BA “inviting” passengers to put hand luggage in the hold

[MascaraGirl]

I’ve had this suggestion before with BA, but thankfully I’ve never had to part with my hand luggage.

We fly tomorrow, and the “invitation” email has arrived again, Its got me thinking. Even if your hand luggage ends upon the hold, you’re still allowed a small cabin bag, and I can get MOST of my essentials in this. But I’m wondering that if I pack a carrier bag, or similar, into my land luggage, would I be allotwed to de-cant my belongings into this? Not ideal, but (from BA’s point of view) it gets my bag out of the cabin, and from my point of view, at least I’m not risking anything important being lost in transit? Or am I overthinking this?

You must be able to as a lot of things aren’t allowed in the hold (lighters, vapes, batteries etc).

Some of the size of cabin cases are the size of a small checked in bag. It's getting stupid now. People also take the piss with taking a wheelie case and another bag. Easyjet and Ryanair have a lot to answer for!

A hand luggage bag should fit under the seat in front of you and shouldn't be a small suitcase as far as I'm concerned. And it should be weighed before they get anywhere near the boarding gate.

I either use my ruck sack which fits by my feet if needed or a tote bag. I also put a change of clothes in it, I will have a small cross body bag that fits into my bigger bag.

@mrsm43s By taking liberties I mean bags that are clearly too big to be a handbag ,then also having a small suitcase,plus a carrier bag etc! I seem to see that a lot.

Laptop
headphones
handcream
Sleep mask
Jumper
Water bottle
...

But if they allow you to then why would you pay more for checked in luggage that you can fit in the carry on?

Oh i dont think the airlines should allow this. If they have set limitations they should make us stick to it.Otherwise whats the point? But I do think people take the piss at times.

We fly regularly to Glasgow BA and recently the crew allowed x number of bags on and after that, everyone's went into the hold. You could still take on handbags, carrier bags - it was the cases they were interested in.

I wouldn't opt for this flying into a big airport like Heathrow where the luggage could be held up but it's fine at a smaller airport.

I've never taken a laptop on holiday but if that's your thing 🤷

I'm taking 16 tablets a day at the moment, a week's worth fits in a tiny pouch.

And fortunately I've never had any of my luggage go missing.

Is there any kind of incentive when they’re asking for volunteers?

I’ve only ever taken a wheelie bag / rucksack that’s small enough to go in the cabin. I’d be highly reluctant to check anything in unless I had to.

Just out of interest, don’t you take the actual boxes as well? I take 12 tablets a day and was under the impression the meds had to be in their original boxes, along with a copy of my prescription. It would be much easier if they were just in there minus the boxes!

They are meant to be in their containers as they can confiscate them if not but I have accidentally been on a plane with loose antihistamines and they weren’t picked up.

Medication and a change of clothes

Thanks. I carry a loose ‘rescue’ epilepsy med in my phone case but it’s a benzodiazepine so I guess I should make sure I keep it in its box next time I fly!

If they're asking in advance the incentive is you get a checked in bag (which they'd usually charge extra for ) for free. Not that much of an incentive but means you don't have to cart your heavy case around the airport and can pack liquids etc in it without worrying about the hand luggage limits. Like I say not that much of an incentive as most people prefer keeping their stuff with them and not have to wait at baggage reclaim after the flight but I guess a few people do go for it otherwise they wouldn't bother asking.

If it's on the day/at the gate, there's no incentive. It's more a case that unless someone volunteers we aren't going anyway. BA seem to take the approach it's kind of first come first served, they see how many people bring cases and count the space in the lockers, then the later comers is a case of tough, give us your case or we're not going anywhere.

Not meaning this as a blame thing, but I think most people think the same as you, and that is the problem, no-one wants to have to check in a bag on a short haul flight if they don't absolutely have to, that's why everyone brings a wheelie case to put in the lockers, trouble is everyone's thinking the same and clearly the planes were built on the assumption that only about 66% or 75% of people will bring a case as there sometimes genuinely isn't enough space for everyone to have one...

I carry a small cotton bag that I throw my small bits I want at my seat into, out of my cabin bag. And if I need to put my cabin wheely in the hold (it’s happened plenty of times!), I can add my passport and meds and laptop to it as well, the bits I don’t want (or aren’t supposed to go in) the hold.

I’ve flattened the boxes with the drugs in a small bag and this has always worked to date. I also keep a print out of the prescriptions handy and any advanced special permission to carry restricted drugs.

That said, I’m always careful about checking the rules for any country I travel and there are places I wouldn’t change planes due to restrictions.

They also have to balance the weight for safety reasons so if they need more people to check bags into the hold and no one volunteers they might not be able to take off

Long story cut very short, It doesn't work that - the assumed weights used for passengers usually has a fixed increment for an assumed amount if handbaggage...shifting bags from cabin to hold makes no difference, the weight has already been factored in

And I have seen BA offer priority boarding (e.g you move up to Group 1) as an incentive for handing bags over for hold loading.

That’s a great idea to flatten the boxes, why on earth didn’t I think of that!!! 🙄Thanks, I’ll try that next time.

Not everybody on the plane is going on holiday. Lots of people need medication even if you don't.

Have you seen the size of some of the things people try to take on as hand baggage? How they get past the gate is a mystery to me.

Last time I flew from Manchester (was going to NYC) which was in March, I never had to take out my liquids for hand luggage. I believe it’s a new system they’ve got now? So they don’t have the strict limits on liquids anymore.

I don’t see the benefit in checking in a small sized suitcase now. I can bring everything with me in hand luggage makeup wise and no chance of it getting lost.

I’ve had luggage go missing twice. I did get it back eventually a few days later on both occasions though. One time was UK- US and the other time was Vietnam to London. I didn’t mind the second time actually because it meant I didn’t have to lug my large suitcase home on the train as they had to deliver it to me later. But the first time it was a real pain.

My last flight from Heathrow to Newcastle was last leg of an arduous trip back from the states - a member of staff loudly told me I needed to put my cabin bag in the hold and I refused and stated I was disabled and had equipment in there I might need on the flight. I was stunned when she loudly declared I didn’t look disabled and again went to tag and grab my case. Dozens of people glaring I explained it held spare clothes and stoma equipment - she proceeded to tell me to take it out in full view of everyone and swap with contents of my handbag (book etc) again I refused and asked to see a supervisor.

Well I have 5 asthma medications! So I need something bigger

I’ve had this lots of times. I find that the lower the group you’re in, for instance if you’re in group 9 boarding, they are more likely to run out of overhead locker space and start taking cabin bags off you. But generally they take the hard, or mini suitcase style bags.

Just to be sure, though, because I definitely don’t want to be parted with the things I take on board (spare clothes because they’ve lost my suitcases in the past, medication, tech, and souvenirs on the way back home) I went and purchased a couple of American Tourister backpack style carry on bags, which open like a case but you have to carry them they don’t have wheels and they’re not hard. They are really good size though and you can fit them under the seat if necessary.

That’s awful @CoastalCalm did you make a complaint to the supervisor?