.

They really can't have been that big, I have not seen an airline yet that would allow bigger hand luggage than 56 x 45.

I often travel with hand luggage even if I have checked luggage allowance - no need to wait for bag drop off lines or luggage carousel, no lost luggage. Can easily do 2 weeks in a warm destination with hand luggage only.

Me!

I was away for a month on my last holiday so it was a necessity. Even on shorter trips I prefer to do laundry. I hate having a a massive pile of dirty washing to deal with when I get home.

I always max out my hand luggage with BA. Usually I carry on all my make up, which is expensive to replace if lost, hairdryer, brushes & straighteners - same reason.
Then I’ll have 2 days worth of clothes, sleep stuff & swimwear with me. Medication. Plus inflight entertainment - headphones, iPad etc.
Frankly I’ve seen too many people’s trips ruined by lost baggage.

BA have a pricing structure that is based on baggage including cabin baggage only fairs, they also have a generous weight limit (23kgs) for cabin baggage plus allow cabin bag + hand bag.

It's one of the reasons I fly BA as a photographer as I know I can keep all the kit I need with me, in the cabin, within the dimensions and weight limit the airline sets, with no hassle.

I have a pull along that my camera bag fits into (hard case), which does not fit under seats. If the cabin is super full I always offer to gate check for free and then leave things in there I don't need for the flight (ie clothes for the week) - that way there's additional overhead space for people who (probably don't really) need it.

I wound never buy toiletries and skincare on holiday as I have really sensitive skin. Can't risk it.

Is it just the size of some other passengers hand baggage you were surprised by, or were they taking 4 bags each on board instead of 1 small suitcase and a small bag to fit underneath the seat in front? If the bags were bigger than allowed, or people had too many bags each, I'm surprised staff allowed them to board. I always take a small suitcase and a tote as hand baggage, as I put what I need immediate access to in the tote and put what I don't want to risk the airline losing in the suitcase.

How rude you are. 55cm suitcase or next size up is big enough for a six day trip for many of us. It's not a brag. Travelling solo the main concern is a manageable amount of luggage.

55cm isn't allowed as a cabin bag on all flights. I think most people can see why. I do understand regarding those who worry about losing their luggage and what one needs to do if one has that anxiety.

On the BA leg of trip I was at the front of economy so my handbag was stowed for takeoff. People opposite piled in jumpers, shoes etc. I did wonder if a kitchen sink might emerge and get piled on top 🤣

Coats are often removed & told to put under seat in front

Anyone with a connection probably doesn't trust the airline to actually get the luggage to the destination, so yes most of my trips I take everything I can as hand luggage... Coz they're pretty shite at getting the stuff to you when you get there.

When I travel for my sport the vast majority of my sport specific kit (ie everything that is allowed through security) is in my hand luggage with normal clothes in my hold luggage with the non cabin legal kit...

If the airline loses my luggage I then only have to buy 'normal' clothes rather than my specialist kit (sports bra is the one exception to that rule as it's awkward to replace...)

Okay, you made me check for more airlines. A 55cm bag is an acceptable cabin bag for all airlines except Ryanair, Vueling and Wizz Air.

www.skyscanner.net/news/cabin-luggage-guide-hand-baggage-sizes-and-weight-restrictions

Your expectation of putting your coat in the overhead compartment is actually much ruder than people putting their perfectly standard-sized cabin baggage up there.

l just hit Boots as soon as l get airside. I buy some at my destination, depending on where l’m going.

I only ever travel with my back pack no other luggage.

No one is abusing hand luggage.
You can take as much as they will let you. The airline sets the limit.
I don't tend to put bags in the hold as too many issues with loss/ damage / faff.

What annoys me is how bags are weighed and size checked (that's fine safety first) but then you can buy a metric fuckton of shite in the airport that doesn't affect your carryon allowance.

Not blaming consumers though.
If you want to travel with a tiny bag of FA then that's great but I will continue to use the allowance I have paid for.

Some airlines include the hold but make you pay for carry ons now.
Also if it doesn't fit under the seat in front there isn't even enough room for overhead cabin storage. We had a whole aisle booked and still could only take under seat fitting bags.

“What annoys me is how bags are weighed and size checked (that's fine safety first) but then you can buy a metric fuckton of shite in the airport that doesn't affect your carryon allowance”

I’ve never understood this phrase. A non-metric ton is heavier so much better suited to hyperbole.

My mum is one of those people who is pathologically unwilling to check luggage. She does not want the hassle and stress of having to wait the extra 10 minutes at baggage claim. She will, however, book the flight with 3 layovers that takes an extra 12 hours travel time because it saved her £100. (Dear reader: she is wealthy, Dh and I are fairly high earners and her pension alone is more than our monthly income combined, she could afford an extra £100). It drives me bonkers.

I like to travel light. If I do take hand luggage only, it’s minimal. Or I check nearly everything.

I'm probably one of those people you would give a side eye too, as I have loads of hand luggage, including the maximum sized suitcase you can have with you in the cabin.

However, I carry medical equipment, which I can't risk going in the hold in case it gets lost, so it has to be with me. Our last holiday was 3 weeks long, so I had 2 cabin sized suitcases with it all in, as well as a rucksack each.