To think it cannot be mandatory to be asked to check in hand luggage at the gate

[NameChanger401]

I was about to board a flight today and, as often happens, an announcement was made asking passengers to come forward to check in hand luggage as flight is full and not enough space. The announcement said ‘we reiterate this is a mandatory requirement, without priority boarding group must check in hand luggage if requested’.

i usually wouldn’t mind, but today I realised I (stupidly) didn’t have a separate bag to my small suitcase. It contained items I really wouldn’t want to check in - laptop, power bank (don’t think this is allowed), valuables and medication. I therefore basically ‘hid’ away from the gate and came forward at the last minute when I thought enough people had had their bag confiscated (there was plenty of overhead space on board thankfully). However, it got me thinking if I could politely refuse (but didn’t want confrontation which is never a good idea at a boarding gate).

The only real way round this is a bag that fits under the seat - ideally a rucksack. If they see you wheeling something you are guaranteed it's getting taken off you, I had this on a BA flight earlier in the year - my DH with his rucksack got sent one way and me with the wheely (but v small) bag got sent another to get my bag tagged and taken. I had nothing to put my essentials in (passport, battery pack, tablet, water) and the gate steward said I'd have to carry it all onboard 😂 needless to say my then very anxious state bout how I'd juggle it all and not lose something saw him tell me to take a seat on the benches behind (past) the gate desk...and after five minutes he just waved me through - love him! I guess he just couldn't let everyone see him doing that else they'd have argued the same.

I've downsized on my luggage now, cannot justify the prices they want you to pay for a bag now.

No if I had a handbag I could have kept it, but I don’t generally carry a handbag!

I usually have a rucksack that can go underseat, but today I had a small wheelie but no suitcase

On some airlines the only thing that is part of the ticket price is a small rucksack max 20cm depth that fits under your seat. Everything else costs extra including priority boarding to get on the plane early enough to get any space in the overhead lockers.

Because when I flew from Geneva to Manchester, my luggage ended up in Tokyo and I didn't get my hands on it again for best part of a week. If that happened these days, but whilst abroad, I'd be getting rather ill by the time I got my meds back.

If there isn't enough room in the hat racks they absolutely can tell you to put hand luggage in the hold. Anything that can't go in the hold such as lithium batteries will usually be exempt but they can also leave them behind or refuse you passage for not obeying instructions.

People that work at the airport are human and generally want to help if they can. If you let them politely know your reasoning eg work related, special occasion etc they will try to help or accomodate you.

I'm ex crew in approx 2006 there was a stage where we had to put our cabin bags in the hold for security reasons (long haul/ US).

If they do try and make you check your hand luggage, always make sure you ask if items like laptops inside are covered and they accept liability.

There’s usually a ‘guaranteed cabin bag’ size but this is one that fits under your seat. It’s says in the T&C of most airlines that other hand luggage might have to be checked if the flight is busy. But I hear you, the same thing happened to me once and I ended up carrying my laptop in my hand and purse, passport, medication and charger in one of these sick bags they have on the planes (I already was on the plane when there was no space left and they put my hand luggage in the hold). I must have looked very funny walking through passport control carrying a laptop and a sick bag.

That’s my worst fear! I carry Dr letters and a list of prescriptions so I can get the medication replaced locally if I have to. It would be hellish though,,.worse than losing a passport.

My flight was BA . I have another flight coming up and can’t see the option to pay for this guaranteed large cabin bag

Just take a bag that fits under the seat in front of you, these are guaranteed because the space under the seat is always yours. It’s just about bags that need overhead locker space,

For.those with medical needs that cant go in the hold, speaking to the airlines assistance team pre flying notmally gets you a letter stating it must stay with you. Dh has complex medical issues and carries the equivalent of one bag of medication on every flight. It cannot go in the hold. When I book his other assistance I request medical hand luggage and he actually is allowed 2 bags but only the medical is garunteed cabin bags. TBH his second bag is a small day sack and normally by his feet so we don't feel to bad about.it

You can on Jet2.

That's why I only take an under seat rucksack and a small cross body handbag in the cabin.

But when you pay for you ticket it tells you how much cabin baggage you can have. So you have paid for it. The seat and the baggage allowance is what you bought. Why sell more room than they have?

But where do you put your feet? It’s cramped enough already.

Depends on the medication. My son went away for 3 months and had very expensive immunosuppressant injections which would have been v difficult to replace so he kept it with him actually they put it in the fridge on the flight.

This is a good point! Exactly - the ticket tells you. EasyJet have an option to upgrade to add the luggage - not sure if it’s then guaranteed it won’t be checked in. BA it’s included in the standard but ticket is priced accordingly

I was ranting earlier today (to any friend would listen 😆) as I checked in for a flight this morning for which I am only taking a 10kg cabin bag. The airline (not a budget one either) wanted to charge £12.99 for the luxury of taking my cabin bag errr into the cabin. The freebie option was to check in the cabin bag before security otherwise the price to take the cabin bag into the cabin at the gate would be something like £35 😳

My boarding pass now says “carry on bag: no” - it’s such a racket trying to make money off you left, right and centre! Ok, rant over!

If that's your only bag I wouldn't put it in the hold. You'd have had to take mine from my cold dead hand on a recent trip - there was no way on earth you'd have separated me from my painkillers after an awful sciatica attack!

Terrifying how many people don’t realise it’s incredibly dangerous to put a laptop in the hold. Spoiler…. There’s a battery in there!!!!

Always take a small personal item like a handbag or a rucksack that can fit under the seat in front of you. Small bags like that shouldn’t even be put in the overhead bins so they won’t ever make you check those (I know some airlines do make you pay for those too). Don’t have anything in a larger carry on that you don’t want to be checked because if they run out of space you don’t really have an option.

Guaranteed cabin luggage in the cabin is a luxury which is a chargeable add on to the base rate of the ticket. What's wrong with being expected to pay for extras? You buy a base rate ticket and add the extra elements if you want them.

I had this on Aegean recently. I had paid extra for guaranteed hand baggage, my bag was within the size and weight limits specified by them. They still tried to make me check it at the gate. I refused and brought it on. I suppose it's different if you haven't paid for guaranteed hand baggage but I find the whole cabin experience quite stressful now that so much of it is monetised.

I once was boarding a flight with a small cabin case and a man came along, and without asking, began attaching labels to suitcases saying that people had to send cases to the hold.

The whole point of packing lightly was to avoid baggage reclaim at the other end and this man was only attaching labels to women’s cases. Maybe he thought the men were too important to be separated from their cases. Prick.

I ripped the label off and stick my case under my seat, as I would have done anyway.

Which airline? On Ryanair your hand luggage is supposed to go under the seat. Only people who have paid for an extra cabin bag are supposed to use the overhead lockers for luggage. The hard cases will fit well if properly stashed but people load them carelessly.